SharePoint Apps is a concept introduced in SharePoint 2013 that invents a way to extend the functionality of SharePoint by creating reusable and self-contains apps. A SharePoint App is basically a web application that is registered with SharePoint using an XML file that declares its basic properties called an app manifest. There are a number of SharePoint apps available online and developers are frequently creating their own.

Limitations of Developing a SharePoint App

Now, developing a SharePoint App is not the same as developing for SharePoint. There are a number of limitations that must be understood first:

# No Server-Side Code Execution

SharePoint apps don't permit server-side code to run. This limitation, as such, you, directly, cannot interact with SharePoint's server-side components or carry out operations inside the app's context in the server.

# Inaccessibility of Server-Side Object Model

The Server-Side Object Model in SharePoint incorporating various fundamental functions is not accessible to SharePoint Apps This boundary forces the devs to look for another possible way to accomplish actions that were attributed to the server side, for instance with the REST APIs or client-side scripts.

# Client-Side and Cloud Execution

SharePoint Apps run either on the client or on the cloud side according to the app’s architectural choices. This architecture will not only help in placing the app in even more places, but also in controlling the amount of the data that can be transferred securely.

# No Modification of Standard Definitions

The SharePoint apps can't operate by customizing the default definitions of SharePoint. It implies that you will no longer be able to alter the pre-installed site templates, lists, or libraries. Applications can only be developed within out-of-box SharePoint settings.

# Limited Access to SharePoint Components

Not all SharePoint tools and features can be used directly in the SharePoint App. This constraint gives developers a chance to operate against a reduced set of tools and features—client-side technologies such as JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.

# Standalone Nature of SharePoint Apps

The standalone apps run separately from the SharePoint central function. They are unable to do administrative tasks or build connections with the SharePoint platform as you would not want the system to face security and stability issues.

Our Experience with Creating a SharePoint App

In our experience creating a SharePoint app for a mortgage client, AllianceTek faced several challenges and adapted to find suitable solutions. Here's an overview of the process and some of the key lessons learned:

# Initial App Type Selection

To begin with, we had a look at the various types of SharePoint apps. Our initial goal was to design an application that could be auto-hosted so as to facilitate easy deployment and digital management. Nevertheless, we've been unable to find a practical way to use this method, so we've chosen to opt for the SharePoint-hosted app instead. The method necessitated more of a hands-on approach but nonetheless, gave us more flexibility in terms of the development process.

# JQuery Limitations

We thought one major challenge is that of jQuery which will be used in the front-end development. In the SharePoint-hosted app, the jQuery is only at the disposal of one page, which allows the functionality of the app only on that page. This brought the need for us to re-arrange our usage of jQuery and look for other options to serve the same purposes.

# Backend Database Constraints

Because creating dedicated databases in SharePoint is not possible, we had to manage data through In the end, this so SharePoint lists.lution was not without its own weaknesses, especially those relating to templates. At first, we integrated the Contact Template to create lists, however, it did not have the proper fields to insert custom information, which was crucial for us. As a remedy, we need a Custom Fields List Template that is dynamic, which means we get to define our own fields and data structure.

# Manual Coding for Operations

Because SharePoint failed to extend the functionality for the records update and deletion, we had to build the codes to execute these operations manually. This amounted to every operation requiring fetch which was not efficient when it came to reflecting updates and deletions.

Despite the difficulties we encountered, our team was innovative and succeeded in building a fully operational SharePoint app for our mortgage client. The adventure we had during had experience on a constrained platform brought to the forefront the need for flexibility and imagination as well as planning and adaptation at all stages of the process being developed.

Here is a summary of the issues we encountered with SharePoint App development and the alternative method we devised:

• QUE: What kind of auto-hosted app for Office shall we develop online?
• ANS: We worked more on the SharePoint-based app.

• QUE: Did we try to figure out any other ways of storing records?
• ANS: For managing the data, we decided to set up list types in SharePoint.

• QUE: How do we add custom fields to the Contact page template in SharePoint?
• ANS: We chose a custom field block rather than the Contact block.

• QUE: How does one update or delete the batch records (user level)?
• ANS:Update or delete of data is single record-oriented.

• QUE:So how do we insert a lookup or update an item in the app? Will the information be updated by itself or will we need to use a command to do that?
• ANS:We now have a lookup where coding is performed by hand. It is one of the manual coding tasks to write up values.

We believe our journey as SharePoint developers will help others who are new to this field to get started with SharePoint application development. We call upon other SharePoint app developers to share their own experiences on challenging this type of restriction. Please tell us if you have any other tips except what we mentioned in our article.

Call us at 484-892-5713 or Contact Us today to know more details about handling restrictions in SharePoint App Development.