Showing posts with label Programming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Programming. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

SharePoint, Web Programming & SEO Resources

Web-Resource.org - SharePoint, Web Programming & SEO Resources

Web-resource.org provide a range of resources from around the web for Web Development & Programming, SharePoint & InfoPath Development and Search Engine Optimisation. Resources have been hand selected by the team at Web-Resource.org, and suggested by users.

SharePoint & InfoPath Resources

A range of tools and resources are provided by Web-Resource.org for Administering, Designing, Customising and Developing a SharePoint environment. Resources include a range of articles with tips, how to's, tutorials, third party utilities for administering and developing SharePoint. Tutorials are also available to help with InfoPath form development and integration with SharePoint.
SharePoint Design & Customisation resources include tutorials for creating and customising Data View Web Parts to display data from SharePoint lists which is formatted based on metadata values for each list item. This includes the ability to format rows of a task list for example, to set the background or text colour of the task item to a color which represents the priority or amount of time until due. The articles specifically describe how to format tasks based on the due date and other fields. An overdue item can be formatted with a red background and bold text. Items which are due within three days are formatted orange, 1 week: yellow, 1 month: green. When the conditional formatting is combined with sorting and grouping, a Data View can display a large amount of information in a logical and readable format.

SharePoint Administration resources include tips and techniques for configuring SharePoint environments of various sizes, migrating content and configuration databases, tips and techniques to help when troubleshooting errors and issues with a SharePoint environment and much more. Other administrative tips and resources include configuring profile imports for multiple Active Directory domains, installing and registering custom web parts assemblies to be used on Web Part pages.
InfoPath form development resources include tutorials for creating and using Data Connections to lists on SharePoint sites from the InfoPath form. Tips and tutorials to help with the management of form templates and content types in SharePoint are available, including troubleshooting outcomes and information relating to using InfoPath forms as the Interface for SharePoint systems which comprise of many lists, libraries and workflows.
Web-resource.org also provide a section for SharePoint & InfoPath Forums, Blogs and Communities which all contain many resources to help you learn SharePoint and InfoPath. Go to the SharePoint Forums, Blogs & Communities section. Go to the InfoPath Forums, Blogs & Communities section.
View the SharePoint & InfoPath Resources on Web-Resource.org:
Other sites providing SharePoint / InfoPath Resources:

Web Development & Programming Resources

The Web Development & Programming resources section contains useful tools and resources for developing websites and web applications, and using various programming languages to customise and integrate different systems and software. Programming languages include PHP, Web Application Development, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, ASP.NET, XML, VB, .NET Framework and more.
A section for free Php Scripts provided by Web-Resource.org and from around the web. The php scripts provided by Web-Resource.org include a free Php RSS 2 Writer script, which can be used to generate an RSS feed from website or database content. Create your own RSS feeds for your site with php.
Popular Web-Development & Programming Forums, Blogs and Communities are also listed available under the Web Development & Programming Resources section of Web-Resource.org

Other recommended Web Development & Programming sites and resources:

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Resources

Increase traffic to your site by optimising for Search Engines. Web-Resource.org provide a range of tips, tools and resources for getting started with optimising websites for Search Engines. Boost traffic to your website using various link building techniques and tools which are sometime known as offsite optimisation. Information about onsite optimisation tools and techniques for web & search engine marketing is also provided, including SEO & Search Marketing Tips to help improve your site ranking in Search Engines.

Resources include a SEO Forums and Communities section, which provides a list of some of the popular networking sites and tools to help with learning and applying Search Engine Optimisation techniques to a website.

Other sites providing SEO Tools & Resources:
Free SEO - Bulk Ping
Web Marketing Tips
SEO Tips for Blogger
Posted by DanielS at 12:36 AM 0 comments
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Saturday, August 8, 2009

InfoPath Coding Tips - When to use code in InfoPath forms

When should code be used in an InfoPath form and when should it be avoided?

There is no simple answer to this question, as it comes down to a matter of personal preference. This article is aimed at reducing the development time for InfoPath forms of various scales. The following are some tips to help you make the right decision.

Firstly, I should note that InfoPath is a great tool for creating electronic forms, as many features are provided to including data connections to external sources (Database, SharePoint, etc.), data validation and conditional formatting which allow complex forms to be created and submitted without using any code.

I my opinion, as an InfoPath form becomes more complex the efficiency of the form's development is reduced when avoiding using code. This is due to the amount of mouse clicking required to set default values, create rules and apply formmating conditions to individual elements in a data source, or controls on the form template. If code is not a strength and you don't mind a bit of clicking, then this probably isn't a bad way to go as it does have a major benefit which is often overlooked: The Logic Inspector. If all, or most form functionality can be created without using code, the Logic Inspector will reflect the amount of detail put into the form's design as well as giving an overview of any functions if code is used. It allows you to see at a glance, as well as print details of any validation, field calculations, rules or programming used accross the entire form.


How can development time and effort be saved when designing InfoPath form which require code?

Code is Reusable
InfoPath form code can be written to allow reuse in multiple forms which may have completely different requirements for functionality and layout. Developing to enable code reuse will prove to be a significant benefit to any developer. Having access to code that you know that works as well as an intermate understanding of how it works will save a many hours of development, as well as providing building blocks for further development.

It will take longer during the initial stages to develop forms using code, but as you gain experience and start build a "bank" of reusable code, development time will significantly decrease.

If developing a set of forms, starting from a common template with the layout and theme already applied to the form can also reduce development time as well as enhance the proffessional apperence of the set of forms.

Choose an appropriate language to become most familure with
Many languages are supported when using InfoPath forms (JScript, VBScript, C#, VB), sometimes making it harder to find relevant information or resources when troubleshooting and learning. Some languages are more powerful than others in the functionality offered, or the ease of coding. You should try to use the same code language between different forms which are developed as it allows for code reuse and a steeper learning curve. C# is the most recent and provides the greatest set of core functionality followed by VB. VBScript and JScript offer less, but are very common and easy to code in terms of syntax strictness.

No need to over do it!
After saying all this, I should stress a few key points:


  • If a form is simple code may not be required. If a form doesn't require complex validation, formatting and rules, as well as not having a large number of fields in the main data source it should be quicker to set up using the tools provided InfoPath.
  • It does take time to learn how to use code to enhance form functionality and reduce development time for complex forms. Don't dive straight in the deep end; break up what you are trying to do, then learn and implement individual components as required. Individual components developent in a separate form can be saved in a separate location easily for use in future form development.
  • Reuse Code and Form layout. Write code in ways that make it reusable. Create snippets and forms containing individual functions, or a set of related functionality to start building up a "bank" of resources. Reuse a previous form's layout as a starting point for aesthetics when developing a form set, or forms which incorporare company branding.
Posted by DanielS at 11:02 AM 0 comments
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