Consuming SharePoint data using WCF Data Services
This article explores the use of WCF Data Services to consume SharePoint data, emphasizing its integration with the SharePoint API via REST and CSOM. It covers creating and managing OData services, utilizing patterns and practices relevant to SharePoint 2010 and beyond, and highlights the POST, PUT, and MERGE methods for updating data. Additionally, it details how to handle service references and proxy classes for seamless data interaction. This resource is essential for developers looking to enhance their applications’ data handling capabilities in SharePoint.
Consuming SharePoint data using WCF Data Services
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Presentation Transcript
Consuming SharePoint data using WCF Data Services Paul Schaeflein
Steve Smith, MVP, MCSE, MTV, certified loony • Company name • Company web site • E-mail address • Short bio optional, such as books/articles written, hobbies, details that will enhance your standing with the audience
SharePoint API • https://[site]/_api • Used by both CSOM and REST • Returns single objects (Web, List) and collections (ListItems)
Service Metadata • In OData, this is known as the CSDL(Common Schema Definition Language) • Accessed via a GET request to <serviceRoot>/$metadata • SharePoint 2013 did not support until April 2013 CU
WCF Data Services • ...enables the creation and consumption of OData services for the web (formerly known as ADO.NET Data Services). • Patterns & Practices has SP2010 write-up on REST. WCF portion still relevant • Available as NuGet package • Be sure to get “client” package
Using WCF Data Services • Add Service Reference • Create proxy classes for context and data • ListData context • List items • ApiData context • Everything else
Using WCF Data Services • Data Classes • SharePoint objects as documented in CSOM <EntityContainerName="ApiData"> <EntitySetName="Lists"EntityType="SP.List" /> <EntitySetName="Sites"EntityType="SP.Site" /> <EntitySetName="Webs"EntityType="SP.Web" /> <EntitySetName="Groups"EntityType="SP.Group" /> <EntitySetName="ListItems"EntityType="SP.ListItem" /> <FunctionImportName="contextinfo"IsComposable="true"ReturnType="SP.ContextWebInformation"/> <FunctionImportName="lists"IsComposable="true"EntitySet="Lists"ReturnType="Collection(SP.List)"/> <FunctionImportName="site"IsComposable="true"EntitySet="Sites"ReturnType="SP.Site"/> <FunctionImportName="web"IsComposable="true"EntitySet="Webs"ReturnType="SP.Web"/>
Using WCF Data Services • Data Classes • List data modeled after content type <EntityContainerName="ListData"> <EntitySetName="UserInfoItems"EntityType="SP.Data.UserInfoItem" /> <EntitySetName="ContosoProductsListItems"EntityType="SP.Data.ContosoProductsListItem" /> <EntitySetName="TaxonomyHiddenListListItems"EntityType="SP.Data.TaxonomyHiddenListListItem" /> <EntitySetName="DocumentsItems"EntityType="SP.Data.DocumentsItem" /> <EntitySetName="PublishingImagesItems"EntityType="SP.Data.PublishingImagesItem" /> <EntitySetName="PagesItems"EntityType="SP.Data.PagesItem" /> <EntitySetName="SiteCollectionDocumentsItems"EntityType="SP.Data.SiteCollectionDocumentsItem"/>
Reading SharePoint data using WCF Contoso Products MVC
DataService Context operations • REST methods invoke via Execute method on the context objecthttp://<sitecollection>/<site>/_api/web/lists/getById(id)
DataService Context operations • FunctionImport element <FunctionImportName="GetById"ReturnType="SP.List"IsComposable="true"IsBindable="true"EntitySet="Lists"> <ParameterName="this"Type="Collection(SP.List)" /> <ParameterName="id"Type="Edm.Guid"Nullable="false" /> </FunctionImport> http://<...>/_api/Web/Lists(guid'deef02d2-444b-...1cbb2777')
Updating data • Requires POST tunneling • Sending PUT or MERGE in a POST operation • HTTP Header X-HTTP-Method: PUT • Modify pipeline to send only changed data • Need to include the digest
References • http://www.schaeflein.net/blog/presentations • HTML version of this talk • WCF Data Services • Using the REST Interface (p&p)