SharePoint: Your Fastest, Out-of-the-Box Application Development Environment

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May 8th, the Scotia Bank Theatre in Toronto was the scene of ObjectSharp’s annual “At the Movies” event. The event was recorded and over the next few Fridays, you’ll be able to watch the sessions again and ask the questions you may not have been able to previously ask. If you do have a question, ask away – on Twitter using the hashtag #msdev or on Facebook on the Microsoft Developer Facebook page.

This is the third session that is available on demand, with a summary below from the presenter, SharePoint Expert Alireza Aliabadi.

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SharePoint 2013 for developers

SharePoint has changed a lot since it was first released and lots of web developers are extending their work domain to SharePoint development. Every day more and more clients are asking for SharePoint to build their internet and intranet website and the main reason behind it is low cost of development and quick delivery time compared to ASP.NET and other development methods.

The world of SharePoint 2013 development!

SharePoint 2013 is not just a collection of lists and libraries anymore. It is a big product with lots of built-in out of the box services. We as SharePoint developers used to build a lot on the top of SharePoint, but with rapidly growing product functionality, there is less need for developing custom code. In fact there is more need for consultants that they know SharePoint out of the box services and features and they also know how to configure and use them. The new generation of SharePoint architects, have deep understanding of built-in services and their limits so that they can decide whether to develop custom code or just enable a built-in Service. This approach makes SharePoint development quick and dramatically reduces the cost of maintenance and support.

Does it mean that SharePoint development is disappearing as a career?

Not really. It is actually growing in a different area, SharePoint 2013 App Development. You can look at it as a totally new career. Now you can develop SharePoint Apps to sell in the Office.com online store and make money as an independent developer. In fact selling SharePoint solutions has never been so easy. If you want to sit in your basement and make money by selling your own products, SharePoint 2013 App development is a great way to get started. Better yet, don’t forget that Microsoft hosts your apps for those who purchase it on Office 365.

What to expect from SharePoint 2013 as a developer?

(In fact there is a lot into it, but this is my very personal opinion about SharePoint 2013)

  • Easy hosting anywhere on the cloud (App Development model)
  • Powerful client object model using Java script and JQuery
  • Extreme branding capability for public facing websites
  • Full support for MVC development model!
  • Easy integration with Reporting services
  • Amazing search capabilities (Built-in FAST search server)
  • Pleasure of working with Visual Studio 2013!

Conclusion

  • Consider SharePoint 2013 built-in Services before writing any code
  • SharePoint 2013 is very affordable (low start-up cost)
  • Ideal solution to build public facing websites
  • Look into SharePoint App development as a totally new career