7
Features and Solutions
WHAT’S IN THIS CHAPTER?
- What is a SharePoint feature?
- How to configure and use a feature
- Understanding feature events and feature upgrading
- What is a solution?
- How to configure a solution
- How to use a solution file
- What is a farm solution and what is a sandboxed solution?
- An introduction to the Visual Studio 2010 Tools for SharePoint 2010
- Working with features and solutions in Visual Studio 2010
Have you ever been in a discussion with colleagues about new software you were developing when someone requested a particular “feature” to be included? Or have you ever referred to the software you were writing as a software “solution”? Although the terms feature and solution are often used when describing software solutions, these words have very specific meanings in SharePoint 2010.
The purpose of this chapter is to help you understand how functionality in SharePoint is packaged, deployed, and utilized, using SharePoint features and solutions. In addition, this chapter shows you how you can use Visual Studio 2010 to build your own features and solutions.
UNDERSTANDING FEATURES
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word feature as “a prominent part or characteristic” and Roget’s thesaurus gives us synonyms like unit, item, constituent, and element. In its most basic sense, a SharePoint feature is a constituent unit or element of functionality within a SharePoint farm, web application, site collection, or site. Features provide a way for developers to turn ...
