December, 2011

Microsoft Business Connectivity Services (BCS) enables users to read and write data from external systems—through Web services, databases, and Microsoft .NET Framework assemblies—from within Microsoft SharePoint 2010 and Microsoft Office 2010 applications. Both SharePoint 2010 and Office 2010 applications have product features that can use external data directly, both online and offline. Developers can gain access to a rich set of features and rapidly build solutions by using familiar tools such as Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 and Microsoft SharePoint Designer 2010. To understand the important concepts and architecture of Business Connectivity Services, see the following topics: · How is Business Connectivity Services Different From the Business Data Catalog? · Business Connectivity Services Benefits · Mechanics of Using Business Connectivity Services · Connectivity Using Business Connectivity Services · Business Data Connectivity (BDC) Service · Secure Store Service · Business Connectivity...

Microsoft Business Connectivity Services (BCS) is included in Microsoft SharePoint Foundation 2010, Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010, and Microsoft Office 2010 applications. However, the feature set and the capabilities differ in each application. The diagram below shows the differences in the feature sets of Business Connectivity Services, SharePoint Server 2010, and Office 2010. For more information about the Business Connectivity Services features in each application, see the following topics: · Business Connectivity Services in SharePoint Foundation 2010 · Business Connectivity Services in SharePoint Server 2010 · Business Connectivity Services in Microsoft Office 2010

As a SharePoint developer, you very likely already know about the Excel Services JavaScript API available to you in SharePoint 2010. You use this API to automate, customize, and interact with the Excel Web Access Web Part control on a page. By using the JavaScript object model, you can build mashups and other integrated solutions that interact with one or more Excel Web Access Web Part controls on a page. It also enables you to add more capabilities to your workbooks and to code around them. That’s cool enough in itself, but it gets better: If you’ve already developed solutions on SharePoint using the Excel Services JavaScript API and Excel Web Access Web Parts, now you can do nearly all of the same development tasks with Excel Web App on any web site using the same API! Just using the Excel Services JavaScript API that you already know how to use, a workbook stored on a public SkyDrive folder, and standard web technologies, you can create really powerful Excel Web App mashups on your web...