If I have a version of Orchard installed on a server via Microsoft Web App Gallery from my hosting provider, Is there a good way to pull down the instance of orchard for local visual studio development?
When doing Visual Studio development, always use full source from Codeplex. The WebPI package is intended to use out-of-the-box when you don't want to perform any coding.
In your case it's quite tricky, though, but doable. The best approach would be to
Grab the full source as described here,
Grab the source from your server
Copy the files from 2. to src/Orchard.Web subdirectory found in 1. (overwriting any existing stuff)
Open up the /src/Orchard.sln solution in VS and add references to any custom modules you had on your server (2.) that are not in the Orchard core (1.). You will find those under the /src/Orchard.Web/Modules subdirectory.
I'd go with Piotr's answer, but if you just need to make some tweaks then the code from WebPi should work okay with WebMatrix.
I wouldn't use this solution for module development, but if you just want to tweak a simple theme or run the site locally then it's worked for me.
Related
For some reason(about the digital signature of the desktop bridge app, see here), I can't use visual studio to package my project. Makeappx seems to be able to do this, but those commands are too complex for me. Is there an easier way to achieve this?
Or to put it another way, how can I directly refer to the EXE file (which I can sign) rather than just the project in the application package project?
If Visual Studio is too complicated I recommend you get the free Express edition from Advanced Installer.
In the link include you can find a video that shows how to build an MSIX package (for bundle just change the radio button option from Builds page).
Additional info -
Publishing an MSIX package in the MS store.
Disclaimer: I work on the team building Advanced Installer.
I developed a web-site on ASP.NET 3.5 SP1 platform. And additional I have 2 win services. My task is to build install package. I decided that Visual Studio install projects are not met my requirements. I design my own installer for this project, because I need to resolve many question and problem in install process. My problem: I need to deploy web-site into IIS, but I don't know how to do it easy. I found Microsoft tool as Web Deployment Tool, but I didn't find any documentation. And must I include this tool into my installer for deployment at destination customer? Another side I found SDC Tasks Library and it looks like a solution for me. But I saw many topics where people had problems and because the project was dead anybody couldn't help them. I know it is a long story... My question: how can I deploy the web-site from another program (I know that IIS versions have some differences and it is another headache), set a virtual directory, application pool (very important), a type of authentification and so forth ???
Thanks.
Use Wix for installers.
This article seems to cover what you want:
Automating Web deployment on IIS with WIX.
I am new to sharepoint and installshield. My responsiblity is to build and deploy the sharepoint solution as a package using istallsheild. Previously I was using solution package wsp and content database restoration. But now the client wants to deliver the total solution i.e. dlls, ascx files, xml files, servce files(.cs), feature files using installsjield from development server to another (test and/or client) server.
Can any body help me on this: how to do the sharepoint deployment using installshield?
thanks in advance.
I presume you are using SharePoint solutions to package dll's, ascx and xml files for deployment to a sharepoint server. These solutions are built using a tool like WSPBuilder.
If not: YOU SHOULD!
If so: Why not use SharePoint Installer? It is an installer wrapper around a .wsp (SharePoint solution) file. It will check for the existence of a sharepoint installation, if the required services are started etc.
For deployment to a test machine: Why would you need the .cs files? If you want to test (debug) code on a test machine, I suggest you use either continuous integration using a tool like CruiseControl.NET, or just install Visual Studio on the test machine (which I presume to be a dev test, not a client test machine) and get the latest version, do a build, then roll out the solution.
And what do you mean with "client" server? is there some windows app that's communicating with sharepoint included in the installer? If so, I suggest separating the SharePoint solution from the actual windows app. They might share DLL's but are not supposed to be in the same installer.
We are using a tool (open source - saf.codeplex.com) to automate the Sharepoint components using MSBuild/Features/STSADM etc. Recently they have upgraded this to use WIX so that we can deploy any SharePoint components.
saf.codeplex.com
It has got an very good documentation and also we got a good support in fixing and implementing the SharePoint automated deployment in our premise.
Thanks
BalamuruganK
i have project in C#, ASP.Net and SharePoint. i want to deploy it usung VS2005 Setup and Deployment tool (As i am not allowed to use any otther software). Can i deploy the Sharepoint part like webparts in VS2005. please tell me what steps i have to take for sharepoint.
All Suggestions are welcome.
Thanks in advance
In short using the VS2005 Setup & Deployment for deploying items to SharePoint is not recommended or not supported.
SharePoint by itself has it well know deployment way called SharePoint Solutions or WSP file. Almost all the items you will want to deployed to SharePoint can be done using WSP(this includes WebPart as well, not only webpart it will allow to add a safe control entry to WebConfig as well). As per your question you are not allowed to use any other tool. To create WSP solution you will not need any extra tool. You can create a WSP file just with notepad (ddf file) & makecab.exe (its avaliable in most of the windows OS).
If you want to make it life simpler try out WSPBuilder and to install the WSP to sharepoint you can use the STSADM command or SharePointInstaller I have been using these tools for past 3 years and they work like charm.
You also have another option of doing it in the Visual Studio just by installing this template VSeWSS version 1.2!
Does anyone use the MS SharePoint Solution Generator and VSeWSS 1.2 in a multi-developer environment with source safe? We are having issues re-deploying (because it doesn't really upgrade the solution with stsadm). It keeps saying the same feature is already installed - which it is, but it should retract the feature and re-install it - which it doesn't on some machines. Something is messed up with the feature's GUID but we can't find where that might be. One dev will be able to deploy and re-deploy but then the next dev won't. Where does VSeWSS 1.2 change the GUIDs? ARG!!!
We see the nice deployment targets (upgrade, etc) in STSDev but we're reluctant to use STSDev or the other codeplex tools because they are not supported by Microsoft. We have Visual Studio 2005 but not the money to upgrade to VS 2008 to get VSeWSS 1.3 - bummer.
---UPDATE----
I think we found a bug in VSeWSS that other's have commented on: Editing the projects properties resets some feature GUIDs.
It might also be a problem with the scope of the install. How do we get a site definition to install to the FARM scope in VSeWSS 1.2?
Don't worry too much about supported by Microsoft too much. While it is a consideration, the end result of MS SharePoint Solution Generator (terrible) and VSeWSS 1.2 are still SharePoint solutions and all solutions need to contain the same xml.
Could the deployment targets for STSDev be modified to work with your VSeWSS solution? After all, the deployment targets here are just working with STSAdm and a solution file.
In order to avoid the usual "works on my machine" you should set up a build and deployment system. If you are using virtual server or ESX server it should be fairly simply, and cheap as well. You should be able to use open source software all the way if you have more man power then money.
VSeWSS 1.2 and 1.3 store the feature GUID's in files in the /PKG directory of your Visual Studio solution. If you delete these files, or check our project into Source Control without these files and check them out on another machine, you will lose your GUIDs. Sure, VSeWSS will recreate the missing files for you, but it will do so with new GUIDs and new feature names.
A common requirement is to add the /PKG directory to your Visual Studio 2008 project and get it into source control.
You can read more about the files in the /PKG directory in the Release Notes for VSeWSS 1.3 here.
PS: We did some improvements to the Solution Generator in VSeWSS 1.3, but it wont generate a 100% perfect solution for you.