In this article I would like to provide an overview of SharePoint Apps.
- SharePoint Apps is a standalone and self-contained item.
- The functionalities, features and capabilities of a SharePoint site are extended.
- SharePoint Apps are easy for users to use, install, manage, upgrade, and remove.
- SharePoint Apps are allowed (have permissions) to get back into SharePoint via OAuth and also communicate with SharePoint via REST/CSOM.
- Easier to upgrade to future SharePoint, because apps are running as a client-side service.
- Multile flavors of SharePoint apps.
SharePoint hosted
- It contains server-side components.
- Using HTML, JavaScript and CSS.
- Its needs (libraries, workflows, content, and so on) are all within the SharePoint environment for deploying.
Provider hosted
- Provider hosted contains server-side components.
- Components that contains ASP.Net application.
- A separate environment is needed for hosting them (non-SharePoint IIS server or virtual machine running in Azure's Infrastructure as a Service).
Auto hosted
- Auto hosted is exclusive to Office 365 and SharePoint online services.
- They also contain server-side components.
- The service automatically turns up the server-side elements in an embedded Azure layer during deployment of the application.
7. App Types
Full Page App
- It covers the entire page UI.
- Implements new scenarios like ticketing system.
App Part
- Surfaces cover an iframe in a page.
- It’s like web parts (an example is Image Slider)
Extension App
- Extends item menu actions.
- Similar to SharePoint 2010 (an example is print document menu)
8. Ways to get apps
- SharePoint Store
- Corporate App Store
- Custom Deployment
9. Apps Boundaries
- Server-side component in the SharePoint side is not supported.
- Cannot access server-side object model.
- Cannot change SharePoint standard definitions (like list and site definitions).
- Some SharePoint components and services are not supported.
- Custom code only execute.
10. Scopes
- Site Scope-apps is installed and launched within the same scope in a SharePoint site.
- Tenancy Scope requires an apps catalog. Once it’s installed users from multiple sites are connected together.
11. To scale the application without affecting a SharePoint environment.
12. Templates from Visual Studio 2012 are fully supported.
References
Summary
In this article, we explored a SharePoint Apps overview at a high level.