Codeplex recommendations

To make it somewhat easier to find active and interesting projects at Codeplex, I’ve put together a list of projects which I find useful and from sources I trust (at least so far :).

Solutions

• Community Kit for SharePoint (CKS)
• SmartTools for SharePoint
  Jan Tielens, a highly respected SharePoint MPV, has a package of tools for SharePoint
• SharePoint Tools Basket
  Document rating, Forms designer, Auto complete lookup field and more from Stephane Eyskens
• SharePoint 2007 Features
  A large collection of tools and solutions for SharePoint 2007 and WSS3.
• ChartPart for SharePoint
  ChartPart for SharePoint is a web part for Microsoft SharePoint Services 3.0 or Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 which generates charts from SharePoint lists.
• iLove Sharepoint
  A set of tools and solutions to make SharePoint easier to both use and manage.
• SmartPart for Sharepoint
  Jan Tielens web part solution for running .NET user controls with AJAX support as a Sharepoint web part.
• SharePoint Forums
  A solution for generating a more forum like UI for discussions in SharePoint.
• SharePoint Stramit Document Library browser
  A solution for displaying DocLibs with a tree view look.
• Advanced WebParts
  Project to create web parts for SharePoint with AJAX and/or Silverlight functionality such as a better quick launch navigation, content ticker, slideshow viewer and page rating.
• SharePoint Connected Lookup, SharePoint Filtered Lookup and Query-based Lookup
  Three different projects for easier lookup field control and user friendliness.
• RDA Collaboration Team Projects
  Several tools and solutions for better management, development and access.

Tools

• SharePoint Manager 2007
  The SharePoint Manager 2007 is a SharePoint object model explorer. It enables you to browse every site on the local farm and view every property. It also enables you to change the properties (at your own risk). This is a very powerful tool for developers that like to know what the SharePoint holds of secrets.
• SharePoint Management PowerShell Scripts
  A collection of PowerShell scripts for easier management of SharePoint.
• SUSHI
  One of the best and most popular management tools for Sharepoint. SharePoint SUSHI is a powerful, user-friendly utility enabling you to accomplish common administrative tasks. You can think of SUSHI as a Swiss army knife for SharePoint.
  SUSHI = SharePoint Utility with a Smart, Helpful Interface 

Accellerators

• AJAX Control Toolkit
• SilverLight Toolkit

See also the ordered list of best rated projects at Codeplex.

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Possibilities beyond comparison

The CKS:EBE solution is one of the best solutions available for SharePoint and “Web 2.0” type web site. This entire site is based on WSS3 and EBE 2.5 (and some other minor additions) and includes several of the required web 2.0 features. Among other things, the site has basic functionality such as:

• Anonymous comments posting
• Taxonomy tagging
• True RSS feeds
• Modular themes
• Trackbacks and permalinks
• Forms based feedback/contact

…and features are still being added to the solution.

A special thanks goes to the author ‘The Kid’ and contributors.

Read more about this site and the solution behind it in the about pages.

N’Joy!

CKS:EBE 2.5 Review

I’ve been using the Community Kit for Sharepoint Enhanced Blog Edition 2.5 Beta for a couple of weeks and is quite impressed. Even if there’s several features that does not work, and the solution is somewhat unstable, I think this is the best addition to Sharepoint regardless of FreeProg or commercial wares.

I’ve posted some requests and questions on the authors web site (The Kid), which I hope will be implemented in the next final release, and I certainly hope the final release of 2.5 is somewhat close by.

I will recommend this solution to anyone with a public WSS3 site which they want to make a bit more user friendly and appealing to the user.

My rating: 10 of 10!

N’Joy!