Creating Applications Using SharePoint

Microsoft SharePoint is a web-oriented platform for collaboration and document management. The solution can be used to create various web-sites with shared documents or dedicated applications (i.e. Wiki, blogs, and forums). SharePoint functionality is presented to the User through editable control elements that display data. Such web parts are placed on pages which in their turn are placed on the Portal and are available to the User via the browser.

SharePoint is presented in two main products:
• Windows SharePoint Services;
• Microsoft Office SharePoint Server.

Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) – is a platform for deployment and content management by Microsoft. WSS has the following features:
• is a storage of files and folders;
• gives a basic option for information search;
• provides functionality of a content management system;
• management of access rights definition;
• gives an option for a web part extension.
After the application deployment, standard or customized web parts can be used. Blogs, private address books, document store websites, internet shops, news websites, and pages with audio and video players can be easily created with the help of the applications. All the functionality above can also be combined on a single portal.

Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) is the best component for integrating SharePoint functionality into MS Office applications. It expands Windows SharePoint Services with new options. If a document has to be saved as a part of web-applications, the solution to use is MOSS. Client Office applications (including Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.) can be easily used as constituent parts of Corporate solutions built on SharePoint. All MOSS functions can be extended by developers to implement a wide range of products: from simple web-panels to complex web-applications.

SharePoint products and technologies give a wide range of advantages not only to developers, but also to separate users and organizations of any level.

Process of web-application development using SharePoint is similar to the process of application development using more traditional means (i.e. PHP). Nevertheless, product development stage itself goes much faster and as the result cheaper to the Client.
Simplified process of web-applications creation with the use of SharePoint can be given with the following set of actions:
• SharePoint deployment and web-site creation by default;
• After Windows SharePoint Services deployment the web-site is created by default;
• Web-sites collection for the application with a template is created by default;
• Then there is a creation of the necessary types, lists and user groups;
• User rights are defined for the lists. The full safety of User information is provided.
• Necessary application components (i.e. wikis, blogs, calendars, etc.) are added and set up.
• Web-site interface is setup per Client’s wishes.

SharePoint is a powerful tool which enables creation of web-sites and a big number of applications that use web-interface.