Mart Muller's Weblog

I've been playing around a while with the option to integrate the LinkedIn social network with SharePoint. A while ago LinkedIn announced they were working on a API to communicate with other applications. I contacted them about the options and plans I had with SharePoint, but no response so far.

Anyway, I made a start integrating them with the possibilities they offer right now. The only thing they have right now are widgets to integrate on a html page using a script.

I developed a proof of concept for making a custom filed type for companies, connected to LinkedIn. In every list you can create a company field.

If you enter the company name, the display field get a LinkedIn icon:

If you click the icon, the company relations and number of employees are displayed (you have to be logged on to display your own contacts):

Anyway, a simple first example on the integration options with LinkedIn. More to come soon (including the WSP for this solution!).

Seems like Infragistics has gone the SharePoint way! I think that rich user interfaces SharePoint have always been a bit.. let's say, difficult. There are some initiatives like the Silverlight Blueprint and AJAX projects, but it's not the core of the current SharePoint version.

Although I expect a lot from Office Server 14 on this topic, we still have to do our best making it all work in the current version. Good to hear about the integration of the NetAdvantage controls with SharePoint.

"By utilizing the capabilities of the NetAdvantage for ASP.NET controls, developers can create highly customized and powerful Web Parts for Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) or Microsoft Office SharePoint Services (MOSS) collaboration portals and have them plug directly into the framework. A powerful Web-based portal package, organizations are increasingly adopting SharePoint as their means of online communication and collaboration. By presenting a user with a series of Web Parts organized onto a single Web page, information can be delivered across projects and virtual teams. Developers can build user interfaces presenting information unique to each knowledge worker."

Ah unit testing.. every developer says it should be done, but it hardly ever happens, well, in SharePoint development.. :)

Andrew Woodward published an article about basic unit testing in SharePoint. A good starting point for a higher quality solution.

Some other interesting related articles about unit testing and SharePoint:

• http://www.pseale.com/blog/SharePointNotUnitTesting.aspx
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_testing
• http://blogs.msdn.com/francischeung/archive/2008/08/22/unit-testing-sharepoint-2007-applications.aspx
• http://blog.chapmanconsulting.ca/2006/02/14/Creating+An+N...

The Dutch Information Worker User Group (DIWUG) has it's own LinkedIn group. If you are a member or want to become a member, please join the group and expand your network!

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=689637

It's official now [via SharePoint team blog]:

You may already be aware of the recent RTM announcement of SQL Server 2008. We are happy to announce that Office SharePoint Server 2007 SP1 & Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 SP1 now support SQL Server 2008. Our documentation has been updated to include support for SQL Server 2008. Please refer to:

• Windows SharePoint Service 3.0
  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc288751.aspx
• Office SharePoint Server 2007
  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc262485.aspx

In the next few weeks, we will publish a TechNet article that describes the benefits of running SQL Server 2008 with SharePoint Products and Technologies.

There is a new release of the MOSS Faceted Search solution available. A summary of the new features:

• Caching – dramatically improves performance and decreases the load on the search engine
• Synchronization with Core
• Search Results web part
• Support for advanced search
• Match of search counters
• Introducing Parent-Child relationships
• Extending search to logical “OR” queries
• Simplified web part properties

There are some interesting plans for future releases as well: