MOSS Feature Generator

Patch Uploaded: #2300

adrianritchie — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 12:56:32 GMT

adrianritchie has uploaded a patch.

Description:
Made changes to SelectionForm.cs:
Added auto-completion to the url text box to make url entry easier.
Added sorting to items list box so they appear alphabetically.

Commented Issue: New Item shows only Title Column

Abhijeet3009 — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 05:08:45 GMT

I've managed to replicate this on various Lists of different types (Custom List, Document Library) etc.

When you create the ListTemplate from the ListInstance in a Site it generates fine with no errors.

Installing this as a feature works and creating an instance from it is fine too. All the columns are there and the view is there. When I click New button, the New page shows but only shows the Title Column.

I have compared the generated code to the Solution Generator code from the VseWSS1.1 application. The .aspx files are all identical. What is different is the schema.xml file. The elements are written in a different order <VIEWS><FIELDS><CONTENTTYPES><FORMS><SECURITY>(VseWSS1.1 outputs them <ContentTypes><Fields><Views><Forms>). I moved them to be in the same order and did a full compare on them.

There appear to be some differences...mainly in the <VIEWS>, <CONTENTTYPES> and <SECURITY> structure. I've tried copying them over to see whether it fixes it, but can't seem to see exactly what is causing it! Must be something really subtle doing it!
Comments: ** Comment from web user: Abhijeet3009 **

I am also facing the same issue. has anybody got solution?

Created Issue: Unable to create Feature

Abhijeet3009 — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:32:11 GMT

Whenever i am trying to generate Feature for my List i am getting error message "Unable to find path form\dispform.aspx'
But my Folder is getting created withour any defauls forms like Newforms.aspx,DispForms.aspx etc etc..
But when i try to activate the fetaure and create a list based on that i get ereror "File not found".

New Post: General remarks

Bertrick — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 19:25:11 GMT

This tool will have value. But it has to bring more than the Sharepoint Solution generator brings. So you have to support more Sharepoint assets.

But I think you have made a great start with the functionality you have built so far. How do you think of constructing a complete Site Definition with webparts,lists and so on ?

If you need help let me know.

CREATED ISSUE: New Item shows only Title Column

jthake — Mon, 19 May 2008 03:07:07 GMT

UPDATED RELEASE: MOSS Feature Generator 0.7 (apr 14, 2008)

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:50:58 GMT

! Version Description

!! Introduction
This tool provides functionality to create MOSS Features by drag and drop. It presents the functionality like Site Columns, Lists and Content Types from the Sharepoint 2007 site you select in a treeview, which you can than add to your Virtual Site. A Virtual Site is made up of all the Features you generate. Press the create button, and all features will be created and validated against wss.xds. The following feature types are supported in this version:
* Site Columns (Feature.xml, Elements.xml)
* Content Types (Feature.xml, Elements.xml)
* List Templates (Feature.xml, Elements.xml, Schema.xml, AllItems.aspx, DispForm.aspx, NewForm.aspx, EditForm.aspx)

!! Whats new
* Features can be selected by drag & drop
* Site Column Features can be generated 'on their own' independant of the Content Type in which they are used
* More properties for the features can be set from the MFG Gui
* Feature properties are separated from properties that will be in the functional files (elements.xml, schema.xml and forms/views)
* Features can be created by either selecting a functionality directly, generating with default settings from the Virtual Site, or with edited properties from the Virtual Site.
* Created Features are validated against wss.xsd (except for the schema.xml)

!! Technical changes
* Site Columns and Content Types are now by default generated from the object model, instead of peaking into the database. The old is still available.
* XML files are not directly created from the Gui, but a Virtual Site is build First. This consists of VirtualField, VirtualContentType etc. objects.

!! Test Results
Allthough the MFG has not been formally tested, a number of testresults have been presented in the files below.

!! Usage Guidelines
* Create as much of the feature in the MOSS Gui as you can
* Do not create hundreds of features in one time, instead create features in manageable blocks

!! System Requirements
* MOSS 2007
* .Net Framework 2.0

!! Documentation and Help
Please refer to http://www.sharepointblogs.com/alfred

Source code checked in

weerda — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:59:39 GMT

Drag & drop FeatureNodes in VirtualSiteTree

CREATED ISSUE: References between elements not updated

weerda — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 08:38:49 GMT

When changing ID's for elements, these ID's are not automatically updated for depending elements. This is known behavior for this version, which will be solved in the 0.8 version.

CREATED ISSUE: Adding ListInstances under ListTemplates behaviour

weerda — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 08:17:57 GMT

The behavior when adding multiple instances of the same list is sometimes faulty. For instance when adding a ListInstance first to the Orphan List node, and then adding a ListTempate of the same type. The ListInstance is automatically copied to the ListTemplate node, but the instance under the Orphan List node is not removed.

CREATED ISSUE: Drag & Drop behavior

weerda — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 08:13:41 GMT

A ListTemplate cannot be dropped on a ListTemplateCollection Node. In the GUI, however, it appears as if this is possible. A Message is displayed when the ListTemplate is dropped

Source code checked in

weerda — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:21:28 GMT

Verbinding tussen Feature en Element aangepast. Tonen in Treeview van Features

Source code checked in

weerda — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:02:05 GMT

UPDATED RELEASE: MOSS Feature Generator 0.7 (apr 14, 2008)

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 09:47:27 GMT

UPDATED WIKI: Home

weerda — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 08:02:19 GMT

Project Description
The MOSS Feature Generator generates features out of existing functionalities on a MOSS 2007 site. This includes Site Columns, Content Types and ListTemplates (including schema.xml and forms). The tool will be expanded in two ways: a build tree will be created to make it possible to create dependant features in an organized way, and the number of supported features will be expanded.

New Version: MOSS Feature Generator 0.7

Version 0.7 has been released. 4-14-2008.

New features included the creation of Features with drag and drop from you original MOSS 2007 Site.
For More details, see info and help-file at the Release page.

Additional information:
http://www.sharepointblogs.com/alfred

UPDATED RELEASE: MOSS Feature Generator 0.7 (apr 14, 2008)

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 07:56:11 GMT

Source code checked in

Original4u2 — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:47:01 GMT

testfile...

NEW POST: General remarks

garyp — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 07:41:58 GMT

I think it certainly will have value - in fact I was thinking of creating this type of tool for my own use at one stage.

I have found one approach to creating SharePoint solutions is to create a simple prototype system that at least includes the required fields and lists. Then modify this prototype in conjunction with the client, and next create the fields/content types/lists as features. This later task is a manual grunt at the moment, though I have used the SharePoint Solution Generator in the MOSS SDK to help derive the basic XML for the lists. It would be great to be able to create the VS files in a "standard" file structure (e.g. under a templates folder structure as per some of the other CodePlex sources) by pointing a utility such as this Feature Generator at the prototype site.This could really help to remove some of those manual steps in SharePoint development.

NEW POST: General remarks

weerda — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:40:30 GMT

Do you think the MOSS Feature Generator might be a valuable tool (once it has grown up). Or do you miss functionality to make it really usefull? Please let me know. Post your bugs etc. to the issue tracker. Regards, Alfred de Weerd

UPDATED WIKI: Home

weerda — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 21:45:25 GMT

CREATED RELEASE: MOSS Feature Generator 0.7

Sun, 09 Mar 2008 21:30:57 GMT

This release will expand the idea of generation MOSS features from the gui, by allowing you to relate Features to each other. Sources of Features could be functionality created in the MOSS gui, or Feature files created earlier. In this way you can create a consistent set of features.