Microsoft SharePoint 2013 – Benefits for Developers

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Microsoft SharePoint 2013 is a useful development platform for building apps and solutions for varied requirements. It offers a new flexible development model that can be used to create apps for Microsoft SharePoint using standard web technologies, such as JavaScript, OAuth, and OData. With the new app for SharePoint development model, we can build apps that take advantage of SharePoint capabilities and run in the cloud instead of SharePoint farm implemented on-premise. Below are the different benefits that SharePoint 2013 offers to the developers.

Benefits for Developers

  • New & useful Cloud App Model: It enables the developers to create a variety of apps (i.e. self-contained pieces of functionality that extend the capabilities of SharePoint website). While developing an app, SharePoint objects such as lists, workflows, and site pages can be used. Also, it can be used to surface a remote web application and remote data in SharePoint.These Apps (all custom code) once developed, can be moved “up” to the cloud or “down” to client computers. Moreover, SharePoint 2013 introduces an advanced delivery model for apps for SharePoint that includes SharePoint Store and App Catalog.
  • Programming using web standards: Even non-Microsoft platform developers would be able to create SharePoint solutions as SharePoint 2013 is based on common web standards like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Moreover, implementation relies on established protocols like the Open Data protocol (OData), and OAuth.
  • Better Development tools: The good news for SharePoint developers is that existing development tools like Visual Studio and SharePoint Designer has been augmented significantly. Also, the newly developed web-based tool “Napa” (i.e. Office 365 Development Tools) can be used by SharePoint developers in developing apps.In Visual Studio, developers can develop apps for SharePoint, apps for Office, apps for SharePoint that include apps for Office or apps for Office that are hosted by SharePoint. In addition to the SharePoint project templates, Visual Studio 2012 now includes a new app project template in the Apps folder named Apps for SharePoint 2013. Other improvements include full support for development against the Cloud App Model, including OData and OAuth support, and full support for development against the Workflow Manager Client 1.0 platform.
  • Principal Enhancements: SharePoint 2013 has been improved and enhanced to support the new cloud-based architecture and app-driven development framework. SharePoint 2013 is designed and executed to support a rich application development experience.o Mobile Applications: In SharePoint 2013, you can combine Windows Phone 7 applications with on-premise SharePoint services and applications or with remote SharePoint services and applications that run in the cloud (such as SharePoint Online). It helps in creating potent applications that extend functionality beyond the traditional desktop or laptop. Also, developers can create SharePoint-powered mobile applications for Windows Phone using the new SharePoint phone application wizard template in Visual Studio.

    o Improved Workflows: A new set of Visual Studio 2012 workflow project templates let developers access more sophisticated features like custom actions. Workflow Manager Client 1.0 is fully integrated with the model for apps for SharePoint. In addition, workflows execute in the cloud, not in SharePoint, which provides enormous flexibility in designing workflow-based apps for SharePoint.

    o Customized ECM: In SharePoint 2013, developers can use .NET client, Silverlight, Windows Phone, and JavaScript APIs, in addition to the newly expanded set of .NET server managed APIs, to customize Enterprise Content Management (ECM) experiences and behavior.

    o Enhanced BCS: BCS in SharePoint 2013 has been improved and enhanced including OData connectivity, external events, external data in apps, filtering and sorting, support for REST etc.

    o Application services: In Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013, Machine Translation Service (which translates sites, documents, and streams for multilingual support) has been introduced. SharePoint Server 2013 also includes Access Services and a new data access model. SharePoint Server 2013 has Word Automation Services and PowerPoint Automation Services (a new feature for SharePoint) for converting files and streams to other formats. Microsoft SharePoint also provides data analysis tools, like PerformancePoint Services and Visio Services that enable business intelligence, and powerful new features in Excel Services.