SharePoint API

SharePoint API

 

There are a number of different APIs that can be used to connect to SharePoint server. A brief outline of these follows.

Windows SharePoint Services

• Object model allowing access to all aspect of the SharePoint server.
• Can be accessed from the .NET framework.

Windows SharePoint Services Web Service

• Web service interface to the Windows SharePoint server.
• There are a large number of web services covering areas such as, security, site management, etc.
• There appears to be no content management functions within this API (for example check-in, check-out, content versioning).
• Services to include these missing content management features can be easily added.
• The web services are split into two groups, the core SharePoint services and those relating to management of the SharePoint Portal.
• General opinion is that the SharePoint web services are difficult to use, presumably because they have been badly designed.

WebDav

Remote Procedure Call Protocol / URL Protocol

• The RPC protocol uses the HTTP POST request to send methods to Windows SharePoint services. An HTML response is returned.
• URLs or CAML can be used to call methods. Use CAML to execute batch commands.
• There are a number of FrontPage Server Extensions RPC methods.

Stssync Protocol

• The styssync protocol enables an Events list or Contacts list from Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services site to be added to Microsoft Outlook 2003 or a third-party application that supports the protocol.

Client Side API

• There are a number of Active X controls providing some access to the features of SharePoint.
• These can be used in standard MS development environments (for example VB) or from within .NET.

Useful Definitions

• CAML - Collaborative Application Mark-Up Language
• PKMCDO - Microsoft Publishing and Knowledge Management Collaboration Data Objects

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