This book provides a complete overview of all the various subjects that you can come across in a Web(application) Content Management (WCM) project on the SharePoint 2007 platform. It gives you introduction, background explanation as helpful tips and tricks.
I had the misfortune that this book was not yet published when starting my first MOSS 2007 WCM projects. However, even then I still learned and profited from reading.

This is the latest book from Andrew Connell. I have to admit, I got a review copy of this a few weeks back and skimmed through it pretty quickly. Since then, it sat on my desk under a pile of papers (literally, at one point I thought I had lost itcI really need to clean up my desk) waiting for me to get the chance to review it further.

My first impression upon skimming through it was that, as expected, it is pretty impressive. I do very little work with the publishing and WCM sides of MOSS but I couldn't see anything that was missing from the book that you would need in order to complete a WCM project. Over the last few days, I've gone back in for a deeper read on some of the chapters. My opinion hasn't changed, still impressive. So much so that I think even a dolt like me could do some of this stuff - I'm thinking of even taking a stab at building up a publishing site using the material from the book to help just so I can get some hands-on time with that side of the product.

If you are experienced with SharePoint, but just not the WCM/Publishing side, you'll likely only skim the first four chapters. I have some background in WCM in general (Vignette, MCMS, a few now-defunct implementations, etc) so I might have skimmed it more than most. The nice thing about this book is that if you do have a background in SharePoint, you can easily skim through the pieces that you know already. I would advise you to not skip them entirely, though, as there are a few pieces that are unique to WCM buried in the rest of the gSharePoint 101 content.

What I was really looking for was the hands-on pieces which begin in chapter 5. Here is where the fun begins. Moving quickly from base topics such as Site Definitions, Content Types, Lists and Master Pages, we move onto some more WCM-focused topics:

Customizing Navigation - comes into play sometimes in non-WCM implementations, but almost ALWAYS in WCM projects

Accessibility - Another big piece of any public facing WCM site. The chapter is short, largely, I think because there isn't much of a story here for SharePoint, unfortunately. It covers the Accessibility Kit for SharePoint, but only through installation and implementation. I wish it went a little further, but perhaps that is something I need to discover for myself...

Field Types and Field Controls - Probably my favorite chapter. This is one of the best extensibility points for SharePoint.

Web Parts - Interesting, I don't typically think of web parts in a WCM site, but I can see that I was wrong. Great coverage of the Content Query Web Part.

Workflow - My favorite topic, a good overview and provides the basics, thanks for the plug for my book, AC.

Search - I need to re-read this chapter and commit to memory. For some reason, I can't get my hands around SharePoint Search. It just doesn't stay in my brain. This is the first time I've seen a concise coverage of search that still seems to cover everything you need. For me, this will likely be the most useful chapter, if I can manage to remember it all

Authoring Experience - Love the coverage of customizing the Page Editing Toolbar.

Authentication and Authorization - Not specific to WCM sites. A must-read for anyone doing SharePoint.

Multiple-Languages and Devices - Variations, likely the hardest part of getting WCM right. Another must-read.

Content Deployment - critical to doing WCM right. Currently, Content Deployment in MOSS is a bit fragile - this chapter provides great coverage of how to get it working.

Offline Authoring - I have one client who massively overused this feature (implemented before I started there) and is having all kinds of problems. This chapter could have saved them a lot of hassle.

Tips, Tricks & Traps - This chapter alone is worth the cost of the book. Caching, page payloads, performance management, proper disposing, etc. All great stuff.

ASP.Net 2.0 Applications - At first glance, I thought this chapter was an afterthought, an add-on. It didn't really seem to fit. However, when I looked at it more closely, it definitely fits. These days it is rare to find a company that doesn't already have a significant investment in their website. If they are now implementing MOSS, it is likely that you will need to have MOSS and an ASP.Net website/application coexist for some period of time - perhaps quite lengthy. In addition, your WCM site may require additional application-type functionality outside of what SharePoint offers. This chapter touches upon all of the things you will need to be concerned about. After reading it, I wish this chapter were longer. It is definitely not an "add-on".

So, all-in-all, a worthy addition to your bookshelf for anyone who does SharePoint. If you deal specifically with WCM, what are you waiting for? Go buy this book.

Dave

PS: In the interest of full disclosure, yes, I got a free copy, and yes, AC is a friend of mine. However, I would have paid for it if I didn't get a copy for free, and the fact that it was written by a friend is irrelevant. If the book sucked eggs, I would say so. It doesn't. :-)

I received a copy of Andrew Connell's new Professional SharePoint 2007 Web Content Management Development: Building Publishing Sites with Office SharePoint Server 2007 book this week. As expected, Andrew's new book is excellent - well written with a ton of substantial content.

What I like about this book:

Chapter 5 dissects SharePoint's out-of-the-box MOSS 2007 Publishing Portal site definition. This chapter then covers how to create a Minimal Publishing Portal site definition which does not include the extraneous artifacts included in the somewhat bloated out-of-the-box version.

I particularly like Chapter 10 on Field Types and Field Controls. Unfortunately, there is little documentation and online resources available about creating custom field types. Andrew's book offers a complete chapter on the subject, with clear explanations and good examples.

Chapter 15 on Authentication and Authorization provides the reader with instructions to configure forms-based authentication for an extranet/internet-facing SharePoint site. Users often have trouble setting up FBA, but this book gives the needed instruction and guidance.

Professional SharePoint 2007 Web Content Management Development: Building Publishing Sites with Office SharePoint Server 2007 is a must have for any serious SharePoint developer. I have been developing on the SharePoint platform for almost a decade, and this book will stay within arm's reach of my keyboard. Seriously, buy this book today.

-Tony Bierman [MVP WSS]

I received Andrew's book at TechEd 2008 in Orlando (I guess Microsoft purchased a bunch before they were available for order on Amazon). I've read through most of the book, and it is definitely something everyone working with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 (MOSS) will want to have on their bookshelf. Andrew is certainly known for being one of the experts in the SharePoint WCM community, and his knowledge of the product shows throughout the book. The book is filled with best practices and advice covering a wide range of topics that would be particularly important to folks working with MOSS.

Some of the highlights for me were: Creating a Minimal Site Def, Site Columns, Master Pages and Page Layouts, Field Types and Controls, and Web Parts. I also found the section on Features and Solutions to be particularly useful as it gave me an excellent step by step guide to packaging my MOSS branding files.

If you are working with MOSS publishing, you need this book.

I have been a regular visitor of AC's blogs which contains a number of tidbits about SharePoint (most of which are not in the MOSS documentation, which is sad). I was eagerly expecting his book on WCM as I am currently working on a WCM project.

However, the book itself is very disappointing in its content. True that it contains a good introduction to WCM component of SharePoint, but I was expecting more beyond what I can find by simple Google blog searches.

Here's my rationale for the 2 stars.

1 star for compiling relevant info on WCM. ASAIK, this is the only book on the WCM aspect of SharePoint to date.
2 stars for covering all the basics of SharePoint, including references to 3rd party tools like Telerik and AKS.

That said, here's why I removed the other 3 stars.

1 star for not covering enough on Content Deployment. One of the most important aspects of WCM is content deployment (more so than other aspects of SharePoint). First, there is only one chapter on this. Second, the first 10 pages are about how to get the OOTB job up and running (with screenshots). The remaining 2 pages talk about the API. I was definitely expecting a lot more in this area such as gotchas, tips and tricks, planning, etc. in this section, given that this is a WCM book. Moreover, given the numerous issues that MOSS has with Content Deployment (of which a number of hot fixes have been posted by MS), there is not a single mention on what to watch out for.

1 star for not pointing out the limitations of SharePoint. This a Wrox book not a MS Press book. I expected AC to be a little more even-minded than just be a mouthpiece for MS. There isn't a single mention of where MOSS is limited and what to do about the same. Good examples are in the "Authoring Extensibility" section and in "Accessibility" section.

The default HTML Editor has a strong limitation that it does not allow you to embed flash, multimedia, JavaScript, etc. (due to the overly cautious nature of MS - you can't even disable this behavior). Telerik has a limitation of not allowing you to place "reusable content" - one of the biggest components of reuse in SharePoint - and not a single mention in the book - just a quick 2 paragraph introduction...

Final star is for being too generic and not being reasonably specific in almost all chapters. In almost all chapters, 2/3rds of the content is introduction about the functionality, with 1/3 being actual information. I only wish there were more content in the useful portion.


Overall, it's a good attempt by the author to describe WCM in SharePoint, but it would have been better if it were unbiased and more informative.