Ways to deploy a WebPart

There are four ways we can deploy a WebPart on SharePoint server that I will cover in this post: 

1. Using Visual Studio to deploy the solution
2. Manually moving the DLL to the server
3. Uploading WSP to SharePoint server
4. Deploying through command prompt

Deploying through Visual Studio

Once the coding is complete, click on build > deploy

In the output window you should see the deployment success status.

For next steps please look at "After you webpart is deployed" section at the end of this post.

 Deploying by manually moving the DLL

Build the solution

If no error returned by the compiler, copy the DLL from your project bin > 

Debug directory to the bin directory of your WSS site (C:\Inetpub\wwwroot\wss\VirtualDirectories\80\bin). 

Go to (C:\inetpub\wwwroot\wss\VirtualDirectories\80\) and modify the Web.Config file for the WSS site to 

declare the custom web part as a safe control by adding the following code within the <SafeControls> tag.

<SafeControl Assembly="DLL-Name-Here" Namespace="DLL-Name . NameSpaceHere" 

TypeName="*" Safe="True" />

In my case my dll name is feedBackWP and the namespace of my webpart is InputForm;

 so my SafeControl entry looks like:

<SafeControl Assembly="feedBackWP" Namespace="feedBackWP.InputForm" TypeName="*" Safe="True" />

And my webconfig looks like the image below:

Now we need to add this webpart to our Sharepoint gallery.

Click on Site Actions -> Site Settings -> Web Parts.

From Web Parts page click on Documents > New Document

New Document will bring up a pop-up window. This window should have your new web part listed. 

Select your webpart from the list and click on Populate Gallery.

If the import is successful, you will see the web part in Web part gallery list.

For next steps please look at "After you webpart is deployed" section at the end of this post.

Deploying by uploading WSP to SharePoint server

Build the solution

If no error returned by the compiler, you will have WSP file in your project bin > Debug.

  Open Sharepoint and click on Site Actions -> Site Settings -> solutions.

  

From solutions page click on solutions on top and after clicking it, you should see upload solution tab.

Click on upload solution and it will bring up a popoup to upload your webpart.

Upload your WSP file.

If uploading is successfull, you should see the webpart appear in the solutions list.

Activate the solution and thats it.

For next steps please look at "After you webpart is deployed" section at the end of this post.

Deploying through command prompt

Build the solution

If no error returned by the compiler, you will have WSP file in your project bin > Debug.

Copy the wsp file on the server and open up a command line and navigate to the 12-hive bin folder.

(my 12-hive bin folder is C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\14\BIN) 

Enter the following commands :

stsadm -o addsolution -filename WSP FILE NAME WITH LOCATION

stsadm -o deploysolution -name WSP FILE NAME -immediate -allowGacDeployment -url  SITEURL   

So in my case these commands become:

stsadm -o addsolution -filename c:/feedBackWP.wsp

stsadm -o deploysolution -name feedBackWP.wsp -immediate -allowGacDeployment -url ht
tp://bk-laptop-hp/

  

For next steps please look at "After you webpart is deployed" section.

After your Webpart is deployed

Go to the SharePoint site and click on Site Action > New Page.

From new page click on Insert and then on WebPart.

From WebPart list click on custom (NOTE: In some cases this is miscellaneous instead of custom). 

This should bring up our WebPart on the right hand side.

With the WebPart selected click on the add button.