Westin's Technical Log

When building intranet web applications, I recommend making it very easy to allow your users to tell you what they think.  If you are reading this blog, you know how important instant simple feedback is to web sites, their value, and the trust of their community.

I recently renewed my effort to use Project to report progress on projects.  I set up Project Server and have my team members submitted status reports via Project Web Access.

Here is an example showing how to show a count of unread email in your inbox:

<object id="objMessenger" classid="clsid:B69003B3-C55E-4B48-836C-BC5946FC3B28" VIEWASTEXT></object>
<script language="jscript">
function updateUnreadEmail()
{
 spanUnreadEmail.innerHTML=objMessenger.UnreadEmailCount(0);
}
</script>
<span id="spanUnreadEmail"></span>

What is Intelligent Modularity?

Principles

Minimalist Connection Hardware

Each device should strive to connect to its partner devices without any additional hardware (e.g. cables, adapters,, etc). Direct connections or wireless connections are best.

Transitive Connections

Devices should be able to link in serial. For instance if a headset can connect to a phone, and a phone can connect to a computer, then connecting the phone to the computer should also connect that phone to the headset.

Transitive Power

Powering any one device should power all other hard-connected devices.

Rugged Connections

If any collection of devices are physically connected to each other they should be done in such a way that it is possible to carry them as a single unit.  Exposed edges should be avoided in order to prevent the possibility of shearing off a partner device when the collective brushes against an object.

Adaptable Interfaces

The physical connection designs should allow for future devices to use them. Ideally this should also mean that other devices and other vendors can take advantage of the physical interfaces. For instance, if a laptop has physical slot for a mobile phone, that slot should be designed in an intelligent way such that other phones or in, in the future, WLAN receivers could be used rather than the recommended mobile phone.

http://[Server]/[Site]/([Subsite]/)_vti_bin/owssvr.dll?CS=109&Using=_layouts/query.iqy&List=[ListGUID]&View=[ViewGUID]&CacheControl=1

Here is a handy piece of sample code that can be used within a SharePoint web page as JScript that will launch an InfoPath form without using the Open/Save dialog (which sometimes causes users to download the XSN file onto their computer).  Users will still get a security prompt, which you can disable with policy if this is for intranet usage.

function LaunchInfoPath(templateURL,saveLocation)
{
//savelocation sample: "http://server/site/document library/" or "file://c:"
//templateURL sample: "http://server/site/form library/forms/template.xsn"
//The function teturns true if it worked, false if it didn't

var infopath = new ActiveXObject("SharePoint.OpenXMLDocuments.1");
var result= infopath.CreateNewDocument2(window, templateURL,saveLocation);
return result;
}

A lot of blogs have an orange box with RSS or XML written in it for people to subscribe to their syndication feed.

For more information, also check out the article Integrating Exchange Server 2003 with SharePoint Products and Technologies from June 9, 2004 TechNet.