Downloading Additional Web Parts
It is highly recommended to visit the Microsoft SharePoint website to view the list of some of the available Web Parts not included by default in SharePoint. The URL for this is as follows:
http://www.microsoft.com/sharepoint/downloads/components/default.asp
In general, if someone has ever said, “I wish SharePoint could do this…,” then it is likely that someone else has created a Web Part to accomplish that task.
Working with Third-Party Web Part Vendors
Many Web Parts available from the Microsoft site and from other SharePoint sites are free, whereas others charge licensing and/or purchasing costs for their use. In fact, there is a burgeoning industry in the field of Web Part creation for SharePoint. Some companies have created very impressive Web Parts that allow for advanced functionality that goes beyond what is offered by default in SharePoint. SharePoint simply provides the structure and framework, and these custom Web Parts add the intelligence to perform specific tasks, such as workflow, auditing, advanced search and indexing, and many other functions.
Utilizing Additional Office Web Parts
Some of the most functional and useful Web Parts that can be added into a SharePoint environment are the Office 2003-related Web Parts, such as the ones specific to Project 2003, Access 2003, and Infopath 2003. For example, the Project 2003 Web Parts allow for data stored in a Project Server to be displayed via a SharePoint Web Part.
Importing Web Parts into a SharePoint Gallery
By default, a Windows SharePoint Services site does not contain that many Web Parts in the default Web Part libraries. Fortunately, you can import multiple Web Parts from other sites, portals, or the Internet. Adding Web Parts can be one of the more fun parts of being a site administrator because some of the Web Parts can perform functions and manipulate data in many creative ways. There are Web Parts out there that can search through Active Directory, give stock updates and news information, and establish remote desktop sessions directly from a SharePoint site.
After the Web Parts are downloaded, they can be installed into the Gallery using the procedure outlined in the next few paragraphs. In addition to installing downloadable Web Parts, one of the most common requests for site administrators who are familiar with SharePoint Portal Server but are administering a Windows SharePoint Services site is to be able to use the same Web Parts available on a portal area in their particular site. It isn't intuitive how to do this, but fortunately a mechanism exists to accomplish this functionality.
The Web Parts from a portal area must first be exported from the portal area or site in which they are displayed. To export them, enter Design mode (click Edit Page from SharePoint Portal Server); then click on the down arrow in the upper right-hand corner of the Web Part and choose Export. It prompts you where to place the file and saves it in DWP format.
To import the DWP into a different SharePoint site, perform the following steps:
1. | Logged in as a site administrator, click on the Modify Shared Page link and navigate to Add Web Parts and then to Import, as shown in Figure 21.10. |
2. | Click Browse to search for the DWP file that you exported in step 1. |
3. | Navigate to the DWP file, and click Open. |
4. | Click the Upload button. |
5. | The Web Part will now permanently be part of your library for the site. To add it to your page, select which zone you want to add it to by changing the Add To drop-down box to the zone you want and then click Import. |
After you have a full gallery of Web Parts, you can export those Web Parts to other sites, or create a template of the site itself, with all its Web Parts, to be used when creating other sites.
Creating Custom Web Parts
Web Parts are essentially just ASP.NET server controls and can be created by developers with intricate knowledge of .NET coding. Microsoft publishes specific guides on how to create these Web Parts, which can be reached at the following URL: