Todd Bleeker

slooF lirpA Web Part

Todd Bleeker — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 10:21:00 GMT

One of my favorite SharePoint April Fools gags is to alter the direction that HTML is displayed on a popular SharePoint page. I've encapsulated that code into a simple Content Editor Web Part I've called slooF lirpA (April Fools backwards).

Download the slooF lirpA Web Part DWP and Import it onto a SharePoint page to see this kind of result:

Open Web Solution Packages (WSP CABs) in Windows Explorer

Todd Bleeker — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:41:24 GMT

Wouldn't it be nice if you could double click on a Web Solution Package (WSP) CAB in Windows Explorer and it would open just as if it had a CAB extension. This can be done by simply associating any file with a WSP extension to open in the Cabinet File Viewer Shell Extension. The net requirement is just a few Windows Registry entries:

Windows Registry Entries

   1: Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00   2:     3: [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.wsp]   4: @="CLSID\\{0CD7A5C0-9F37-11CE-AE65-08002B2E1262}"   5: "InfoTip"="Contains compressed files"   6:     7: [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.wsp\PersistentHandler]   8: @="{098f2470-bae0-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}"   9:    10: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.wsp]  11:    12: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.wsp\DefaultIcon]  13: @="cabview.dll,0"  14:    15: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.wsp\OpenWithList]  16:    17: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.wsp\OpenWithProgids]  18: "CLSID\\{0CD7A5C0-9F37-11CE-AE65-08002B2E1262}"=hex(0):

To make it simple, I've created two .reg files in a downloadable WSPCabinetFileViewer.zip:

1. WSP Cabinet File Viewer.reg: Set the registry settings needed to open a WSP cab within the Windows Cabinet File Viewer Shell Extension of Windows Explorer just like a file with a CAB extension.

2. WSP Cabinet File Viewer - Undo.reg: Remove the registry setting added to open a WSP cab within the Windows Cabinet File Viewer Shell Extension of Windows Explorer.

Steps to try this out:

Download and expand the zip
To "install", double click on WSP Cabinet File Viewer.reg
Reboot if you are running Windows Server 2008
Try to open a WSP file in Windows Explorer
See the files contents
To "uninstall", double click on WSP Cabinet File Viewer - Undo.reg

It really is that easy. I have tested these .reg files on Vista Ultimate, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008. Only Windows Server 2008 required a reboot to see the effects.

Add an Essential Toolbar to the 12 Hive on the Windows Startbar

Todd Bleeker — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:35:14 GMT

A few years ago, I described how to add this toolbar to the Windows Startbar in my book: Developer's Guide to Windows SharePoint Services 3.0

But, it bears repeating here. The 12 Hive is where anything and everything SharePoint gets it genesis. You may note that this it the tag line for my blog.

The 12 Hive is located on the file system of each server where SharePoint is installed at C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\. The 12 Hive contains the definition of the core assets that SharePoint presents for users to create and activate, so it is very helpful for developers to have quick and easy access to the files in this folder. Use the following steps to add a 12 toolbar to the Startbar.

Right-click on the Windows Startbar and choose Toolbars > New Toolbar...
Expand My Computer (listed as the Machine Name)
Expand Local Disk (WSS v3 is installed on the C: drive)
Expand Program Files
Expand Common Files
Expand Microsoft Shared (after expanding, type the letter "w" three times to swiftly move to the next folder to expand)
Expand web server extensions
Select the 12 folder
Click the OK button

The result should be a menu that flys up from the Startbar that looks something like this:

Cool!

Get Public Key Token of Strong Named (Signed) Assembly Using VS.NET Tools Menu

Todd Bleeker — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:48:15 GMT

I've been explaining this tip in Mindsharp’s SharePoint Developer training for years and I've had people ask me repeatedly to blog it, so here goes.

Both Visual Studio (VS.NET) 2005 and 2008 make it quite easy to sign .NET assemblies with a strong name key (SNK) public key/private key pair directly from the Properties of the project.

However, after the assembly is compiled, nothing in the default VS.NET IDE can obtain the public key that was embedded within the assembly. So, the command-line Strong Name Tool (sn.exe) is often used to peek into the assembly for the public key token and the public key blob using the following command (run within a VS.NET Command Prompt):

sn -Tp [pathToAssembly]\[assemblyFileName]

While this is not difficult, it is terribly inefficient. Not only does it require the developer to open a command window, but also:

Remember the command,
Remember the parameters,
Use the correct case of those parameters (the T must be uppercase, the p must be lowercase),
Locate or type the full path to the assembly (in double quotes please), and
Execute the command

What’s worse, VS.NET knows exactly where the assembly was created; it just does not provide an interface to peek into the assembly to see the public key token and the public key blog.

It is also possible to drag (or GacUtil.exe) the DLL into the GAC to see the public key token (not the public key blob); Red Gate’s .NET Reflector can also show an assembly’s public key token.

However, there is hope. VS.NET allows developers to setup "External tools". The Strong Name Tool (sn.exe) is an external tool. So, with a little configuration of the IDE, a Get Public Key menu option can be added to the Tools menu.

Optionally, a Get Public Key icon can even be included directly on the toolbar. Then, just click the icon to get the public key token and the public key blob from any compiled assembly that is in focus in the Solution Explorer.

You can find a step by step explanation showing how to add the menu option and the toolbar option in the the PDF that I published privately last year. Be aware, the paper describes steps for VS.NET 2005 but VS.NET 2008 installs sn.exe in a different location than VS.NET 2005:

Make sure to use this VS.NET 2008 location when creating the Get Public Key External Tool.

FREE Unified Communications Poster

Todd Bleeker — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 08:20:41 GMT

Are you using Microsoft’s Unified Communications (UC) or even just Office Communication Server (OCS)? Check out the new poster that Russ Kaufmann over at Mindsharp has cooked up:

"This poster that will help administrators understand the big picture when it comes to Microsoft’s Unified Communications implementation. The poster shows the placement of each server role, clients, and the communications methods used. For the firewall team, it is a great visual, and it provides all of the rules required to communicate between the internal network and the perimeter network, and between the perimeter network and the Internet."

The best part is, you can have one of these posters for FREE. Simply provide your name and shipping address and Mindsharp will roll a 2’X3’ color printout into a mailing tube and snail-mail it directly to you.

Get your copy today.

Preferred SharePoint Development Tool

Todd Bleeker — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 07:41:29 GMT

I know it won't produce a definitive answer, but I'm taking an unscientific poll to determine which SharePoint Development Tool reigns supreme:

Single Question Survey

Survey Results Thus Far

Get 40% Off the SharePoint Business Data Catalog (BDC) Book (but only if you hurry)

Todd Bleeker — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 15:11:00 GMT

My good friends Brett Lonsdale and Nick Swan (the guys behind Lightning Tools) have completed their book on the SharePoint Business Data Catalog (BDC).

The book has just finished Technical Review and is now available for purchase directly from Manning. The book goes into detail on BDC Security, BDC Search, BDC Business Data Columns, BDC Object Model, OBA, BDC Web Services, and of course the Application Definition File (ADF).

This is the only book available on the BDC. Until March 02, 2009, you can receive a 40% discount on the book by entering the following code when you order it: sbdc40

SharePoint Pod Show

Todd Bleeker — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 14:48:00 GMT

Earlier this month while I was speaking at the SharePoint Best Practices Conference in beautiful San Diego when I ran into Brett Lonsdale (who was also speaking at the event). Brett asked me if I had some time to answer a few impromptu questions. I agreed and he recorded my responses here:

Custom SharePoint Field Types, Great SharePoint Debugging Techniques, and SPDispose Check-Episode 16

Keith Dahlby found one of my tips helpful and he documented it here:

Add SPDisposeCheck to VS External Tools

Talking with Brett and making the podcast was a good time.

Our WSS Only Branded Blog Community is Finally Launched

Todd Bleeker — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 19:40:00 GMT

After months of part time skunks works effort, our WSS-only branded blog community is finally ready for prime time. While it doesn't contain all the bells and whistles originally planned, I’m relatively happy with the result. We’ll also be adding new functionality as time permits.

Finally, I’ll be blogging (really, I will) about some of the details of our implementation and sharing some of the features that only the authenticated users get to experience.

Enjoy the musings of our SharePoint pundits!