The Barnes & Noble Review
If you’re a professional developer faced with building SharePoint solutions, this is the book you want. What makes it special? 1. Scot Hillier’s immense experience training developers. 2. His deep insights into all the technologies involved in SharePoint solutions, including Microsoft Office, Visual Studio, SQL Server, and even Biztalk. 3. Plenty of what developers want most from a book like this: “stealable” code.
Hillier starts by briefing developers on what SharePoint solutions can do for businesses; the categories of solutions available; and the analysis, design, and technical considerations associated with building them. He walks through the component technologies, showing how to create a robust development environment based on Windows Server 2003. You’ll move through the basics of content development; then master Web Parts, Microsoft’s customizable plug-in components for corporate portals.
You’ll learn how to build single-sign on environments; create Microsoft Office “Smart Documents”; even use the .NET API to program highly customized SharePoint Services. Each chapter ends with a substantial hands-on exercise: executive dashboards, research services, workflow engines.
Most of Hillier’s examples utilize Visual Studio 2003, the newest Microsoft programming platform that’s already in widespread use. The just-released Visual Studio 2005 adds powerful built-in support for SharePoint, however -- and Hillier covers it in detail. For instance, Microsoft has built the Web Parts framework into the .NET Framework class library, extending its value far beyond SharePoint; Hillier explains the implications. VS 2005 simplifies the development of Microsoft Office Smart Documents; Hillier explains how.
Read this book from cover to cover, do Hillier’s exercises, and you’ll walk away with strong, real-world expertise in SharePoint development. Bill Camarda, from the February 2006 Read Only
