Sharepoint Interview Questions II

1) What's a Feature?

A feature contains set of XML files which can be used to add functionality or customize the site. This can be activated or deactivated in different level of scopes like Farm, Web Application, Site, and Web.

Using feature we can Add a site column, Add a site content type, Add a list template, Create a list instance, Add custom actions to SharePoint's menus, Install web parts, master pages, layout pages, images and other contents, Register event handlers, Associate a content type with an existing list, Install a custom workflow, Install a custom control, Install a custom document converter

2) What's a Solution?

A Solution is a deployable and reusable package that can contain a set of Features, site definitions and assemblies that you can apply to a site, and can also enable or disable individually. A Solution is materialized in a solution file, which is a file with a CAB-based format with a .wsp extension.

With a solution you can:

Install Features ,Install assemblies in the GAC ,Install assemblies to the BIN folder of a web application ,Add assembly descriptions to the web.config safe controls section ,Set Code Access Security configurations ,Install files in the template folder of SharePoint (usually C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\TEMPLATE) ,Install files in the root folder of SharePoint (usually C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12) ,Install a site definition

3) How to create a wsp package?

Creating a solution is a multiple step process:

Create the solution manifest file (Manifest.xml file)

Create the folder structure with all the components

Create a Diamond Directive File (.ddf file which specifies the .wsp internal folder structure)

makecab /f solution.ddf (Which will create a .wsp file and using stsadm we can deploy)

Build the Solution Package (.wsp file)

4) What is Content Type?

A content type is a reusable collection of metadata (columns), workflow, behavior, and other settings for a category of items or documents. Using this we can attach a list of columns, document template, workflow to the list.

5) What is Module?

Modules are collections of files that must be provisioned in a SharePoint web site. This type of feature element can be used to:

Add pages to a web site

Add web parts to a web site's web part gallery

Add web parts to a web part page

Add documents to a document library

Add style sheets to the a web sites style library

6) What is List Template?

A list template is a reusable definition of a SharePoint list that is used to create lists

7) What is List Instance?

A list instance is a list created by using a list template. When creating a list this way, you can override some of the list properties set in the template, and you can include data rows that will also be created as list items in the list.

8) What is Event Receivers?

SharePoint allows you to handle several events that are fired according to actions performed on items, lists and web sites. We can inherit SPItemReceiver or SPFeatureReceiver and define the events method in class.

Two types of receivers are async and sync.

9) A nice comparisons between asp.net 2.0 custom webpart and SharePoint based web part.

ASP.NET 2.0 Web Part	SharePoint-based Web Part
For most business needs. To distribute your Web Part to sites that run ASP.NET 2.0 or SharePoint sites. When you want to reuse one or more Web Parts created for ASP.NET 2.0 sites on SharePoint sites. To use data or functionality provided by Windows SharePoint Services 3.0. For example, you are creating a Web Part that works with site or list data.	When you want to migrate a set of Web Parts using the SharePoint-based Web Part infrastructure to Windows SharePoint Services 3.0. To create cross page connections. To create connections between Web Parts that is outside of a Web Part zone. To work with client-side connections (Web Part Page Services Component). To use a data-caching infrastructure that allows caching to the content database.

10) What is SiteDefinition?

It’s a method for providing prepackaged site and list content.

11) What is Template?

A template is a pre-defined set of functions or settings that can be used over time. There are many templates within SharePoint, Site Templates, Document Templates, Document Library and List Templates.

12) CAS?

This option is most secure. An assembly can operate with a unique policy that meets the minimum permission requirements for the assembly.

13) What are the types of pages available in publishing site?

In share point there are two types of pages, one is site page and another one is Application Page

Site page is a customized page that will be in the content DB

Whereas Application page is the unghosted page, that will be in file system

Example settings.aspx

14) What is Feature Stapling?

Feature stapling is the process of associating features to existing site definitions so that, when a new site is provisioned from that definition the associated features are automatically activated.

15) What is Onet.xml?

Onet.xml is a file which is most important part of the share point site definition. It helps to create a custom site definition. Main elements of this XMl are NavBar, ListTemplates, DocumentTemplates, Configurations, and Modules.

16) What is Site Provisioning?

A site provisioning provider is a piece of code that is run by a site definition when a new site is created. By default SharePoint performs the provisioning actions of a new site. These actions can include creation of lists, activation of features etc. and, most importantly, telling the site which site definition it should be based off.