What is Word Automation Services in SharePoint Server 2010?

Ever tried to transfer .docx files into PDF? Most of us try to perform server side conversions of Open XML files (.docx) into fixed formats (PDF and XPS) using the Word desktop application. Isn’t it? Now this conversion can be done hassle-free with Word Automation Services.

As an element of SharePoint 2010, Word Automation Services allows you to perform file operations on the server that previously required automating desktop Word:

* Converting between documents formats (e.g. DOC to DOCX)

* Converting to fixed formats (e.g. PDF or XPS)

* Updating fields

* Importing “alternate format chunks” read more…

With changing times and technologies, there have been a lot of changes to both the logical and physical topologies of SharePoint 2010. Thus, it’s very important for any developers to know the architecture of the new Windows SharePoint 2010 services.

Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 builds on the operating system and database services to add additional features, such as team sites and collaboration features. Specifically, WSS 3.0 provides the following platform capabilities:

* Storage: Through content databases, which are literally SQL databases managed by SharePoint to accommodate the pages, data, and documents stored in the various portals, team sites, and workspaces
* Management: Administration pages with deep configuration options
* Deployment: Web farms, physical servers, and roles
* Site Model: Web application, site collection, and sites
* Extensibility: Features, Web parts, and templates

A well architected logical and physical SharePoint environment tends to revolve around Search. Search drives much of the logical and physical architectures for SharePoint 2007. SharePoint 2010 has not changed from a Tier perspective. There are Web, Application and Database tiers. What’s important is it to understand how to architect those tiers. For SharePoint 2010, the Application tier has changed significantly as it is more sophisticated read more…

There’s a good news for all the Blackberry fans … You didn’t hear this? As a tough competition to Apple’s iPhone4, Blackberry unveiled its new series of phone called Blackberry Torch 9800. Now you must be thinking what’s so special about this, right? Blackberry Torch 9800 is supposedly the first Smartphone with a Blackberry keyboard and full touch screen. Wow! Now isn’t that great! What else, Blackberry Torch 9800 comes with the new Blackberry 6.0 operating system, which will enable us to enjoy the universal search and auto-wrap text features. The universal search feature can search multiple applications simultaneously, including mail messages, contacts, and instant messages (and which can be extended by other applications).

The features of this new Blackberry Smartphone don’t just stop here! Blackberry Torch 9800 boasts a stunning visual design, best combined touch-qwerty experience, precision trackpad, and a new web browser that can operate quickly, beautifully, and efficiently. The biggest and most highly anticipated change is the new browser – which came as part of BlackBerry maker Research in Motion’s acquisition of Torch Mobile last year, hence the name of the device. The new browser is based on WebKit and includes tab browsing; and in playing around with it a little, it seems a huge improvement over the current BlackBerry browser, rendering most sites quite well.

Blackberry Torch also sports Social Feeds app that lets you see results of your Facebook, Twitter, and instant messaging feeds; along with a new RSS reader. Among several new multimedia features is the ability to sync your music via Wi-Fi, and to keep a list of your music library on the device (listing all the songs) and letting you select which songs will be automatically transferred to the device the next time you get home.

What’s Blackberry Torch’s best deal for Developers?

BlackBerry OS 6 now lets developers create applications using HTML 5 and JavaScript, as well as the traditional Java environment, but still be able to access device features such as running in the background, using IM services, and push notification. And along with partner AT&T developers will be able to offer applications for sale that can be charged to your phone bill.

Price Details

The Torch is due out on AT&T starting August 12, starting at $199.99 with the usual two year contract plus data plan, which makes it pretty much identical with most other high-end phones. One thing to consider is whether the compression schemes BlackBerry uses will let you fit better in with a lower-cost, lower-capacity data plan than one of its competitors.

Conclusion: Blackberry Torch will definitely make the BlackBerry much more competitive in areas like browsing, social networks, and unified search. In addition, the ease-of-use the corporate management features should be enough to keep lots of BlackBerry users happy! Isn’t it?

Do you want to display some dynamic charts? Then you may want to consider this—The Chart Web Part is something which can be used to generate charts in the Windows SharePoint Services environment. The Web Part supports data coming from XML files and Web Part Connections, and it generates charts as either an server-side images or as VML. This Web Part works great in complementing the Data View Web Part to provide a powerful data reporting story.

Features of Chart Web Parts include the following:

• Dynamic Chart Types – Dynamic chart types are available in the form of Bar, Bar3D, Bar Fade, Bar Glass, Line, Line Dot, Line Hollow, Area Hollow, Pie, etc.
• Custom Data source – With MOSS Chart web part you can connect your chart to virtually any SharePoint list or read more…

Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) is a bundle of great, efficient, and helpful features. When talking about MOSS features one of the highlights is MOSS’s InfoPath Forms Services. InfoPath Forms Services is a server technology that makes it possible for people to fill out forms in a Web browser. By managing forms in a central location, you can streamline business processes and improve relations with customers, partners, and suppliers.

Role of forms in Microsoft SharePoint solutions:

Forms play a significant role in all business process management solutions. The following are just a few examples of the types of business solutions and applications that use InfoPath forms:

o Form-driven applications start with a form that is used to gather data and add in other SharePoint functionality to process and report on the data including workflows, reporting, custom Web Pages, and external lists. Examples include a help desk Web site, a procurement center, or an employee hiring center for a human resources department.

o Document workflow applications automate document-based business processes. Adding InfoPath forms to workflows read more…

Accessing your web content through mobile phones has become a trend these days. Consequently, SharePoint 2010 has also exhibited its ability to access sites and content from mobile phones using a modem micro browser and an access gateway.

Microsoft SharePoint Foundation provides architecture to support mobile access to SharePoint pages and list data. Users of mobile devices navigate to the same URLs as the users of desktop browsers. The mobile device is automatically redirected to a version of the page that is optimized for mobile devices. From there, users can use navigation links in the footer section of the mobile page to navigate among the home page, the all content (“list of lists”) page, list view pages, and mobile version of custom site pages including Web Part pages and wiki-enabled pages. There are also mobile versions of the New item, Edit item, and Display item forms. Any list that has a mobile view is accessible. A mobile view is simply a standard SharePoint list view read more…

I’ve been continuously saying that SharePoint 2010 has been launched with some really great features and when saying that I cannot afford to forget its yet another cool feature Developer Dashboard. The Developer Dashboard allows you to monitor page load performance on SharePoint. Simply put, you can see how each element on the page loads! Now isn’t that really cool?

The Developer Dashboard displays diagnostic information gathered during the loading and rendering of the SharePoint content. The dashboard, in conjunction with FireBug or the IE Developer Toolbar, helps developers and designers identify issues in their custom projects. This can be set to always display or to only display on demand. The Developer Dashboard has three different states—On, OnDemand, or Off. When the Dashboard is set to On, read more…

What is a SharePoint 2010 Quota Template?

A quota template consists of storage limit values that specify the maximum amount of data that can be stored in a site collection. When the storage limit is reached, a quota template can also trigger an e-mail alert to the site collection administrator. You can create a quota template that can be applied to any site collection in the farm. A quota template can also be applied to a site collection that contains sandboxed solutions. You can limit the maximum usage per day and send a warning e-mail message when the usage limit is approaching. If the maximum usage limit is reached, the sandboxed solution is disabled for the rest of the day, and an e-mail message is sent to the site collection administrator. You can also modify existing quota templates. This allows you to modify storage limits for all of the site collections that use the same quota template. When you modify a quota template, you must then reapply it to existing site collections before the new storage limits are enforced. You can delete a quota template if necessary. However, deleting a quota template will read more…

Multi-lingual User Interface—The name says it all! Isn’t it? Yes, SharePoint 2010 has introduced the Multi-lingual User Interface (MUI), which is available with every type of site—even the SharePoint Central Administration site. The Multi-lingual User Interface should not be considered as a translating tool, instead it is tool that allows users to select a display language for a site and then display the Site title and description, SharePoint out-of-the-box menus and actions, Out-of-the-box columns, Custom columns (list or site), Navigation bar links, and Managed Metadata services in different languages.

In order to use the Multi-lingual User Interface, you should install the language pack on your server. After you install the necessary language packs read more…

What is a Profile Page on SharePoint Sever 2010 Business Connectivity Services (BCS)?

A profile page in Business Connectivity Services (BCS) allows displaying all the information for an external content. A profile page can display all the fields in a record for a specific customer and can also display all the orders associated with the customer. Profile page has a unique URL, as each entity (External Content Type) has its own profile page. Profile page in SharePoint 2010 cannot be created automatically anymore (it was created automatically in MOSS 2007). read more…