Application Type

Your application can be structured internally in different ways, depending on how it is to be used.

Web Site for .NET

This option uses the folder-based structure defined for .NET Web applications, with its content defined by all files and folders under a root application folder. This organization makes explicit assumptions about the ~/App_Code, ~/App_Data, ~/App_GlobalResources, and ~/bin folders.

The Web Site is not compiled for deployment and pages are compiled dynamically at run-time when they are accessed using a .NET Just-In-Time (JIT) compiler. Iron Speed Designer also provides the option of pre-compiling a Web Site if it is targeted for deployment to a Microsoft IIS web server. Compilation uses the .NET Framework compilers (VBC/CSC) and is driven by the placement of code files in the application's special directories.

In the Web Site, external DLLs are included in the application by placing them in the \bin folder, where they are automatically referenced during compilation.

Web Application for .NET

This option organizes your application using the solution/project structure used by Visual Studio. Initially the solution (your application) contains three projects: the Main project, the Data Access Layer, and the Business Layer. The Web Application is compiled using Visual Studio and the compiled content is deployed to the web server. The Data Access and Business Layers are the implementation of the abstract layers described in the Iron Speed Designer Application Architecture document.

In Web Applications, compilation is controlled by the application project file, e.g.:

<AppName>.vbproj (.csproj)

Visual Studio is used for compilation and if not available, the .NET Framework compilers (VBC/CSC) are used.

External DLLs are included in the application by using Visual Studio to add a reference to the DLL in the project.

Web Application for Microsoft SharePoint

This option is the same as Web Application for .NET except that some content is changed so the application runs in a Microsoft SharePoint environment.

Microsoft SharePoint applications have these restrictions:

Only .NET Framework 3.5 is supported. SharePoint applications will not run when built with earlier or later versions of the .NET Framework. At the time of this writing, SharePoint also does not support .NET Framework 4.0.
Microsoft SharePoint applications require the “Inherited” page style in order to function properly within the SharePoint environment.
Multi-lingual support is not available for SharePoint applications due to limitations in the interaction between the SharePoint server and your application. You may select one default language for application display.
Microsoft Access database support is available only for 32 bit servers. There is no compatibility mode for Microsoft IIS running SharePoint applications.
When the SharePoint default master page is used in your application, the ASP.NET multi-level menu control may not function properly in all circumstances. This is a limitation with the ASP.NET menu control.
SharePoint applications cannot be converted (switched) to a ‘web application’ once it has been created.
Web Site and Web Application for .NET applications build for .NET Framework 3.5 can be converted to Web Application for Microsoft SharePoint. Important limitation: Popup.master page has special functionality and treated differently than all other master pages. To ensure that your application is converted properly use “popup” in the names of all and any master page used by Quick Selector and/or Add-Record-PopUp pages and DO NOT use “popup” in the names of any other master page. I.e. all master pages with names such as PopUp.master, MyPopUp1.master, Lollypopupper.master and so on will be treated as pop-up master page in SharePoint application.

Running SharePoint applications in non-SharePoint environments

To run applications built for Microsoft SharePoint in a non-Sharepoint environment, such as in Iron Speed Designer’s Live Preview, Microsoft.SharePoint.dll must be installed in your machine’s Global Assembly Cache (GAC).

You can install the Microsoft.SharePoint.dll using one of these options.

Option #1: Copy it from an existing Microsoft SharePoint Server.

Microsoft recommends copying the Microsoft.SharePoint.DLL from a folder on the remote computer. The DLL is typically located in:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\12\ISAPI

of any Windows Server system that has either Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) or Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) installed. First copy the SharePoint DLL to the local machine in a temporary folder, and then from command prompt, enter:

gacutil /i Microsoft.SharePoint.DLL

See: How to install an Assembly into Global Assembly Cache: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dkkx7f79.aspx

GAC: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ex0ss12c(VS.80).aspx

Also see: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms479423.aspx

Option #2: Download and install Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) 3.0.

WSS can be installed on any Windows Server operating system, but not on any Windows desktop operating systems such as Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsserver/sharepoint/bb400747.aspx

http://weblogs.asp.net/gunnarpeipman/archive/2009/05/07/running-sharepoint-on-windows-7.aspx

Option #3: Install Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS).

MOSS can be purchased and installed on any Windows Server operating system.