I have been looking for a solution to cleanly limit the output of a SharePoint list field. Most of the time I find solutions that I piece together to make my desired outcome. However, with FirstNWords and the StripHTML templates that Marc shared, there was nothing left to be desired.

For my implementation of his solution: at the beginning of my row template I added the xsl:variable tag, effectively stripping the HTML from the @SRDetails field and placing into $BodyText. Then where I wanted to display the output, I added the xsl:call-template tag for FirstNWords with the appropriate xsl:with-param values. The actual template code was placed directly below the row template, with the only changes being:

1. StripHTML: replace the < sign in the xsl:when to &lt; .
2. StripHTML: replace the other two signs (< and >) as Marc stated.
3. FirstNWords: replace the > signs in the first and second xsl:when to &gt; .

Awesome solution…thanks Marc.

-Aaron Gilbert

For those that desire privacy, the chat box does not provide your actual Windows Live Messenger account name, therefore the only way for users to ever chat with you is through the chat box.

Let’s get started with using the Messenger chat box!

1. Assuming you have a Windows Live account, go to http://settings.messenger.live.com/applications/websettings.aspx.
2. Under Web Settings > Home, check the box “Allow anyone on the web to see my presence and send me messages” option. This is required for the chat box to work properly.
3. Under Web Settings > Create HTML, configure how you want the chat box to look, format and styles.
4. Copy the HTML code at the bottom of the page and paste into your web page!

That’s it!

-Aaron Gilbert

Recently I have been doing a significant amount of development in Windows SharePoint Services and I have once again hit a frustrating issue that has incurred long hours trying to resolve. If you remember my article about the {generate()} function and SharePoint Designer, it will come as no surprise that the issue with “Master Page error” relates to SharePoint Designer inserting code that is not necessary or accurate.

<SCRIPT />

To fix the error in your page, search for the tag <SCRIPT /> and remove any tags that do not appear to belong. Click on the design view and the page should work again…

For more information on this issue, check out this MSDN forum post:

http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en/sharepointcustomization/thread/184a40da-01f0-44a0-a90b-0e719132eae0

-Aaron Gilbert

Never-the-less, for those that are interested in utilizing SharePoint, go download Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) and the now FREE SharePoint Designer 2007 product – and you have a business worthy Intranet CMS application – all for free.

Download SharePoint Designer 2007

-Aaron Gilbert

If you conform to the options given in SharePoint Designer, you will run into only a few minor issues. However, if you fight the rigor mortis that is SharePoint Designer, you will run into more frustrating issues. One that I had ran into a while back was the {generate_id()} function that is automatically added, at random times mind you, to an XHTML tag id property. Although the idea was to help (force?) less-experienced programmers use unique names in the id property, this “feature” is aggravating to experienced programmers. Even with confusingly complex applications, Microsoft develops for the supposed lowest common denominator, which in some cases seems to be a lab monkey.

Enough… enough… what is the solution?

Solution – XSL Param

As part of the <xsl:template> definition tags, create a new <xsl:param> tag that you will use as an empty parameter on the id properties that you wish SharePoint Designer to leave alone. As an example, you would add this tag immediately following a dvt row:

<xsl:template name="dvt_1.rowedit">
<xsl:param name="Pos" />
<xsl:param name=" SharePointDesignerQuirk " />

Now you may deploy this empty parameter throughout the xsl template as desired. An example shows a custom div tag with an id property:

<div id="commentsDiv{$SharePointDesignerQuirk}">

Data Source Controls Solution – XSL Param

The above trick works for Data Source Controls also, and you may need to use it if you the Data Source Control you inserted into your SharePoint Designer page is using the {generate_id()} function. Without forcing SharePoint Designer to stop “helping” those that are more intelligent than a lab monkey, you will notice that SharePoint fields, such as a DropDownList, will not show fields that you thought were associated with the SharePoint list.

Aaron Gilbert

VBScript

Adding VBScript to a web page is as easy as adding JavaScript; you will use the <script> tag with a different language type defined. The only additional requirement for getting VBScript to run properly is to ensure that your Intranet site is set as a Trusted Site in Internet Explorer — for obvious reasons this is required.

<SCRIPT>
<!--
      Function addPrinter(mynum)
          Dim mypath, myname

          On Error Resume Next

          Select Case (mynum)
               Case "1"
                   mypath = \\PRINTSERVER\PRINTER1
                   myname = "PRINTER1"
               Case "2"
                   mypath = \\PRINTSERVER\PRINTER2
                   myname = "PRINTER2"
          End Select

          Dim WSHNet
          Set WSHNet = CreateObject("WScript.Network")
          WSHNet.AddWindowsPrinterConnection mypath

          strMbox = MsgBox("Would you like to make " & myname & " your default printer?",3,"Printer")
          If strMbox = 6 Then
              WSHNet.SetDefaultPrinter mypath
          Else
              'nothing to do...
          End If

          If Err <> 0 Then
                MsgBox "Please contact the IT HelpDesk."
                Err.Clear
                Exit Function
          End If

          MsgBox "The printer, " & myname & ", has been installed on your workstation!"

      End Function

//-->
</SCRIPT>

Broken Down

For the people that are more than interested of just plagiarizing my code, I’ll explain the function in a little bit of detail. First, the function is called as you would call a JavaScript function, such as by using an onclick=”” method. Second, pass a variable to the function to define which printer should be installed.

In my case, I had drawn out simple floor plans of our facilities and placed printer icons in <div> tags throughout the map. When the user clicked on the icon, the VBScript function is initiated and the printer is installed. For those that are unfamiliar with the onclick method, you can apply it to many HTML objects, such as <a href> tag or <img> or <div>. If you apply onclick to a div statement, you will probably want to assign the style “cursor:hand;” to change the cursor to a hand pointer, letting the user know this is a clickable area.

The code uses a Windows Scripting namespace called WScript.Network. A defined method in WScript.Network, AddWindowsPrinterConnection, allows the scripter to easily add a networked printer to the workstation. In my script, the only variable passed to this method is the UNC path of the network printer. Shortly following the printer add method, the user is asked if he or she would like to make it the default printer. If true, then a defined method is WScript.Network, SetDefaultPrinter, is called with one variable passed to it, the UNC path to the network printer. On any type of error a generic message is display to contact the IT HelpDesk.

In one situation I had two querystring variables that were used on one page, with neither querystring variable being contained within the dataset of the other querystring. Example, account_ID and ad_ID, two indirectly related querystrings that were only linkable through a traditional multi-level table join, such as Accounts > Events > Ads. So how would I output the unassociated querystring in the DataForm of the associated querystring – in other words, how do I use {@field} to output ad_ID when I am working in the Accounts table with querystring account_ID. Well, at first, I had a hard time figuring this out. Depending on the day, I am either thinking too big or too small; either way, the solution seems to always be in the middle.

{$parameter}

As one would add a parameter to filter the datasource results, add a parameter sorely for the purpose of outputting the value in the XSL stylesheet. Simple! Now you can output the querystring value in your XSL by using {$parameter_name}.

If you are unfamiliar with creating parameters, click on the little arrow to the right on the DataForm WebPart and choose “Parameters…”. The name you provide for the parameter will be the same name you use in the {$p..} variable.

<?php
  session_start();
  $_SESSION['user'] = "aaron";
  echo $_SESSION['user'];
?>

I searched the web for an answer and got the standard realm of how to resolve PHP sessions issues, such as ensuring “session_start()” is used BEFORE any HTML output is produced – none of the solutions worked. After thinking about the process involved with a session object, I started to wonder where the PHP process kept the sessions on the server. Some research on the Internet pointed to a temp folder, and on Linux with Apache this would probably be the /tmp directory. Unfortunately, my server is a Windows Server with IIS.

So, as one might imagine, the configuration of temp file location is kept in the php.ini file – which by the way, must reside in the C:\[WINDOWS FOLDER]\ and all changes require an IIS restart.

There are two steps to repair: (a) analyze and modify the php.ini file; and (b) modify the permissions on the folder as configured in the php.ini.

(a): In the php.ini file, locate the following configuration lines and replace with a folder of your choosing. In my situation the original location was the temp folder of the Administrator profile. Because I do not want to modify the permissions for that folder, I decided to create C:\Temp\php\session\ and C:\Temp\php\upload\. My php.ini configuration is similar to the following:

upload_tmp_dir="C:\Temp\php\upload"
session.save_path="C:\Temp\php\session"

(b): Create the new temp location as configured in the php.ini file. Modify the permissions and add IUSR_[name] with Write/Read/Execute. Although I would highly discourage you from doing so, in my case, since this is a test box I gave EVERYONE permission to the temp folder.

Restart IIS using the Services MMC or through the command prompt iisreset tool. PHP sessions should now work.

-Aaron Gilbert

Anyone that has programmed in web technologies has used URL encoded characters at some point. For those are wondering, one of the purposes of URL encoding is to allow certain characters in a URL string that would otherwise be prohibited as anything other than their original purpose. An example would be =, which is typically used as part of the querystring structure – if you were to add this character to your querystring, not intending it as an equal sign defining another querystring variable, it would break your querystring statement intention. There are many other uses for URL encoding, and as you develop web technologies you will find yourself using them more often than not.

The digits following the % sign is a hexadecimal equivalent of the ASCII decimal number for that character. For an example, visit the ACSII Chart located at cppreference.com.

As a real example, I am using URL encoding in the Source= statement with SharePoint Services. For more information on source= with SharePoint, see my other article.

-Aaron Gilbert

Preformatted style in WordPress uses the <pre> HTML tag. The <pre> tag does not word wrap any of the sentences contained within, and if you are using a defined space for displaying the text, as with the theme on my WordPress, you may find that your examples are shortened. Fortunately there is a fix to this problem that requires some minor style tag modifications for the <pre> tags that seem to run off into the distance.

I found a blog post on techguy.org that helped me out…quickly to the point, add:

white-space:-moz-pre-wrap;white-space:-pre-wrap;white-space:-o-pre-wrap;white-space:pre-wrap;word-wrap:break-word;

to your <pre style=”"> tag and the text should wrap in most browsers.

http://forums.techguy.org/web-design-development/249849-forcing-long-text-lines-wrap.html

I’m out…