SharePoint Framework (SPFx) is a JavaScript-based template for constructing SharePoint add-ons, extensions, or customizations. As an SPFx SharePoint developer, what does this entail for you?
What Exactly Is The SharePoint Framework?
To create modifications for SharePoint, developers can use the SharePoint Framework (SPFx). The idea behind the Framework is to make it easier to create client-side solutions that mesh with the current SharePoint UI.
You can use any JavaScript framework for developing SPFx SharePoint solutions; developers are no longer restricted to using only Windows and Visual Studio. Using any text editor of your choosing, SharePoint Framework allows you to develop solutions on any platform, including OS X and Linux.
Microsoft is not employing a SharePoint-specific proprietary development model. Instead, it is making use of practices and resources familiar to programmers working across all platforms and stacks. The Product Group is dedicated to only utilizing the framework’s publicly available APIs when developing solutions on top of it, enabling developers to create solutions with features equal to or greater than those provided by default.
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We Don’t Need Yet Another Model, So Why Bother?
Several different SharePoint development models have emerged in recent years. From Web Site Templates in MOSS 2007 to SharePoint 2010s Sandboxed Solutions and finally SharePoint 2013’s Add-ins, SharePoint has seen a steady evolution. Microsoft has been developing SharePoint customization models with one goal in mind. And, this goal is to isolate customizations from SharePoint to ensure the platform’s cleanliness and reliability. The SharePoint Add-in model was the initial step toward having customizations run in a separate process from SharePoint. The model has some constraints, one of which is that iFrame cannot be used when integrating add-ins on pages, even though there are many different kinds of add-ins.
Microsoft developed SharePoint’s new user interface (UX) in response to user demand for more advanced features within the SharePoint platform and broader technological advancements. In SharePoint Online, SPFx is the only model that custom solutions and SharePoint Online add-ons support for development.
Remember that the entire modern SharePoint UX, not just the website, uses responsive web design. In other words, if you go to a modern team site on your phone or desktop, you won’t have any trouble reading it. By adhering to Microsoft’s recommendations, your SharePoint SPFx solution will not only be rendered in the SharePoint mobile app, but it will also look great on mobile devices. Keep in mind that SharePoint Framework is, in fact, just a framework. It is still important to evaluate the code quality you and your team produce.
Is The SharePoint Framework The Only Model That’s Used Now?
As the SharePoint Framework (SPFx) is based on JavaScript, all SharePoint SPFx solutions must take into account their browser execution-style during implementation for active users. Due to the lack of security and elevation, running custom solutions requires extra vigilance. Because of this, the SharePoint Add-in model is still a viable choice, especially when integrating third-party solutions.
SharePoint is a versatile platform with numerous use cases that call for enhancing its core features. It’s unlikely that SharePoint Framework will support all of them. However, if you combine SharePoint Add-in and SharePoint Framework customizations, then you can create some very effective solutions.
To What Extent Does Use of SharePoint Framework Constitute Best Practice?
The SharePoint Framework announcement does not eliminate any features. What we could do before, is all that we can do now. It is up to you to determine whether or not SPFx is the best tool for the job, as it is just one of many options available.
SharePoint Framework-built customizations, on the other hand, are compatible with both legacy and modern sites, while SharePoint Add-ins are only compatible with the latter. As a result, you require SPFx if you wish to add to the capabilities of the modern SharePoint user interface.
In the meantime, your company can stick with the user experience it loves without having to switch to a modern team site. Since many companies have made substantial investments in SharePoint solutions and trained many users for working with the specific UX, this is very important. In today’s ‘Mobile First’ world, a sleek and functional modern team site is a must. Developing more and more solutions in the SharePoint Framework to further improve modern team sites’ capabilities is likely to occur as your organization gradually adopts them.
Which Situations Call For My Employing The SharePoint Framework?
In most cases, solutions built on the SharePoint Framework are your only choice. Especially, if you want to increase the functionalities of your modern team sites. For up-to-date SharePoint sites, only the SPFx development model will do.
It’s also important to keep in mind that SharePoint SPFx solutions are compatible with both the new and old SharePoint user interfaces. Building your solutions on the new SharePoint Framework could be beneficial even if your company isn’t using modern team sites just yet.
Whether you’re using the SharePoint Framework or another SharePoint development model, code quality is critical to the success of your solutions. Finding a way to establish a universal benchmark for customization projects is crucial. All customization projects would benefit from having a common benchmark, so discovering how to make one is a high priority.
Does This Mean I Have to Start Over with JavaScript and Throw Away Everything I Know?
Rather than relying on server-side logic, solutions developed with the SharePoint Framework rely on client-side technology to display data. However, how they obtain these details varies by system, and it may not always be possible to construct solutions that run entirely in the client’s browser. To create a Web Part that communicates with the Microsoft Graph, for instance, you can create a completely client-side solution with the help of Angular, OAuth, and ADAL JS implicit flow.
One more common application of server-side technology is the implementation of background processes. If you haven’t worked much with JavaScript yet, you should definitely make an effort to do so. However, your prior experience and knowledge will be invaluable, especially with SharePoint APIs.
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Get Ready Now To Create SharePoint-Based Solutions
There has been a recent announcement of the SharePoint Framework, but it is not yet available to programmers. However, you can get a head start on getting ready for it by studying on the technologies that SharePoint Framework uses.
It is basically a set of tools that have been around for some time but are of no use to SharePoint developers. Due to this shift, familiarity with the aforementioned resources is crucial for making the most of the framework’s potential.
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