Overview

This five day, modular, instructor-led course focuses on the essential skills that every developer needs to master the art and science of SharePoint 2010 development. Not only will the course build a strong foundation of SharePoint knowledge, it will also cover advanced techniques based on the collective skill and expertise of the ThreeWill SharePoint development team.

The course is intended to be an intense experience and is designed for the developer that is passionate about their craft. The course will go beyond the usual canned lab exercises where developers fill in code with a paint-by-numbers style and will instead feature a project that incorporates as many real-world experiences as possible within the duration of the class.

Instructor

John Underwood is a Technical Evangelist with nearly thirty years of software development experience. Development experience includes technical, architectural, and project management roles. He is an experienced technical instructor with superior presentation skills; proficient in delivering standard curriculum as well as developing and delivering custom curriculum.   He is a co-author of the Benefits Of SharePoint 2010 As A Product Platform white paper and accompanying webinar.  You can view John's bio at http://www.threewill.com/junderwood. 

Here is what students have said about John:

“Excellent class. John did a great job of making difficult concepts easy to understand.”

“A knowledgeable instructor that also made the course entertaining. I learned a great deal in this class.”

“John did a solid job of relating the material to the real world. Given the choice I wouldn’t take a class from anyone else.”

Audience Profile

This class is targeted to experienced developers with a strong ASP .NET background. The courseware assumes the following specific knowledge on the part of the participant:

• Experience with Visual Studio, including solutions, projects, and using the debugger
• Building and modifying ASP .NET Web Forms
• Creating ASP .NET User Controls and ASP .NET Custom Controls
• Experience with XML & XSLT

While experience using or customizing SharePoint is a benefit, no such experience is required or assumed.

For experienced developers that are migrating from other toolsets (such as Java) some remedial study of Visual Studio and ASP .NET is suggested before attending class in order to meet the prerequisites. ThreeWill will gladly suggest books and other resources to assist in this process.

Course Details

Module 1: Introduction to SharePoint

This chapter will introduce the participant to the SharePoint universe, including:

• SharePoint entity hierarchy (Farms, Web Applications, Site Collections, etc.)
• Configuration, Content, and Service Application Databases
• Server topology, including web front ends, database servers, and application  servers
• Service Applications
• ASP .NET and IIS

Module 2: Lists and Libraries

This module takes a comprehensive look at Lists and Libraries, including:

• Similarities and differences between lists and libraries
• Usage scenarios
• List item attachments vs. documents in document libraries
• Describing list or library schema via CAML
• External Data lists (External Content Types) and BCS
• Views
• Alerts
• Custom Content Types

Module 3: Introduction to SharePoint Application Development

This module introduces the basics of authoring custom code solutions for SharePoint, including:

• Tooling: SharePoint Designer, Visual Studio, and other essential tools that every SharePoint developer needs
• Visual Studio Project Templates
• Using the Visual Studio debugger
• Design patterns for SharePoint development, including “Extend”, “Connect”, and “Build-On”; MVC in SharePoint
• Review of solution categories (UI, eventing, workflows, etc.)
• Understanding the SharePoint root directory
• Creating SharePoint Features

Module 4: User Interface Development

This chapter explores the many entry points at which a developer can influence or significantly change the SharePoint user interface, including:

• Authoring Web Parts and Visual Web Parts
• Application pages (ASPX) in web applications and Central Administration
• jQuery, AJAX, and other scripting concepts
• Extending the SharePoint Ribbon
• Master Pages and page layouts

Module 5: Workflow Development

SharePoint Workflows permit the management and enforcement of business rules and processes. While SharePoint includes useful workflows out-of-the-box, there is often a need to author custom workflows. This chapter covers the topic of custom workflows as follows:

• Understanding and contrasting out-of-box SharePoint workflows with custom workflows
• Authoring custom workflows with SharePoint Designer 2010
• Authoring custom workflows with Visual Studio 2010
• Integration with Windows Workflow Foundation Rules Engine

Module 6: SharePoint Integration

This chapter looks at integrating existing applications into SharePoint environment. Topics include:

• Authoring SharePoint connectors
• Authoring and invoking WCF Web Services in the SharePoint Environment
• Integrating with SharePoint Search

Module 7: Advanced Development Features

This chapter contains a variety of topics centered on a theme of advanced SharePoint development features. The chapter will explore:

• ASP .NET page event lifecycle, HTTP Modules, HTTP Handlers
• LINQ
• Open XML
• Client Object Model (.NET, Silverlight, ECMAScript)

Module 8: PowerShell

SharePoint 2010 introduces PowerShell capabilities in order to more consistently align the administration of SharePoint with Microsoft’s other server products. For developers, PowerShell represents an opportunity to programmatically administer and enhance SharePoint’s capabilities. Topics in this chapter will include:

• Introduction to PowerShell
• PowerShell authoring tools
• Loading the SharePoint snap-in
• Common tasks for administering and enhancing SharePoint via PowerShell

Module 9: Deployment

This chapter covers deployment of authored and developed customizations for SharePoint 2010, including:

• Solution Packages
• Visual Studio integration
• Sandboxed Solutions
• Deploying assemblies to the Global Assembly Cache (GAC)
• Deploying solutions packages via Central Administration and PowerShell
• Employing Source Control and Process Management

Module 10: Patterns and Practices

Common troubleshooting, including advanced debugging and Developer Dashboard

QA & Testing practices for SharePoint-related products

Introduction to SCRUM/Agile methodologies (to be used on Course Project)

Course Project

Upon completion of the outlined modules the remainder of the class (approximately 1.5 days) will be devoted to a course project that allows the participant to apply their newly-learned skills in the most realistic setting possible. Using influences from SCRUM or “agile” project methodologies, the participant will be presented with a series of user stories describing a problem to be solved and then will undertake the task of building, testing, and deploying a finished solution.