SharePoint 2010 Deploy Master Page using Visual Studio Solution Project and Set it as Default Master Page.

This blog will give an understanding of how to add a master page using a Visual Studio solution project. Also setting the same master as a default for site.

STEP 1 : Adding a Master Page using Module

1. Open a visual studio 2010
2. Add new project
3. Empty Sharepoint Project > Deploy as Farm Solution > Finish.
4. Add New Item > Select "Module" > I named it as "MasterPage".
5. Delete the "Sample.txt" which gets added in the module by default.
6. Add new MainMasterPage.master. Do whatever change you want to it.
7. Open the elements.xml file of "MasterPage" module. You will have to make some modification shown below.
   
   
   

   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
   <Elements xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/">
       <Module Name="MasterPage" List="116" Url="_catalogs/masterpage">
           <File Path="MasterPage\MainMasterPage.master" Url="MainMasterPage.master" Type="GhostableInLibrary">
               <Property Type="string" Name="Title" Value="My Main Master Page"/>
           </File>
     </Module>
   </Elements>

8. Please verify the below given text i made change in the original one. This is MOST IMPORTANT!!!.

   List="116" Url="_catalogs/masterpage"

   Url="MainMasterPage.master" Type="GhostableInLibrary"

9. Once this is set just deploy the project.

STEP 1.1 : Verify the file got uploaded

1. Open the site in SharePoint Designer 2010.
2. All Files > _catalogs > MasterPage
3. The file should be at this location because if you see the element.xml above in the url we have given the path of "_catalogs/masterpage". That's it we now achieved the first step of adding a master file to the site.

STEP 2 : Apply the page as a default master page

1. In the visual studio solution project select "Features > Feature1 > Feature1.feature".
2. Right click "Add event receiver".
3. Put this code.
   
   

   /// <summary>
   /// Set the MainMasterPage.master as default master for site.
   /// </summary>
   /// <param name="properties"></param>
   public override void FeatureActivated(SPFeatureReceiverProperties properties)
   {
       SPSecurity.RunWithElevatedPrivileges(delegate
       {
           using (SPWeb _web = ((SPSite)properties.Feature.Parent).RootWeb)
           {
               Uri _siteMaster = new Uri(string.Format("{0}/_catalogs/masterpage/MainMasterPage.master", _web.Url));
               _web.MasterUrl = _siteMaster.AbsolutePath;
               _web.CustomMasterUrl = _siteMaster.AbsolutePath;
               _web.Update();                   
           }
       });
   }

4. Right click the project and deploy the solution.

I hope this helps you with the deployment of master page and setting it as a default.

PROBLEM :- There is a problem with the current process. For the first time this will work but if you make any changes to the master page and re-deploy the same solution will not deploy this new master page with the changes on the server. Please read my next blog "Sharepoint 2010 Master page issue with re-deployment with new changes from Visual Studio solution" for the solution.

"User Information List" instead of "UserProfileManager"

For all those friends who were trying to find out an option for "UserProfileManger" to get the information of user, I found "User Information List" on the root. I am still not sure if it gets sync directly to the active directory or any other user list. But will write a blog on this in future once i find it.

Sharepoint 2010 deploy .webpart file Custom Group instead of Miscellaneous.

Goal
To deploy a web part using Module in Visual Studio project. The webpart should be deployed in group custom name "MBD Web Parts" and not in "Miscellaneous".

• Open Visual Studio 2010.


• File > New > Sharepoint > Empty Sharepoint Project > Name it "Sample"


• Right click project > Add a Module > Name "Something".


• Remove Sample.txt. Add a file(DemoWebPart.webpart) to the module.


• Make the below given changes to the "Element.xml".


• Right click project and deploy.


• Visit your website.


• Site Actions > Edit Site


• Click "Add a Web Part". On the top ribbon.

You should now be able to see webpart in "MBD Web Parts" and not in "Miscellaneous".

Change in Element.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<Elements xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/">

    <Module List="113" Name="Something" Url="_catalogs/wp">

        <File Path="Something\DemoWebPart.webpart" Url="DemoWebPart.webpart" Type="GhostableInLibrary">

            <Property Name="Group" Value="MBD Web Parts" />

        </File>

    </Module>

</Elements>

Hope this is helpfull for you!

Sharepoint 2010 Deploy visual web part to "MBD Web Parts" instead of "Custom".

Goal
To deploy our custom visual webpart to a custom group name "MBD Web Parts" instead of getting deployed to "Custom". Please follow below given steps to see how to reproduce.

• Open Visual Studio 2010.


• File > New > Sharepoint > Visual Web Part > Name it "Sample"


• Delete the "VisualWebPart1"(Default) and add a new Visual Web Part file "DemoWebPart".


• Complete writing code.


• Right click project and deploy.


• Visit your website.


• Site Actions > Edit Site


• Click "Add a Web Part". On the top ribbon.

This will show up our web part in the Group name "Custom", but we need to the web part in a group name "MBD Web Parts".

Simple Solution

• Expand "DemoWebPart" and open "Element.xml".


• Modify an attribute value in the xml from "Custom" to "MBD Web Parts".


• Right click project and deploy.


• Visit your website.


• Site Actions > Edit Site


• Click "Add a Web Part". On the top ribbon.

You should now be able to see our custom category of "MBD Web Parts" and not in "Custom".

Change in Element.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<Elements xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/" >

  <Module Name="DemoWebPart" List="113" Url="_catalogs/wp" RootWebOnly="TRUE">

    <File Path="DemoWebPart\DemoWebPart.webpart" Url="DemoWebPart.webpart" Type="GhostableInLibrary" >

      <Property Name="Group" Value="MBD Web Parts" />

    </File>

  </Module>

</Elements>

Hope this is helpfull for you!

Problem creating or deleting Sharepoint List in Visual Web Part's Feature Receiver when called from stsadm or powershell.

Summary of Issue.

Working Process
In a Visual Studio Web Part, I was trying to create a Sharepoint List using a Feature Receiver Event. Every thing works fine when I deployed the solution using Visual Studio 2010.

Problem
I tried deploying the solution using STSADM Command or Powershell scripts. The deployment went fine but the Sharepoint List was not getting created. After research I found out the issue was in the activation code. I was using SPContext.Current.Web.Url. Now the correct way to do this is mentioned below.


If the Feature Scope="Web"

public override void FeatureActivated(SPFeatureReceiverProperties properties)

{

    SPSecurity.RunWithElevatedPrivileges(delegate

        {

            SPWeb _web = (SPWeb)properties.Feature.Parent;    

    });            

}

If the Feature Scope="Site"

public override void FeatureActivated(SPFeatureReceiverProperties properties)

{

    SPSecurity.RunWithElevatedPrivileges(delegate

        {

            SPSite _site = (SPSite)properties.Feature.Parent;    

    });            

}

Hope you find this helpfull. Please comment if you have any queries.