Building Web Parts using VS.NET extensions for SharePoint

Mike McDonogh sent us this recommendation:

If any of you are planning on building web parts for Project Server 2007 I’d HIGHLY recommending using the VS.NET extensions for SharePoint.

https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=19F21E5E-B715-4F0C-B959-8C6DCBDC1057&displaylang=en#Overview

The trick to get it working in VS.NET 2005 so that it will run in Project Server Sites is as follows:

1. Create a new Web Part project

2. Open the class and change the code System.Web.UI.WebControls.WebParts.WebPart to Microsoft.SharePoint.WebPartPages.WebPart

3. Create a DWP file, Project Web Access site required a DWP file to be imported

<?xml version="1.0"?>

<WebPart xmlns="https://schemas.microsoft.com/WebPart/v2">

<Assembly>DynamicProjectRegistratonModule, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=Neutral, PublicKeyToken=99646028e7d67527</Assembly>

<TypeName> DynamicProjectRegistratonModule.RegisterProjectWP</TypeName>

<Title>Web part for registering new projects in Project Server</Title>

<Description>You can put a description here.</Description>

</WebPart>

4. Click deploy in Visual Studio.NET

Why would you want to use the extensions [huge time saver]:

· Build the Web Part assembly.

· Package the Web Part solution as a Windows SharePoint Services Feature.

· If this Web Part solution was deployed previously, the extensions retract the previous version of the Web Part solution Feature.

· Updates the web.config safe controls settings automatically.

· Install your Web Part assembly to the global assembly cache.

· Deploy and activate your Web Part solution Feature in Windows SharePoint Services.

· Add your Web Part to the SafeControls list.

· Restart Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) by invoking the iisreset command.

· Attach to the w3wp processes to enable debugging.

· Packaging for deployment to QA/DEV/Production in VS.NET is easy.