Get started with customizing SharePoint sites programmatically in Visual Studio

The Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Set up development Environment (IDE) provides the preferred environment for customizing Web sites that are based on Windows SharePoint Services. For example, you can create Windows applications, console applications or class libraries, and browser-based WEB applications (which in Visual Studio are called "asp.net Web Sites" or "Web applications") and implement Windows Sharepoi The WEB service for the NT Services object model. When you run an application that uses a SharePoint Web service remotely from a client computer, you can run code that uses the namespace of the Microsoft.SharePoint assembly on the server where the deployment is running. To develop Web applications and Web services, you can run Visual Studio on the same server that is running Windows SharePoint services or on a remote computer, as described in the following procedure.

Attention:

To customize Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 through its object model or WEB service, you must use Visual Studio 2005 instead of an earlier version.

After you determine the type of application that you created for the task, you must specify the appropriate location to create the project. After you create the project, you must set up a reference to Microsoft.SharePoint.dll.

Create a project, ASP.net Web site, or file

Open Visual Studio, and on the File menu, point to New. You will see a drop-down list of projects, sites, and files that are included as possible options.

Select the type of application you want to create.

To create a Windows application, console application, or class library, click Project.

To create an asp.net Web application (Web site) or Web service, click Site.

To create a separate file (such as a Web form, user control, or master page), click File.

Depending on your selections in step 2, perform one of the following procedures in the Open dialog box.

Create a project in the New Project dialog box

In the Project Type box, select the language and type of the project.

In the Template box, select the appropriate Visual Studio template.

Specify the name and location of the project, and then click OK.

Create a Web site in the New Web Site dialog box

In the Template box, select the appropriate template.

In the location and Language boxes, select HTTP and the language of your choice.