Exploring SharePoint Web Services

SharePoint Web Services Access

Refers to access to the built-in Web services included with Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007.

Real World Example

A developer wants to query list data from a SharePoint site periodically. She builds a tool that calls the built-in SharePoint list Web services to execute the query and get a result set.

Technical Details

The SharePoint environment includes built-in Web services that can be used to work with areas of the SharePoint object model remotely. Each Web application Web service is installed in the _vti_bin directory, which maps to the following file system location:

%COMMONPROGRAMFILES%\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\ISAPI

The following Web services are provided in Office SharePoint Server 2007 Web applications.

Friendly Name	Location	Description
Alerts	/_vti_bin/alerts.asmx	Provides methods for working with alerts for list items in a SharePoint site.
Area Web service	/_vti_bin/areaservice.asmx	Deprecated Web service. Provides an area interface for remote clients.
Authentication Web service	/_vti_bin/Authentication.asmx	Provides ability for Web services to operate in conjunction with forms authentication.
BDC Fields Resolver Web service	/_vti_bin/bdcfieldsresolver.asmx	BDC Fields Resolver Web service for client applications. Reserved for internal use only.
BDC Web service	/_vti_bin/businessdatacatalog.asmx	Business Data Catalog metadata Web service. Reserved for internal use only.
CMS Content Area Toolbox Info Web service	/_vti_bin/contentAreaToolboxService.asmx	Designed for use by the Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer client to use.
Copy Web service	/_vti_bin/Copy.asmx	Provides methods for copying items between locations in the SharePoint environment.
List Data Retrieval Web service	/_vti_bin/DspSts.asmx	Provides a method for performing queries against lists in Windows SharePoint Services.
Document Workspace Web service	/_vti_bin/DWS.asmx	Provides methods for managing Document Workspace sites and the data they contain.
Excel Services Web service	/_vti_bin/ExcelService.asmx	Provides methods to call Excel Services remotely or to work as a callback for Web Parts.
Forms Web service	/_vti_bin/Forms.asmx	Provides methods for returning forms used in the user interface when working with the contents of a list.
Forms Services proxy Web service	/_vti_bin/FormsServiceProxy.asmx	Provides methods for Forms Services to proxy requests to remote data sources from Web-based forms.
Forms Services Web service	/_vti_bin/FormsServices.asmx	Provides methods to call Forms Services remotely or to work as a callback for Web-based forms.
Imaging Web service	/_vti_bin/Imaging.asmx	Provides methods that enable you to create and manage picture libraries.
Lists Web service	/_vti_bin/Lists.asmx	Provides methods for working with lists and list data.
Meetings Web service	/_vti_bin/Meetings.asmx	Provides methods that enable you to create and manage Meeting Workspace sites.
Official File Web service	/_vti_bin/officialfile.asmx	Provides methods for sending files to a records repository.
People Web service	/_vti_bin/People.asmx	Provides methods for working with security groups.
Permissions Web service	/_vti_bin/Permissions.asmx	Provides methods for working with the permissions for a site or list.
Published Links Web service	/_vti_bin/publishedlinksservice.asmx	Office system client applications and other applications can obtain the list of published links on the server that are targeted to the current user.
Publishing Service Web service	/_vti_bin/PublishingService.asmx	Provides methods to remotely work with the publishing service.
Search Web service	/_vti_bin/search.asmx	Allows access to Enterprise Search results from client applications and Web applications outside of the context of a SharePoint site.
SharePoint Directory Management Web service	/_vti_bin/sharepointemailws.asmx	Provides methods for remotely managing distribution groups.
Sites Web service	/_vti_bin/sites.asmx	Provides methods for returning information about the site templates for a site collection.
Slide Library Web service	/_vti_bin/SlideLibrary.asmx	Provides methods for slide library callbacks or remote publishing of slides.
Search Crawl Web service	/_vti_bin/spscrawl.asmx	Provides methods for remote Office SharePoint Server 2007 server farms to crawl a local farm.
Search Web service	/_vti_bin/spsearch.asmx	Provides methods for remotely performing searches within a Windows SharePoint Services deployment.
Users and Groups Web service	/_vti_bin/UserGroup.asmx	Provides methods for working with users, site groups, and cross-site groups.
User Profile Change Web service	/_vti_bin/userprofilechangeservice.asmx	Provides methods to query the user profiles change log remotely.
User Profile Web service	/_vti_bin/userprofileservice.asmx	Provides a user profile interface for remote clients.
Versions Web service	/_vti_bin/versions.asmx	Provides methods for working with file versions.
Views Web service	/_vti_bin/Views.asmx	Provides methods for working with views of lists.
Web Part Pages Web service	/_vti_bin/webpartpages.asmx	Provides the methods to send information to and retrieve information from Web services.
Webs Web service	/_vti_bin/Webs.asmx	Provides methods for working with sites and subsites.
Workflow Web service	/_vti_bin/workflow.asmx	Provides methods to work with workflows.

The SharePoint Central Administration Web application provides Web services in the _vti_adm directory that map to the following file system location:

%COMMONPROGRAMFILES%\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\ADMISAPI

The following Web services are exposed within the Central Administration Web application. For reasons of helping to ensure security, these Web services are not available to call remotely from custom code in a hosted environment.

Friendly Name	Location	Description
Admin	/_vti_adm/admin.asmx	Provides methods for managing a deployment of Windows SharePoint Services, such as for creating or deleting sites.
Content Deployment Remote Import	/_vti_adm/ContentDeploymentRemoteImport.asmx	Provides methods for a remote server farm to use content deployment to get content into a local farm.

Depending on configuration, the Office Server Web Services Web application exposes the following internal Web services, which are not available for calls from custom code.

Friendly Name	Location	Description
Search Web service	SearchAdmin.asmx	Office SharePoint Server 2007 Search Administration Web service.
Search Application Web service	/SSP/Search/SearchAdmin.asmx	Office SharePoint Server 2007 Search Application Administration Web service.
Excel Service SOAP	/SSP/ExcelCalculationServer/ExcelService.asmx	Office SharePoint Server 2007 Excel Services Application Web service.

 

How to Create Reports in SharePoint from SharePoint Lists.

This blog explains how to integrate SQL Reporting Services with SharePoint.
The PreBuild Microsoft's Reporting Services WebPart is used to be configured to display SQL Reports which is to be fetch data from SQL Reporting Services.
It’s necessary to create reports in SharePoint Web Applicatons for Dashboards or printing information. So I have posted this blog to show step by step process to create Reports in SharePoint.

Architecture of SSRS Implementation on SharePoint

Contents:

1. Configure Report Server.
2. Start Reporting Server
3. Create Visual Studio Project
4. Create DataSource
5. Create Report
6. Get List GUID
7. Deploy Reports
8. Install Reporting WebPart
9. Connect WebParts

1. Configure Report Server.


Go To: Start > All Programes > Microsoft SQL Server 2005 > Configuration Tools > Reporting Services Configuration
 
Check All OK. Remember
1. Report Server Virtual Directory Settings (ReportServer$MSSQL)
2. Report ManagerVirtual Directory Settings (Reports$MSSQL)

2.Start Reporting Server


1.Open IIS.
2. Do following..

3. Start "Default Web Site".
4. Browse “ Reports$MSSQL”  to check Report Server is running…

3.Create New Visual Studio Project

1. Create New Project

4. Create DataSource


1. Right Click on "Shared Data Sources" folder and select  "Add New Data Source" [Popup will open]

2. Rename Shared Data Source Name to "SharePointWebServiceDataSource".
3. Select Type as "XML".
4. Put Connection String as "  http://ABCD1234:1000/_vti_bin/lists.asmx  "
5. If you have Credentials then provide in Credentials Tab.
6.Click on "OK"  if all complete.
5. To Know more about SharePoint Web Services - Click Here.

5. Get List GUID

1. You need a SharePoint List GUID for creating Reports.So following is a process to get List GUID.
2. You need to download " Stramit SharePoint Caml Viewer " from CodePlex Created by Renaud Comte (MVP).

3. Enter url as " http://ABCD1234:1000 " or  " http://ABCD1234:1000/SubSiteName ".

4. Enter Login Name and Password .

5. And Click on " >>Go<< " Button. Web Application Lists will be populated in List name select box.

6. Select required list.(eg: EmployeesInformation).

7. Copy List GUID.

 
6. Create  Reports

1. Right Click on "Reports" folder and select  "Add New Report" [Report wizard will open]

2.Select Shared Data Source Name as "SharePointWebServiceDataSource" and click on Next Button.

3. Insert Query String as Follows and Click on Next Button.
To know more about Query string Click Here.
<Query>
<Method Namespace="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/" Name="GetListItems">
<Parameters>
<Parameter Name="listName">
<DefaultValue>{EBF0634768DA-0C74-42B8-B76C-5348236158B6D9}</DefaultValue>
</Parameter>
</Parameters>
</Method>
<SoapAction>http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/GetListItems</SoapAction>
</Query>
 

  * Red Text indicated List GUID.
4. Select report type as Tabular and click on Next Button.

5. Design Report as per requirements or you can modify it later.and click on Next Button.

6. Finally select Report Style and Rename Report with meaningful name. and click in Finish Button.

7. Deploy Reports

1. Go to Project Properties >>>

2. Give TargetDataSourceFolder as "  SharePoint Data Sources ".

3. Give TargetReportFolder as " SharePoint Reports ".

4. Give TargetServerURL as " http://localhost/ReportServer$MSSQL ".

5. And Click on OK Button.

6. Right click on Project  and click on " Deploy ".

7. Reports and Data Sources are automatically copied on Report Server.

8. Install Reporting WebPart on SharePoint Web Application

1. Download RSWebParts.cab.
2. Execute the following commands in shell to install RSWebPart  to SharePoint sites.
    stsadm.exe -o addwppack -force -filename "C:\SharePoint\RSWebParts.cab"

3. In the Add Web Parts Tool Pane, The Web Parts appear in the Web Part List as Report Viewer. Drag and drop Web Part onto the page in the desired locations.
4. On the Report Viewer Web Part menu, click Modify Shared Web Part.
5. In the Report Viewer Tool Pane, in the Configuration section, enter your Report Manager URL. This value is set to "  http://localhost/Reports$MSSQL " by default.
6. Set Rport Path As " /SharePoint Reports/AllEmpInformation "  and click on ok.

9. Connect WebParts

To be Continue...........

SharePoint Reporting

SharePoint Reporting ....

Reference 1

How to View Detail Error Message in SharePoint

Many times when we do SharePoint Custom programming ,Boom happen's "An unexpected error occurred".

So how to know the exact cause of error.........
You have to modify your web application Web.Config file as follows...

1. CallStack=”false” changed to CallStack=”true”

2. <customErrors mode=”On” /> changed to <customErrors mode=”Off” />

Go ahead.............