- Finer granularity than Site Template
- Provide the primary deployment model for Sharepoint
- Can deliver functionality to Farms, Web Applications, Sites and Webs
- Defined using xml
- Allow .NET code execution on installation, activation, deactivation and uninstallation
Features in the 12 Hive
- Feature definitions are stored in 12\Template\Features
- FeatureName subdirectory
- Feature.xml defines a feature.
- Must be named feature.xml
- You can also have 0 or more files containing feature elements
- By convention named elements.xml
- You can also have 0 or more files used by the feature
Feature Schema
- Since a feature definition is a xml file, there is a schema that defines its form.
- Feature element
- Required
- ID (GUID)
- Scope (activated at farm or web app or site or web)
- Optional
- Title
- Description
- Hidden
- Creator
- Etc... See WSS SDK
- ActivationDependencies
- Specify features to activate when feature is activated
- Dependent features often hidden (gives a level of reuse)
- ElementManifests
- Element manifests (contains pointers to the manifest.xml)
- Element files (contains declaration of elements files. e.g. if you want to put a document into a document library.)
- Properties
- Default values of feature properties as key value pairs
Capabilities of Features
- Install files
- Modify user interface elements
- Define site elements
- Columns
- Content Types
- Lists
- Etc...
- Create workflows
- Almost everything you see and you don't see
Installing and Activating Features
- Install
- Web Solution Package (ideal)
- You can also use Stsadm.exe
- Copy feature to 12 hive
- Stsadm -o InstallFeature
- Activate feature
- Site settings in browser
- Or you can use Stsadm -o ActivateFeature
