Getting picky in CAML - Good

I have code in Excel that uses XMLHTTP to call SharePoints web services. The code contains a CAML query where I had a field reference to a Choice field , , this column has been converted to a Text (Single line of text) column and the query didn´t return any items anymore when running against MOSS 2007 instead of Wss 2.0. Then I updated the field reference to and the query returned items again.

Sad

Patrick Tisseghem has suddenly passed away and left a big hole in the Sharepoint community. He was one of the first bloggers I found before the release of MOSS 2007 and I was fortune to once meet him during a training session. My thoughts goes out to his family.

// Henrik

STSADM and SharePoint Designer operations failed

I was getting error messages (cannot delete folder "WEBNAME") for deleteweb operation for stsadm and when opening the web in SharePoint Designer (SD) I got "There is no web "/XXX/YYY". Couldn´t delete documents but the web was browsable in SD (error code 16388). I finally tried to attach to the database in Visual Studio and got an error message about full transaction logs on the database server. In this case we configured "simple mode" instead and all operations completed sucessfully.

So know your DBA and have them close :)

// Henrik

Multiple methods in BDC

ok, I have been looking for an answer to this question:
How can one entity contain several methods in BDC?

The answer is to define a MethodInstance with a type of GenericInvoker, this enables you to define a method on your entity which can be accessed via code but that is not exposed for the OOB BDC webparts. See http://agiledirect.wordpress.com/2007/08/09/bdc-writing-to-bdc-using-genericinvoker/ for an example.

You can also use the type ViewAccessor to return a different set of data which can be used in the OOB BDC webparts. See http://znetsys.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!ED65D09C41E55E06!115.entry for an example.

Crawling BDC applications

Errors during crawling BDC apps? bdc2:// and (access denied by BDC) errors? Check this article, still problem? Search the log file in 12HIVE/Logs for "Access denied" to see which account that is casuing the problem. Still problem? Export the ADF and uncheck "Permissions", delete the Application and import the ADF again (still finally solved my problem)

Why BDC columns doesn´t work in Office / Doc Mgmt

Using BDC columns in document libraries feels as a great option, but when trying to use it for any serious document management (using mostly OOB functions) it fails for the following reasons:



1. A BDC column can not be used as a field reference in Word. If you want to display information in header or footer the field reference can not be used.



2. The BDC column can not be configured as a site column (MacroView is workaround, but it can not be edited from the DIP). Major drawback to any usage of content types.




4. If you click the refresh button in the document library all your documents will be checked out again.


We are developing a workaround based on "Choice" columns and eventhandlers instead.

BDC on the other hand is great if you want to display information in web parts :)

Off topic: Memories

I was watching a trailer for the swedish program Vetenskapsprogrammet and beside the presenter they had something running on a screen that really looked like the old Spaceballs demo State of the Art, a great demo 1992 for Amiga, it was one thing that made me want new hardware :). I still was using my good old C64, but great demos was also released 1992, just check this list:

Prometheus Unbound by Flash Inc
Red Storm by Triad
Crest Avantgarde by Crest
Wonderland IX by Censor Design
The Last Traktor III by Horizon
Legoland 2 by Fairlight

Get your C64 emulator from Team Vice and start downloading from The C-64 Scene Database.

- Dealer Quality Software -

Off topic: New hardware arrived

The quest to get rid of the media plastic (CD/DVD) continues. Today a Popcorn Hour (PCH) got installed and hooked up to the TV. The PCH will read video files from the MCE, show pictures and sometimes play music. But it also comes packed with web services and other features. So now we can enjoy all lunatics on YouTube and Google Video, use the built-in Torrent client, and use the PCH as NAS if needed, read RSS feeds in the living room and so on. And whenever we decide to get a HD TV the PCH can playback HD movies directly.

So a quick summary: one MCE with touch screen in the kitchen which holds all media and for kitchen TV and sound, one SqueezeBox 3 for music playback and Internet Radio and now a PCH for movie playback and other online goodies.

The nice thing with all the hardware is that the vendors provide a possibility to add software and extend the OOB experience.

Which I´m most impressed with? The SqueezeBox was a really nice experience, mature product, easy to install, works OOB and can be enhanced with modules from the SqueezeBox community.

Swedish SharePoint bloggers

http://www.dewe.net/sharepoint/2008/02/svenska-sharepoint-bloggare.html

GUID changes

Hi,

Been a while...

Currently involved in a large migration of WSS v2 to MOSS. Found a thing that can be good to know. If you use the export and import actions in stsadm (WSS V3/MOSS) your lists will get new GUIDs when imported. This has consequences for dataviews (use this trick to remove the web part from the page) or custom web parts that binds to the GUID.

TAT in the news again!

Per from TAT is interviewed regarding Android:
http://www.idg.se/2.1085/1.135610

Excel - converting text to numbers

Many times I have wondered how to convert texts displayed as numbers to a true number in Excel, check this tip for a cool solution.

Passed certification 70-630

Alot of Excel Web Services, Site directory and Search.

Multilanguage whitepaper for MOSS

Building Multilingual Solutions by Using SharePoint Products and Technologies

* Learn how to create web parts to use the variation feature
* Get more info how the index and search web parts can be configured to support multilanguage sites
* Understand the variation feature with constraints and rules to remember

Passed certification 70-631

Passed the test today, easier than I thought :) Make sure you know your NLB and IRM configurations.

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/exams/70-631.mspx

// Henrik

Stsadm command of the day

Before moving MOSS content databases you should use "preparetomove". For the complete list
of commands and don´t forget the (developer) extensions from Andrew Connell.

Back from CMF2007 in Århus

Just back from CMF2007 and two good days. The first day I attended two great tutorials, one with James Hubart talking about advanced UI portal strategies and Designing innovative intranets with James Robertson (link to cards used in tutorial). I really liked the time frame that the speakes got, four hours for diving into the subject instead of a rushed 50 minutes "product showcase".

The second day I attended the MOSS 2007 track with showcases of http://www.nhs.uk/ and LM Glasfiber intranet, not too many news for an old Sharepointer, but nice to see the concept and listening to the project setup and goverence structure.

The conference goes on with a third day, but I´m back in Sweden for other workshops during the week.

Warm Up script for SharePoint

http://blogs.msdn.com/joelo/archive/2006/08/13/697044.aspx

Another variant, thanks for the link to Andrew Kennel

5 shattering mistakes for MOSS 2007 newbies

http://www.techticles.com/5-shattering-mistakes-for-moss-2007-newbie-developers-and-team-leads.page

SharePoint Comparison Sheet

An Excel sheet comparing features (new and old) regarding older and new SharePoint version.

http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/d/c/1dc632e8-71e1-466f-8a2f-c940f1438e0a/SharePointProductsComparison.xls