Jenkins NS

Building Solutions with Microsoft Teams

Understanding the Teams App Developer Platform

1st ed.
Jenkins NS
Chennai, India
ISBN 978-1-4842-6475-1e-ISBN 978-1-4842-6476-8
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-6476-8
© Jenkins NS 2021
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Dedicated to

My parents,

Mr. N. Sundararaj and Mrs. T. Renjitham.

My Wife,

Dr. PJ. Jeyashree.

My lovely sons,

Master J. Johann Chris and Master J. Jordan Chris.

Introduction

Microsoft Teams is the new modern way to communicate, collaborate, and enable teamwork as everyone is now looking for flexible approaches to the work environment. There are many collaborations, communications, and teamwork tools available. However, when it comes to a one-stop solution to work in a way that is simple, flexible, and effective, Microsoft Teams is the only solution that tops it all. Now that everyone is working remotely, Microsoft Teams provides the best way for employees to collaborate extensively from remote locations; from any devices like mobiles, laptops, and browsers; and without the risk of governance and security compliance.

Today Microsoft Teams provides a platform to automate business processes, and the customer wants to customize their workplace, especially as they are working with a group of people working jointly on many of the same projects. If you are reading this book and you are looking for a solution to extend your team’s platform with your line of business, then you are in the right place.

Microsoft Teams is an extensible platform with many capabilities like tab, bot, task modules, messaging extension, webhooks, connectors, and solution accelerators like SPFx, Power Platform. You can create custom apps for an individual, team, group of people, and your organization.

This book helps you to build, test, and deploy apps for your lines of business. The book has 11 chapters and it provides detailed descriptions about the apps and contains many examples with step-by-step descriptions of how to build, test, and deploy locally; and be the host for a production environment. This book helps you to learn basic to advanced apps development with your existing client-side development model using JavaScript. Moreover, this book provides an invaluable resource for those who are planning to extend their Microsoft Teams platform with their line of business apps.

Acknowledgments

I thank my Lord and savior Jesus Christ for making my dream come true.

I would like to thank everyone at Apress for giving me this opportunity to publish my first book. Thank you to Matthew Moodie, my editor, for supporting my writing endeavors and helping me to achieve this dream.

I would also like to thank the technical reviewer, Mr. Vijai Anand, for his valuable suggestions and comments.

Table of Contents
Chapter 1:​ Overview:​ Microsoft Teams Developer Platform 1
Objectives 1
Microsoft Teams Overview 2
Teams Architecture 2
Teams Joins Microsoft 365 with Intelligent Communications 3
Teams Services 4
Intelligent Communications Cloud 5
Logical Architecture 6
How Teams Enables O365 Information Protection 8
Teams Extensible Platform Capabilities 9
Evolve How Your People Work, with the Tools They Need 12
App Scenarios Across Different Industries and Horizontals 13
Why Do You Have to Build Apps for Teams?​ 13
Enhancing Communication and Collaboration 14
Encouraging Social Interactions 14
Initiating and Facilitating Common Business Processes 14
Surfacing Some (or All) of Your Existing Apps 14
Personal Apps with Tabs and Bots 15
Why Do You Have to Invest in Building Custom Solutions for Teams?​ 15
Conclusion 15
Chapter 2:​ Building Apps and Solutions with Microsoft Teams 17
Microsoft Teams Developer Platform Overview 17
Set Up the Development Environment for Microsoft Teams 18
Prepare Your Office 365 Tenant 19
Prepare Your Development Environment for .​Net 21
Prepare Your Development Environment for NodeJS 22
Prepare Your Development Environment for Yeoman Generator 23
Prepare Your Development Environment Using Microsoft Teams Toolkit for Visual Studio Code 23
Host an App 24
A Microsoft Teams App 25
Exercise 1:​ Create a First Microsoft Teams App Using Yeoman Generator 25
Register the Bot with Microsoft Azure’s Bot Framework 26
Create a Client Secret for the App 33
Teams Apps in Various Contexts 35
Configurable Tabs 35
Static Tabs 35
Create an App Using Yeoman Generator 36
Test the Messaging Extension App 40
Install the Custom App in Microsoft Teams 42
Exercise 2:​ Create a Message Extension App Using Nodejs 45
Step 1:​ Create New Nodejs Project 45
Step 2:​ Use App Studio to Create Your Apps for Microsoft Teams 50
Step 3:​ Use ngrok to Start Listening on Port 8080 54
Step 4:​ Install the App to Your Team 57
Conclusion 61
Chapter 3:​ Interactive Conversational Bots 63
Overview of Conversational Bots 63
Microsoft Bot Framework 63
Teams Activity Handlers 64
Bots in Microsoft Teams Channels and Group Chats 64
Proactive Messages from Bots 65
Welcome Messages 66
Notification Messages 66
Exercise 1 - Creating a Conversational Bot for Microsoft Teams 66
Register the Bot with Microsoft Azure’s Bot Framework 67
Bot Channel Registration 70
Enable the Microsoft Teams Channel for the Bot 73
Retrieve the Bot App Id and Password 74
Create a Client Secret for the App 74
Create Microsoft Teams App Using Yeoman Generator 75
Test the Conversation Bot 82
Install the Conversation Bot in Microsoft Teams 83
Exercise 2 - Reply to Messages with Adaptive Cards 87
What Are Adaptive Cards?​ 88
Save and Test the Bot with Adaptive Card 92
Test the Bot Reacting to Message Reactions 93
Exercise 3 - Proactive Messages from Bots 94
Update the Existing Teams App 95
Save and Test the Bot to Create New Thread/​Message 97
Conclusion 99
Chapter 4:​ Messaging Extension and Action Comments 101
Overview of Messaging Extension 101
Compose Extensions 102
How Would You Use Messaging Extensions?​ 103
Microsoft Teams Messaging Extensions 104
How Messaging Extensions Work 105
Create a Command Using App Studio 105
Action Command Messaging Extensions 107
Search Command Messaging Extensions 108
Link Unfurling Messaging Extensions 109
Exercise 1 - Create an Action Command Messaging Extension 109
Register the Bot with Microsoft Azure’s Bot Framework 110
Enable the Microsoft Teams Channel for the Bot 113
Retrieve the Bot App Id and Password 114
Create a Client Secret for the App 114
Create Microsoft Teams App Using Yeoman Generator 115
Test the Messaging Extension 123
Install the Messaging Extension in Microsoft Teams 124
Testing Messaging Extension App from Microsoft Teams Client 126
Exercise 2 - Create a Search Command Messaging Extension 128
Update the App’s Configuration 128
Update Messaging Extension Code 129
Save and Test the Messaging Extension Search Command 131
Exercise 3 - Implement a Link Unfurling Messaging Extension 132
Update the App’s Configuration 133
Update Messaging Extension Code 133
Save and Test the Messaging Extension Link Unfurling 134
Conclusion 135
Chapter 5:​ Embedded Web Experiences with Tabs 137
Overview of Tabs 137
Tab Layouts 139
Single Canvas 139
Column 140
List 140
Grid 141
Microsoft Teams Personal Tab 142
Defining a Personal Tab 142
Creating a Static Tab 142
Microsoft Teams Channel or Group Tab 143
Mobile Clients 144
Creating Configurable Tabs 144
Implement Authentication in a Custom Tab 145
Microsoft Teams Authentication Flow for Tabs 145
Treat Tab Context as Hints 147
Using Azure AD Authentication 148
Using Silent Authentication 148
Using Single Sign-On Authentication 149
Apps That Require Additional Microsoft Graph Scopes 149
Exercise 1 - Create a Custom Microsoft Teams Personal Tab 149
Create Personal Tab Using Yeoman Generator 150
Run Your Personal Tab Locally 155
Test the Personal Tab in Teams 156
Install the Personal Tab in Microsoft Teams 157
Install Personal Tab App in Teams 159
Exercise 2 - Create a Custom Microsoft Teams Channel or Group Tab 160
Run Your Configurable Tab Locally 165
Test the Configurable Tab in Teams 166
Install the Configurable Tab in Microsoft Teams 167
Install Configurable Tab in Teams 170
Conclusion 172
Chapter 6:​ Collect Input from User Using Task Modules 173
Overview of Task Modules 173
Collect User Input with Task Modules in Tabs 175
Using JavaScript and HTML 175
Keyboard and Accessibility Guidelines 176
Using Adaptive Card 177
Task Info Object 178
Deep Links in Task Modules 179
Bots Using Task Modules 180
Invoking a Task Module via Task/​Fetch 181
Submitting the Result of a Task Module 181
The Flexibility of Task/​Submit 181
Bot Framework Card Actions vs.​ Adaptive Card Action.​Submit Actions 182
Exercise 1 - Send Data to Task Modules 183
Create Microsoft Teams Task Modules App 184
Test the Video Player Task Module 191
Install the Task Module Tab in Microsoft Teams 192
Exercise 2 - Collect User Input with Task Modules 199
Add Code to the Project 199
Test the Collect Input Task Module 203
Exercise 3 - Using Adaptive Cards 205
Add Code to the Project 206
Test the Collect Input Task Module 208
Exercise 4 - Deep Links in Task 210
Exercise 5 - Using Task Modules with Bots 213
Register the Bot with Microsoft Azure’s Bot Framework 213
Enable the Microsoft Teams Channel for the Bot 217
Retrieve the Bot App Id and Password 218
Create a Client Secret for the App 218
Create Microsoft Teams App Using Yeoman Generator 219
Update the Bot Code 222
Test the Task Module in the Bot 225
Install the Conversation Bot in Microsoft Teams 227
Testing the Task Module as Personal Bot 229
Conclusion 231
Chapter 7:​ Connect Web Services to Microsoft Teams with Webhooks 233
Overview of Web Services and Webhooks 233
Outgoing Webhooks and Microsoft Teams 234
Create a URL on Your App’s Server to Accept and Process a POST Request with a JSON Payload 235
Create a Method to Verify the Outgoing Webhook HMAC Token 235
Create a Method to Send a Success or Failure Response 236
Incoming Webhooks and Microsoft Teams 236
Connectors 237
Integrating the Connector Configuration Experience in Teams Client 238
Including the Connector in Your Manifest 239
Exercise 1 - Create Outgoing Webhooks 240
Build the Webhook 240
Test the Outgoing Webhook 249
Exercise 2 - Create Incoming Webhooks 255
Register a New Incoming Webhook 255
Test the Incoming Webhook 261
Conclusion 265
Chapter 8:​ Extend Your Solution with Microsoft Graph 267
Overview of Graph API 267
Teams Graph APIs 268
Graph API for Lifecycle Management 270
Teams and Groups 270
Team Templates 272
Set Up Your Team Using Graph API 272
Add Apps and Tabs Using Graph API 273
Archive Your Team 274
Graph and Bots:​ Better Together 275
Microsoft Graph Toolkit 275
What’s in the Microsoft Graph Toolkit?​ 275
Why Use the Microsoft Graph Toolkit?​ 277
Templates in the Microsoft Graph Toolkit 277
Microsoft Graph Toolkit Playground 283
Microsoft Graph Explorer 284
Postman 285
Microsoft Teams Toolkit for Visual Studio Code 285
Exercise – Microsoft Teams Tabs Using Microsoft Graph Toolkit 286
Enable Microsoft Teams Toolkit Extension for Visual Studio Code 287
Build Microsoft Teams Tab 288
Implement Microsoft Graph Toolkit 291
Set Up Ngrok for Tunneling 292
Register Your App in Azure Active Directory 295
Test Your App in Microsoft Teams 300
Conclusion 306
Chapter 9:​ Building Teams Apps Using Solution Accelerators 307
Overview of Solution Accelerators 307
Power Platform Overview 308
Power Apps 309
Power Automate 309
Power BI (Business Intelligence) 309
Power Virtual Agents 309
PowerApps Integration 310
Every PowerApps Is a Teams App 310
Benefits 310
Exercise 1 –Add a PowerApps App as a Channel App 313
Exercise 2 –PowerApps App Embed an App in Teams 318
Download the App 318
Add the App as a Personal App 320
Power Automate Integration 321
Exercise 3 – Power Automate Integration with Teams 322
App Templates for Teams Apps 326
What Are App Templates?​ 326
The APPS Templates 327
How to Deploy App Templates?​ 328
FAQs?​ 329
License 329
Teams Mobile Platform Extensibility 330
Icebreaker Bot 331
Praise Messaging Extension 331
Conclusion 332
Chapter 10:​ SharePoint and Teams:​ Better Together 333
What Is SharePoint Framework?​ 333
Surfacing SharePoint Framework to Teams 333
Bring SPFx Solutions into Teams Tab 334
Common Needs 335
SharePoint Framework Targeting Teams Tabs 337
Catalog Synchronization 337
Why Build for Microsoft Teams Using SharePoint Framework?​ 338
Building Microsoft Teams Tabs Using SharePoint Framework 340
Development Process 340
Enable Upload Custom Apps 341
Deployment Options 342
Detecting if Web Part Is in Teams Context 343
Exercise – Create an SPFx Web Part and Distribute to Teams 343
Set Up Your SharePoint Framework Development Environment 343
Install Node.​js 344
Install Gulp 344
Install Yeoman 344
Install Yeoman SharePoint Generator 344
Trusting the Self-Signed Developer Certificate 345
Update the Webpart Manifest to Make It Available for Microsoft Teams 348
Update Code to Be Aware of the Microsoft Teams Context 349
Package and Deploy Your Web Part to SharePoint 350
Sync and Make the Web Part Available in Microsoft Teams 352
Failed to Sync Solution to Teams 353
Add SPFx Web Part as Tab in Microsoft Teams 353
Conclusion 358
Chapter 11:​ Teams Lifecycle Management and Design Guideline for Apps 359
Overview to Deploy the Apps 359
Run and Debug Your Microsoft Teams App 359
Purely Local 360
Locally Hosted in Teams 360
Cloud-Hosted, in Teams 361
Packaging Your App 362
Creating a Manifest 362
Icons 362
Accent Color 363
Deploy and Publish Your App 363
Upload an App Package to Microsoft Teams 364
Publish Your App to Your Organization’s App Catalog 364
Best Practices 364
Tabs 364
Bots 365
Messaging Extensions 365
Cards 365
Task Modules 366
Message Actions 366
Activity Feed 367
Exercise – Publish Your App to Your Organization 367
Steps Involved 368
Create a Web App in Azure 368
Create a Repository in GitHub 372
Create an App Using ‘yo teams’ 374
Deploying to Azure Using Git 377
Deploy the Package to Teams to Test the App 382
Testing the Deployed App 384
Conclusion 384
Index 387
About the Author
Jenkins NS
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is the Founder and Director of JPOWER4, an MVP in Office Development and a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) who has been working on SharePoint for more than 16 years, focusing on building custom solutions for Microsoft Teams, SharePoint Framework, Power Platform, Office 365, and SharePoint.

He is passionate about SharePoint; actively blogs; organizes events; and speaks at events and international conferences, most recently on the topics of Microsoft Teams, SharePoint Framework (SPFx), and Power Platform. Jenkins blogs at http://jenkinsblogs.com and he is very active on social media.

 
About the Technical Reviewer
Vijai Anand Ramalingam
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is a Microsoft MVP in Office Apps and Services, an experienced Modern Workplace Architect with deep knowledge in SharePoint and Office 365. He is a blogger, author, speaker, and has published 1300 blogs/articles on C# Corner. He works as a Technology Architect in Cognizant Technology Solutions in the United Kingdom. Vijai has worked on Microsoft SharePoint on-premises/online, Office 365, and Azure.

 
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