Ben Waldron

Since the first article ("Developing Web Parts") in this series appeared in July 2003 (Vol. 1, issue 7), Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server 2003 (SPS) and Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) have been launched as part of the Microsoft Office System. After the successful launch and much adoption, SharePoint products and technologies have allowed collaboration to become a large part of distributed applications in a simplified way. While SPS and WSS can add much value with Web parts included in the product, the ability to create customized Web parts adds the flexibility to meet customer's specific needs. This article will focus on using the SharePoint object model to reach into SharePoint to connect to information contained within its infrastructure. Accessing the object model allows developers to connect and collect information in new ways. The article... (more)

Developing Web Parts

Web Parts are building blocks for creating modular Web sites. Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server 2003 and Windows SharePoint Services utilize Web Parts as the key component to add modular functionality and provide configurable user interfaces. As a developer, you know it's impossible to create a single interface that satisfies all users; however, Web Parts enable end users to assemble and arrange a complete Web page out of premade Web Parts. The Web Parts infrastructure allows data sharing between Web Parts to enable a connected user experience instead of stovepiped functionality... (more)