SharePoint might be the development platform for you

Most people think of SharePoint as a Microsoft server for websites, portals, team sites, collaboration spaces, document management, and the like. But have you considered SharePoint as a development platform? You should.

A development platform is the foundation on which you build a custom application to achieve a specific goal. You see examples of this concept in your daily life, when you buy something, and can enhance it with features or packages – like a new car or a custom-built home.

The custom home starts with a finite number of floor plans. Each has already been designed, engineered, and vetted to accommodate options. The benefit to the buyer is that all of the logistics for plumbing, electrical, ventilation and other common essentials have already been established; the customer need now only concentrate on features – fixtures, color schemes, furniture, appliances, and the like.

As with a house, SharePoint’s development platform comes with its own plumbing and hookups. Some of the most common include:

• A security model for authentication and authorization.
• A presentation model with web parts, caching, page layouts, and master pages.
• Business connectivity for full viewing and editing of external data sources (i.e. databases).
• A workflow model.
• Lists for data retention and processing.

Because these elements come with the SharePoint environment, you can focus on the additional features and functionality you need.

There are some disadvantages to using a development platform like SharePoint:

• Dependency on third-party logic. If you have an issue with SharePoint logic, you’ll have to develop a work-around, or write logic to replace what came with the platform. If that happens, you’ll need your own source code.
• Maintenance. When will known issues be fixed? Will your work-arounds function when a new version is issued?
• A web presentation platform like SharePoint might not fit the way your users interact with it. For instance, you wouldn’t use SharePoint for a medical diagnosis application – the data architecture is complex, and the presentation would be too dynamic.
  

C/D/H weighs all of the attributes of a potential web presentation to determine if SharePoint is for you.

In the past, we have used SharePoint as an application platform with a building facilities department that had to track and manage machine maintenance and failures. We have also provided custom logic for documents that are sent to SharePoint via e-mail, filing them with appropriate metadata for easy data searching and surfacing.

These scenarios made sense, with SharePoint document management and workflow capabilities. But we veer away from SharePoint when it doesn’t fit.

Bottom line:
SharePoint is a development platform with many out-of-the-box features and functionalities. But it’s not a one-size-fits-all platform. We can determine whether it’s the platform for you.