Multi-Value Columns in SharePoint Designer Workflow

Requirement :

Create a workflow so that any new item created in the list should fire the mail to recipients.

#1 Create a Multi value column in a list

#2 Now on creation of new item attach the workflow to send the mail.

The multi value column is missing in workflow .The SPD suffers from a deficiency in the workflow component ,which doesn't allow you to send e-mail to multiple recipients from a multi-value column of a list using SharePoint Designer 2007 (SPD).

Solution #1

Turn off "Allow multiple selections" for your column (note the warning "This will remove all person values except the first one") . Now you should be able to provide the column as lookup column in workflow.

Change the workflow and then turn "Allow multiple selections" on for your column.

This solution is not acceptable as it removes all the values except first value. So the approach is good till development but once workflow goes to production you won't be able to touch the workflow or list where you would like to turn off "Allow multiple selections"

Solution #2

Create a variable var _employees in workflow

Set the value of variable "_employees" to your "multi value column".

Send the email using the variable "_employees"

The second solution is simple and elegant.

I hope it helps.

Access site column in Subsites

We have created a site collection and under it many sites and subsites, now our aim was to create some basic lists like state , city,country etc at the top level site and refer the same across all the subsites. We faced the problem ,where in a lookup column you can only refer the lists of current site. In order to add one of the columns from a Parent site list in a subsite list we did the following .
1. Create a site column. - In parent Site Go to Settings -> Site Column. Here Create a new site column and choose the type as Lookup. Get the Lookup Information from Another list and Select your Parent list and its realted Column.
2. Add site Column in your Subsite's list - Now go to your subsite list and goto list settings. Under Columns add a existing site column and select the above created custom column.
Hope it helps

Workflow stuck at Starting

Workflow stuck with "Starting" status is probably the most difficult to debug because there are generally no diagnostic entries in the ULS logs or event logs to point you to a problem.
The problem we faced at our work place is that all setting are as per this blog post http://www.tonytestasworld.com/post/Sharepoint-2007-Workflow-stuck-in-quot3bStartingquot3b-state-and-never-completes-when-set-to-start-programmatically.aspx .
i.e
1 Environment is properly configured with the SSP and everything set up correctly as mentioned in the blog.
2. Windows Sharepoint Timer service is up and running.
3. Domain account was used for configuring SSP.
Even after doing all the stuff workflows were getting stuck with a "Starting" status.
We have a custom workflow attached to a Document library and it is supposed to trigger when a new item is added or changed. The library has the 'require check out before editing' setting enabled so even a manual document upload to the library would first check the document in and then you'll be presented with the screen for providing any required metadata and once you are through that THEN the workflow would trigger (workflow requires a document to be checked-in before it can start).
So disabling the 'require check out before editing' solved the issue for us.

DoesUserHavePermissions in WebPart

I wrote a search webpart and it need check if the current user has the right to some lists so I can highlight those lists in different color , but Whenever SPList.DoesUserHavePermissions is called on the object[List/Library], for the user who does not have the permission, it should return false, but it gives an exception. An IE browser pops up asking for user to type in username and password. This dialog box should not appear as my code catches the exception.
Solution: After googling around for some solution on the same line , found points which may help fellow visitors.
#1 DoesUserHavePermissions only works in WSS, not SPS
#2 Suppress Popup for Unauthorized Access:The problem happens with your SPSite object from which you get the web, then the list, there is a property called CatchAccessDeniedException, you should set it to false, then make your call, end the popup will not show up. This is a standard WSS feature, and will happen every time you try to access a resource to which the current user does not have access.
WorkAround : Use the following in your webpart

=====
using(SPWeb oWeb=SPContext.Current.Web)
{
   oSite.CatchAccessDeniedException = false; // Suppress the popup
   SPListCollection oList = oWeb.Lists;
   oList.ListsForCurrentUser = true;
   int iCount = oList.Count;
   for(int i=0;i{
   try
   {
        if(oList[i].Permissions.DoesUserHavePermissions(SPRights.ViewListItems)) // Check for view Rights
        {
        // Do something
        }
    }
    catch(System.UnauthorizedAccessException ex)
    {
      //Do Nothing, or as you please
    }
   }
}
===== 

Hope this helps

DataBinding: 'Microsoft.SharePoint.SPListItem' does not contain a property with the name

When trying to bind the 'Extension' column of a custom Sharepoint List to the DropdownList , I was facing the error :

DataBinding: 'Microsoft.SharePoint.SPListItem' does not contain a property with the name 'Extension'

In case I tried the following it ran successfully

using (SPWeb web = site.OpenWeb())
{
SPList list = web.Lists["Departments"];
cboDepartment.DataSource = list.Items;
cboDepartment.DataValueField = "Title"; // List field holding value
cboDepartment.DataTextField = "Title"; // List field holding name to be displayed on page
cboDepartment.DataBind();
}

So, I believe that whatever it is tryed to bind through DataTextField and DataValueField is supposed to be a property of the object we are binding to. For instance, SPListItem do have Title and ID properties, but it does not have 'Extension' property (in the meaning of the SPListItem class member).

So the following solutions were tried.

Solution #1

SPWeb site = SPContext.Current.Web;
DropDownList cboExtensions = new DropDownList();
SPList list = site.Lists["ImageExtensionList"];
SPListItemCollection lstCollection = list.Items;
cboExtensions.DataSource = lstCollection.GetDataTable();
cboExtensions.DataValueField = "Extension"; // List field holding value
cboExtensions.DataTextField = "Extension"; // List field holding name to be displayed on page
cboExtensions.DataBind();
this.Controls.Add(cboExtensions);


Solution #2

SPWeb site = SPContext.Current.Web;
DropDownList cboExtensions = new DropDownList();
SPList list = site.Lists["ImageExtensionList"];
foreach (SPListItem listRecords in list.Items)
{
//ListItem tempItem = listRecords["Extension"].ToString();
ListItem tempItem = new ListItem(listRecords["Extension"].ToString(), listRecords["Extension"].ToString());
cboExtensions.Items.Add(tempItem); //ddlFromSPList is the name of the dropdown list
}

Conclusion:
Whenever Title or ID is specified it will work without any issue. When the ListItemCollection is bounded to the DropDownList ,it is expecting Valuefield and TextField to be Properties. "Title" and "ID" are properties of List , hence it worked without any issue.

So the simple solution is to get the DataTable from the ListCollection or Get the items of the list , iterate the list and add the items to DropDownlist.

Hope it Helps
Jatinder Singh

This solution contains two assemblies with the same name, or the SharePoint server already has an assembly with the specified name.

While trying to redeploy the same WebPart ,I was facing this rather silly error. I tried to do the “cleanup” by right clicking the Project and then redeployed same error appeared. Later figured it out by throwing a search in Google



#1 See if the feature that you're trying to add still exists in the "\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\TEMPLATE\FEATURES" path. Delete it.


#2 Uninstall the particular Assembly from c:\windows\assembly folder too.


#3 Try to deploy it again.

Design decision to use ascx control in sharepoint webpart versus pure sharepoint webpart

1. Create asp.net webusercontrol (.ascx), and then load that user control in the newly created webpart.

2. Create a webpart from scratch, by putting the code to generate each and every control in code.

if you need to create a control with a really advanced user interface, for example many controls and stuff, then a user control could be much easier to create.

I have found that the execution lifecycle (control viewstate, event bubbling, etc.) is a pain when going with Option 2. I choose Option 1 because the viewstate is easily managed in the code. Additionally, I like Option 1 because I can visually design the page using the VS toolbox to drag and drop controls on the design surface as opposed to Option 2 where you have to handle each control manually in code.

The approach 2 may sound difficult because of not very great integration with Galleries , but if you have the luxury of invest the time, you'll be better off in the long run.

The feature name WebPart1 already exists in SharePoint. You need to rename the feature before solution deployment can succeed

While working in Visual Studio 2008 , we were able to create new WebParts and deploy them easily . Off late we started facing the following problem.

“The feature name WebPart1 already exists in SharePoint. You need to rename the feature before solution deployment can succeed.”

The error may seem stupid , the solution to it is simple.

A simple method to avoid the above error is as follows

1. Immediately after creating a new webpart project, remove the Webpart1 folder completely.


2. Add new web part to the project by right clicking on the project and selecting new item from the context menu.


3. In the Add new item dialog box select Sharepoint from categories and Select Web Part from templates.


4. Give a name for your webpart and click Add button.