In this issue of Understanding SharePoint Journal, you will learn how to develop SharePoint web parts.

This eBook, spanning 76 pages, covers the following aspects of SharePoint web part development:

• web part background
• web part architecture
• core web part development competencies
• web part properties
• web part connections
• user interface development for web parts

Subtopics include:

• web part definitions
• building visual web parts in SharePoint 2007 and 2010
• modifying web part layout in SharePoint Designer
• building web part pages

Please note: This issue is SharePoint version agnostic. Examples are show using SharePoint 2010, but all code runs and all knowledge taught works great in SharePoint 2007 as well.

You can read more about SharePoint Web Part development on the issue page at http://www.sharepointwebpartdevelopment.com/ where you can also download a 20-page preview of the issue.

In the USP Journal issue “SharePoint Content Types for Business Users” you will learn the why and how of SharePoint content types. You’ll learn both the theory and best practices and also explore how to build a complete invoicing solution using SharePoint content types.

In this 84 page issue, you’ll find the following topics covered:

• Content Types and Why You Should Care!
• Content Type Taxonomy
• Behavior, including SharePoint Designer workflows
• Layout and design
• Best practices

In each chapter, you’ll find easy-to-understand explanations about the benefits and pitfalls of content types. In addition, you’ll find step-by-step exercises walking you through how to implement a complete SharePoint solution.

The best part is, you don’t need to write or understand a single line of code. Everything is accomplished using the web interface or the free SharePoint Designer.

Targeted at both SharePoint 2007 (WSS/MOSS) and SharePoint 2010 (SPF/SPS) users, this issue may be your most important tool to help you build scalable and easy-to-maintain SharePoint solutions.

You can buy the issue on the SharePoint Content Types for Business Users page now.

The truth, however, is that despite the initial appearances, much of what you know about SharePoint development from the 2007 version still applies to SharePoint 2010.

So, rather than create a whole new issue which would cover much of the same material as the previous version, I have decided to release a shorter report that covers what’s new in SharePoint 2010.

The report, spanning 69 pages, covers topics such as LINQ to SharePoint, the client object model, and the new Ribbon customization options. In addition, you’ll learn about the new Visual Studio 2010 tools, how to upgrade your code from previous versions, and a range of other new, cool features.

This report is now available for all members of the USP Journal mailing list as is available in the Free Content section of this website. The password is distributed to USP Journal mailing list members only, but because membership is free, you can just sign up to get this report, as well as all the other free content, right now.

Sign up here

SharePoint Designer 2010 offers powerful workflow authoring options, but building such workflows can be bewildering.

This issue targets beginning developers and business users looking to save organizations time and money by automating business processes.

With your purchase, you will get the beautifully illustrated 143 page journal issue plus over four hours of video content, including a recorded lecture from USPJ Academy on SharePoint Designer 2010 workflow types.

Topics covered in the issue are:

• Workflow in a NutShell
• Introduction to SharePoint Designer workflows
• Your first SharePoint Designer 2010 workflow
• Initiation forms and parameters
• Working with variables
• Collecting data from users
• Workflow lookups
• …plus many more

The issue costs $14.95 and you can buy it now from the issue download page at http://www.sharepointdesigner2010workflow.com/

Throughout this issue, I’ll introduce you to SharePoint 2010 whether you are a developer, an administrator, or an end-user (Sorry Mark, I had to put something in for end users since you’re not…)

Here is an overview of the content:

SharePoint 2010 New Features Overview
Get an overview of the new features of SharePoint 2010. In addition, I’ll walk you through installing SharePoint 2010 Beta 2 in a 40 minute video, including installing Active Directory, SQL Server 2008, and the pre-requisites for SharePoint 2010.

Getting Started with SharePoint 2010
This issue will get you started with SharePoint 2010 in record time and walk you through several exercises to show you many of the new features in action. I’ll also show you, in four accompanying videos, how to set up a metadata model in SharePoint.

SharePoint Designer 2010
SharePoint Designer 2010 offers massive improvements over the previous version. I’ll walk you through this new version, including setting up your first SharePoint Designer workflow using the new workflow editor.

Visual Studio 2010 and SharePoint
Visual Studio 2010 completely changes the playing field for SharePoint development. Find out what features will benefit you and if this tool is really for you.

The New SharePoint 2010 Developer
It’s time to learn what the new SharePoint 2010 development model means for you as a developer. I’ll walk you through what you need to learn in order to harness the new features of SharePoint, including the client object model, LINQ to SharePoint, REST and WCF services, using the new UI features, and more!

SharePoint 2010 Administrator Update
The administrator’s job gets a whole lot easier in SharePoint 2010. I’ll walk you through the features that will make your life easier as an IT-pro, including upgrading sites from SharePoint 2007, PowerShell (I promise to make it easy), managing a SharePoint 2010 farm and performance and monitoring.

Oh, and I’ve also included more than two hours of video to walk you through important features of SharePoint 2010, including a 40 minute vide on installing everything you need for a SharePoint 2010 lab environment.

What’s keeping you? Get over to the Introducing SharePoint 2010 site and get your copy now!

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Throughout 88 pages you learn about the following aspects of SharePoint development:

• The conflict of developer control versus user freedom
• How to afford users freedom while maintaining control
• Converting STP templates into WSP solutions
• Working with setup, layout, and upgrade features
• Core solutions and specialization solutions
• Using features to affect existing sites and site collections

I will also show you the 42 lines of code that will save your SharePoint solutions forever.

http://www.professionalsharepointdevelopment.com/

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If you didn’t win, don’t worry, I’ll make sure to hold equally cool competitions later

Congratulations to the grand prize winner: Danny Chin!

Danny will be my guest at the SharePoint Technology Conference in February and receive a full pass for the entire conference, a 4-night stay at the conference hotel, personal training from me, plus all the journal issues he can carry.

Well, he can’t actually carry any of them, since they are electronic journals, but you get the point.

Here’s Danny’s contribution:

Bjorn provides a highly informative overview of Nintex Workflow 2007.
Topics covered but were not limited to setup & administration ,
the Nintex Designer , simple every day tasks and working with external
data. Each chapter is presented in a clear conversational style accompanied
by screenshots , a chapter review followed by Questions & Answers. Finally,
he presents you with a complete sample application applying what
you’ve just learned. If you’re organization is investigating workflows
selected chapters from this issue could be presented in series of
"Lunch & Learn" sessions. Another GREAT issue !

The five second prize winners are:

• Mike Rieger
• Daniele Guarneri
• Sandy Ussia
• Thomas Sullivan
• Audun M. Solheim

All have received their 13-issue subscription bundles.

Thanks to all who participated, I’m thrilled about the responses I got and will start putting your testimonials up on the various web pages soon.

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The new series, titled Introducing SharePoint 2010, will guide you through what’s new in SharePoint 2010 over a series of six shorter issues. These issues are released 2-3 weeks apart and are 25-30 pages long for a total of somewhere between 150 and 180 pages.

Here is an overview of the issues in the series:

SharePoint 2010 New Features Overview

Getting Started with SharePoint 2010

SharePoint Designer 2010

Visual Studio 2010 and SharePoint

The New SharePoint 2010 Developer

SharePoint 2010 Administrator Update

The price is still $14.95 for all the issues, so there is no recurring payment or anything like that. Pay once and you will get updates every time a new issue releases. Of course, you also get access to any issues already released as well as any supporting files and videos.

So, if you want to get quickly up to speed without having to spend hours searching the internet for information, get your subscription today at http://www.sharepoint2010beta.com/.

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Even better; you won’t need to write any code. This is a low-code introduction, targeted at workflow developers who may have experience with SharePoint Designer workflows or out-of-the-box workflows, but want more control and far more power.

You don’t need to buy Visual Studio or other software either. I will tell you how to get all the software you need.

The issue, spanning 100 pages, covers the following aspects of SharePoint Visual Studio workflows:

• Creating the development environment, including getting free or trial versions of all required software
• Workflow in a Nutshell
• The Visual Studio workflow desiger
• Sequential and state machine workflows
• SharePoint workflow activities
• Branching, conditions, and loops

The issue is available on http://www.sharepointvisualstudioworkflows.com/

Surprising to most is that the release date for the first public version of SharePoint was delayed. The original target, confirmed no more than two weeks ago in a conversation with Microsoft, was October 26, but this has been postponed for several weeks.

The new official date is mid-November.

The SharePoint 2010 Beta series will run up to the release of the first public beta version of SharePoint 2010 and will continue to keep you up-to-date with information about the upcoming release. The next issue is scheduled for release next week, right after #SPC09 ends.

However, and this is important, I will stop selling new subscriptions of the current SharePoint 2010 Beta series on October 26.

The next issue will focus on summarizing #SPC09 and the final issue will be an overview of all the new features once the feature set is finalized.

So, this is your last chance to get the final two issues as well as all the previous issues in the series, for a total of just $14.95.

Go the the SharePoint 2010 Beta page to buy now.

The http://www.sharepoint2010beta.com website will shut down next Monday (October 26) after which point no further subscriptions will be sold.

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