Site Templates and Site Definitions

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Welcome to the Minnesota SharePoint User Group
May 9th, 2007 Site Templates and Site Definitions
Raymond Mitchell Inetium
http//www.sharepointmn.com
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User Group Goal / Objectives

• Develop and support a local community focused on
  Microsoft SharePoint Technologies
• Educate user group members about SharePoint
  Technologies
• Transfer knowledge within the community
• Communicate best practices
• Introduce new products / solutions

http//www.sharepointmn.com
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Introductions MNSPUG Sponsors

• Inetium (www.inetium.com)
• Twin Cites based Microsoft consulting company
• Microsoft Gold Certified Partner
• Practice Area focused on Information Worker
  Technologies
• New Horizons Minnesota (www.newhorizonsmn.com)
  
• Microsoft Gold Certified Partner
• Training on many technologies
• Microsoft (www.microsoft.com)
• Im guessing youve heard of them

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www.sharepointmn.com

• Website for user group
• SharePoint resource documents
• SharePoint resource websites links
• RSS Feeds
• Meeting Schedule
• Past User Group Presentations

www.sharepointmn.com
http//www.sharepointmn.com
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Upcoming Schedule

• Next Meeting
• June 13th 900 AM to 1130 AM
• Microsofts Bloomington Office
• Topic TBD
• Ongoing Schedule
• 2nd Wednesday of every month
• 900 to 1130 am
• Microsofts Bloomington Office

http//www.sharepointmn.com
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CRM User Group Meeting

• Wednesday, June 6th, 2007
• 830 900 Registration
• 900 1100 Presentation
• 1100 1130 QA and Networking
• Microsofts Bloomington Office (here)

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Twin Cities MPA Free Lunch n Learn

• May 18, 2007Overview Microsoft Office
  SharePoint 2007 A Project Enabling Platform
• RSVP or for more information - http//www.mympa.or
  g/Chapters/TwinCities

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Upcoming WebCast

• When Tuesday, May 22, 2007
• Time 1030 AM 1130 AM
• Topic Content replication solutions to improve
  SharePoints business value
• Sponsors Syntergy and Inetium
• Registration https//www.clicktoattend.com/
  Invitation Code 118430

http//www.sharepointmn.com
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Previous Meetings

• SharePoint 2007 Overview May 2006 MNSPUG
  Presentation This presentation provides an
  overview of a number of the key features and
  capabilities that SharePoint 2007 provides.
  http//www.sharepointmn.com/User Group
  Presentations/May 2006 MNSPUG.ppt
•  
• Document Management / Records Management June
  2006 MNSPUG Presentation This presentation
  covers how documents and records are managed
  using SharePoint.  This presentation also covers
  SharePoint Content Types. http//www.sharepointmn.
  com/User Group Presentations/June 2006 MNSPUG.ppt
  
•  
• Workflow  July 2006 MNSPUG Presentation This
  presentation covers how workflow and digital
  forms work in SharePoint 2007.  http//www.sharepo
  intmn.com/User Group Presentations/July 2006
  MNSPUG.ppt
•  
• Business Intelligence  August 2006 MNSPUG
  Presentation This presentation covers many of
  the new features of SharePoint 2007 that are used
  to address Business Intelligence including
  Dashboard sites, Key Performance Indicator (KPI)
  lists, Excel Services and the filter web parts. 
  http//www.sharepointmn.com/User Group
  Presentations/August 2006 MNSPUG.ppt
•  
• Web Content Management  September 2006 MNSPUG
  Presentation This presentation focuses on the
  web content management features of SharePoint
  2007 that allow end users to publish their own
  web content (ex articles).  http//www.sharepoint
  mn.com/User Group Presentations/September 2006
  MNSPUG.ppt
•  
• Search, Business Data Catalog (BDC), and the
  Knowledge Network October 2006 MNSPUG
  Presentation This presentation focuses on the
  search capabilities of SharePoint 2007 including
  leveraging the Business Data Catalog. 
  http//www.sharepointmn.com/User Group
  Presentations/October 2006 MNSPUG.ppt

http//www.sharepointmn.com
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Conferences

•  
• Advisor Summit May 6-10  Anaheim, CA 
  http//advisorevents.com/cte0705p.nsf/w/cmsMain
• Microsoft Business Intelligence Conference - May
  9-11 Seattle, WA  http//www.microsoftbiconfere
  nce.com/
• Tech Ed June 4-8  - Orlando, FL  
  http//www.microsoft.com/events/teched2007/defaul
  t.mspx 
• PDC October 2-5  - Los Angeles, CA 
  http//msdn.microsoft.com/events/pdc/
• SharePoint Connections November 5-8 Las
  Vegas, NV

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Agenda

• Quick Intro
• Site Template and Site Definitions - Concepts
• Break
• Site Templates and Site Definitions hands on
• Give Away
• Q A

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OOB Templates
OOB Templates
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Out of the box Templates

• When you create a new site you can select
  templates

OOB Templates
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Out of the box Templates

• Additional templates are available based on your
  version. Some examples include
• WSS
• Blank Site, Team Site
• Meeting Workspaces, Document Workspaces
• Blogs, Wiki
• MOSS
• Enterprise (Document Center, Search Center,
  MySite Host)
• Collaboration Portal
• Publishing Portal
• Each template contains information about a site
  including Navigation elements, Lists, and other
  site functionality

OOB Templates
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Site Templates
Site Templates
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Site Templates

• Overview
• Allows you to quickly and easily save a
  customized site as a template
• Examples
• Project Sites
• Client Sites
• Saves all of the changes made to a site based on
  a site definition

Site Templates
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Site Templates

• Overview
• Saved as a .STP file
• Actually a .CAB file that can be opened with
  Windows Explorer
• Contains a manifest.xlm
• manifest.xml contains customizations from the
  sites original definition

Site Templates
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Site Templates

• Overview
• Saved as a .STP file
• Actually a .CAB file that can be opened with
  Windows Explorer
• Contains a manifest.xlm
• manifest.xml contains customizations from the
  sites original definition

Site Templates
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Site Templates

• Creating Site Templates
• Can be created from the Web UI
• Requires Full Control permissions on the
  current web

Site Templates
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Site Templates
Site Templates
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Site Templates

• Creating Site Templates
• File name must be unique
• Template name and description as they will be
  displayed in the UI
• Include Content allows you to save documents and
  static list items with your template.
• Default Site Template file size limit is set to
  10MB
• Can be increased...

Site Templates
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Site Templates

• Creating Site Templates
• Once saved, site templates live in the Site
  Template Gallery

Site Templates
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Site Templates

• Managing Site Templates
• Site Template Galleries exist at the site
  collection level
• Can be managed from the root webs site settings

Site Templates
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Site Templates

• Managing Site Templates
• Can save .STP files and deploy to other servers
  or site collections

Site Templates
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Site Templates

• Managing Site Templates
• Can install via STSADM available to all site
  collections
• Requires an
• IISRESET to complete deployment

Site Templates
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Site Templates

• Managing Site Templates
• Change the max template file size

Site Templates
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Site Templates

• Site Template Notes
• List / Site Permissions are not saved
• Known Issues
• Changes to List View Web Parts are not saved.
  Hotfix is available via KB Article
  http//support.microsoft.com/?kbid926284
• Issues creating sites from templates saved with
  the publishing feature activated. Details
  available via KB Article http//support.microsoft
  .com/kb/925189

Site Templates
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Site Definitions
Site Definitions
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Site Definitions

• Overview
• Used for more the same scenarios when additional
  configuration options are required
• More complex to create / install

Site Definitions
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Site Definitions

• Overview
• Made up of a WebTemp.xml descriptor file and
  additional supporting files
• Defines exactly what should show up on the site
  once it is created
• Located on the file system of your SharePoint
  front end web servers
• C\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft
  Shared\web server extensions\12\TEMPLATE\SiteTempl
  ates
• C\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft
  Shared\web server extensions\12\TEMPLATE\1033\XML

Site Definitions
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Site Definitions

• Overview
• Used for OOB templates

Site Definitions
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Templates vs. Definitions
Templates vs. Definitions
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Templates vs. Definitions

• Main differences
• Who will be creating, who will be using
• What configuration options are needed

Templates vs. Definitions
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Templates vs. Definitions
Site Template Site Definition
Can be created by a site administrator Created by a developer
Can be deployed by a site administrator Deployed by a system administrator
.STP File .WSP file (if deployed by Solution)

Can be heavier More difficult to create

Feature for convenience Core component of SharePoint
Templates vs. Definitions
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Related Technologies
Related Technologies
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Related Technologies

• Ghosting / UnGhosting
• Ghosted files are good
• Ghosted files exist on the file system and do not
  have to be retrieved from the database (which
  would be slower)
• Files added or modified with SharePoint Designer
  are unghosted. They must be loaded from the
  database (which is slower)

Related Technologies
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Related Technologies

• Ghosting / UnGhosting
• Site Templates contain copies of unghosted files.
  Each site created based on that site template
  will save another copy of the file in the
  database.
• Customized homepages, custom .css, .js, or image
  files saved with the site
• Documents saved as default content for the site
  template
• Sites created based on site definitions contain
  ghosted files
• Custom files can be added to site definitions
• Files are copied once to the file system and are
  referenced unless the instance is unghosted

Related Technologies
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Related Technologies

• Features
• Can be used to deploy all kinds of functionality
• Custom ActionUrls
• List Event Handlers
• Custom Workflows
• Custom List Definitions
• Stored in the C\Program Files\Common
  Files\Microsoft Shared\web server
  extensions\12\TEMPLATE\FEATURES directory

Related Technologies
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Related Technologies

• Features
• Every list in SharePoint is defined as a feature

Related Technologies
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Related Technologies

• Solutions
• Allow you to package functionality for
  deployment
• Web Parts
• Features
• Site Definitions
• Must be installed and deployed
• .WSP file copied to the server and installed via
  STSADM

Related Technologies
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Related Technologies

• Solutions
• Install using the addsolution command

Related Technologies
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Related Technologies

• Solutions
• Once installed, solutions must be deployed.
• Can be deployed via Central Administration

Related Technologies
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Related Technologies

• Solutions
• Once installed, solutions must be deployed.
• Or via STSADM using the deploysolution command
• Must run STSADM -o execadmsvcjobs or else wait
  for the
• timer job to run/complete

Related Technologies
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Break
5 10 minutes
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Example Fabulous 40
Fabulous 40
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Fabulous 40

• 40 sample applications meant to showcase what you
  can build in SharePoint
• 20 are Site Templates
• 20 are Site Definitions
• Require the Core Solution

Fabulous 40
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Fabulous 40

• Downloading
• All templates http//www.microsoft.com/downloads/
  details.aspx?FamilyID5807B5EF-57A1-47CB-8666-78C1
  363F127Ddisplaylangen
• Core Solutionhttp//www.microsoft.com/downloads/
  details.aspx?FamilyIdC1039E13-94DA-4D7D-8CAE-3B96
  FA5A4045displaylangen

Fabulous 40
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Fabulous 40

• Featured Template Classroom Management

Fabulous 40
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Fabulous 40

• Featured Application Absence and Vacation
  Schedule

Fabulous 40
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Fabulous 40

• Featured Application Expense Reimbursement

Fabulous 40
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Example CKS www.sharepointmn.com
SCK www.sharepointmn.com
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CKS www.sharepointmn.com

• What is the CKS
• The Community Kit for SharePoint is a set of best
  practices, templates, Web Parts, tools, and
  source code that enables practically anyone to
  create a community website based on SharePoint
  technology for practically any group of people
  with a common interest.
• http//www.codeplex.com/CKS
• The CKS 2.0 will include several different
  editions that consist of custom Master Pages, web
  parts, and Features. Go here for current list of
  editions and features being considered. The CKS
  2.0 project was officially announced on the
  SharePoint Team Blog on March 27, 2007.

CKS www.sharepointmn.com
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CKS www.sharepointmn.com

• The making of www.sharepointmn.com
• The CKSUGE 1.0 is a site admin template (.STP
  file) designed for user group websites. The
  default settings and content of a SharePoint site
  that's been created with this template can be
  used with minimal modification by any Microsoft
  product oriented user group. Nevertheless, a user
  group of any product will find this template to
  be a compelling option with which to create a
  SharePoint site for its members.
• http//blogs.msdn.com/sharepoint/archive/2007/02/2
  6/community-kit-for-sharepoint-user-group-edition-
  1-0-now-available.aspx

CKS www.sharepointmn.com
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Advanced Site Definitions
Advanced Site Definitions
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Advanced Site Definitions

• Creating a new site definition
• 101 via notepad
• Deployment

Advanced Site Definitions
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Advanced Site Definitions

• Really creating a site definition
• Visual Studio
• Schema file / intellisense
• Additional properties
• Alternate CSS
• Master Page
• Features
• Modules / Web Parts LVWPs

Advanced Site Definitions
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References

• MSDN Working with Templates and
  Definitionshttp//msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/libra
  ry/ms434313.aspx
• Dan Winter Site Definition listinghttp//blogs.
  msdn.com/dwinter/archive/2006/07/07/659613.aspx
• Good infohttp//www.sharepointblogs.com/vandest/
  archive/2007/01/09/17634.aspx
• Inetium Blogshttp//blogs.inetium.com

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Q A
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Give Away
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Thanks for coming!
http//www.sharepointmn.com