Definitions :
Web Parts are componentized,
self-contained packages of user interface that can be dropped into place on
SharePoint Web Part pages to provide discrete sets of functionality to
users.
It can be incredibly easy to get confused between sites, webs, web
applications, and site collections. The farm is the topmost level in the
hierarchy. Below the farm, you have web applications represented by the
SPWebApplication class, which typically correspond to an IIS application pool.
Below that, you have a collection of site collections contained in the
SPSiteCollection class. Finally, you have site collections represented by the
SPSite class and individual websites represented by the SPWeb
class.
Features allow reusable pieces of functionality
to be created and deployed to other sites,without modifying site templates.It is
always better to deploy a feature in new site instead ofdirectly embedding
mountains of complex XML.Using Features, you can do everything from adding a
link to the Site Settings page to creating a complete, fully functioning Project
Management suite that can be added to any SharePoint site.Features are organized
in folders under the Features directory located under 12 hives; Where SharePoint
Server 2007 puts all of its system files, at the following path:
%SystemDrive%\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server
extensions\12. The two files that are used to define a feature are the
feature.xml and Elements.xml .The feature XML file defines the actual feature
and will make SharePoint aware of the installed feature. It usually identifies
the Feature itself and its element manifest file and sets the Feature scope to
Web site.
Elements.xml file identifies the assembly, class, and method to
implement in feature.
You can directly deploy a feature in sharepoint
site with
stsadm -o installfeature -filename
XYZEventHandler\Feature.xml
stsadm -o activatefeature -filename
DeletingEventHandler\Feature.xml -url
href="http://server/Site/Subsite">http://Server/Site/Subsite
iisreset
OR
To Deploy it as solution package you need a solution manifest
(manifest.xml).
Solutions allow you to package
Features in a cabinet (.cab) file and define important metadata about those
Features. After a Solution is installed on a server in the farm, you can then
use SharePoint's Solution management features to automate the deployment of that
Solution to other sites within the farm.
The solution manifest (always
called manifest.xml) is stored at the root of a solution file. This file defines
the list of features, site definitions, resource files, Web Part files, and
assemblies to process. It does not define the file structure—if files are
included in a solution but not listed in the manifest XML file, they are not
processed in any way.
Because the solution file is essentially a .cab
file, use the makecab.exe tool to create the solution package. The makecab.exe
tool takes a pointer to a .ddf file, which describes the structure of the .cab
file. The format of a .ddf file is, declare a standard header and then
enumerate, one file per line, the set of files by where they live on disk,
separated by where they should live in the .cab
file.
Features & Solutions:
The Feature
Framework has been extended to allow developers to create custom Features.
Features can be deployed by using SharePoint Portal Server 2007 new form of
deployment, namely Solution Deployment. Solutions as you know, are custom
packages (e.g. WSP file) or redistributable CAB files, created by developers and
deployed by SharePoint Administrators. Administrator can deploy Features to the
individual site or to all Web front End Servers.
Features are a method
for developers to package customisations and deploy them to the SharePoint
portal. They can then be activated and deactivated at the Site Collection level.
Solutions are a way to bundle features together for
deployment.
Custom action :
Represents a link, toolbar button, menu item, or any control that can be added
to a toolbar or menu that appears in the UI. You define custom actions by using
a custom action element within a feature definition file. You can bind custom
actions to a list type, content type, file type, or programmatic identifier
(ProgID). For more information, see Custom Action
Definitions.
Event receiver: Evaluator of an event
and definer of the behavior of an application. Windows SharePoint Services 3.0
allows you to define event handlers within libraries, lists, and sites. Event
receivers can be defined by using a receiver element within a feature definition
file. For more information, see Event
Registrations.
Master page: Pages
that provide a consistent layout and appearance (look and feel) for SharePoint
sites. They allow you to factor out layout, structure, and interface elements
such as headers, footers, navigation bars, and content placeholders. Master
pages in ASP.NET 2.0 and master pages in Windows SharePoint Services work in the
same way. For more information, see Building Simple Master Pages for Windows
SharePoint Services 3.0.
Module : A file or
collection of file instances that define the location where the files are
installed during site creation. Modules are frequently used to implement a Web
Part Page in the site. You can define modules by using a module element within a
feature definition file. For more information, see
Modules.
SharePoint site: A Web site hosted in a
virtual URL. A SharePoint site is a place for collaboration, communication, or
content storage. Depending on your business needs, you can create sites such as
team sites, blog sites, wiki sites, and others. You can customize a site's
appearance, users, user permissions, galleries, and site administration by using
the Site Settings administration pages.
SharePoint site
collection: A collection of SharePoint sites that share common
administration pages and site settings. Site collections allow you to share
content types, site columns, templates, and Web Parts within a group of
SharePoint sites.
SharePoint Web farm: A group of
Office SharePoint 2007 servers that share the same configuration database. All
site content and all configuration data is shared for all front-end Web servers
in a server farm.
Site definition.: A set of files
that includes a master XML configuration file that is stored on all front-end
Web servers. A site definition provides the basic blueprint for how sites look,
what lists they include, their default navigational structures, and so on. For
more information, see Working with Site Templates and
Definitions.
Theme: A group of files (CSS, images)
that allow you to define the appearance (look and feel) of Web pages. Themes in
ASP.NET 2.0 and themes in SharePoint Products and Technologies work in the same
way. Themes are used to help organizations to brand their portals and team
sites. Office SharePoint Server 2007 includes a set of predefined themes.
However, as a developer, you can create custom themes for your company. For more
information, see How to: Customize Themes.