Mario Hadiwinata's Blogs

Contoso Indonesia :o)

A couple months ago - I spotted a sample of scorecard mobile apps internally. Unfortunately, I hardly found it today. I've asked regional & corp "guru" directly, yet i have no response - i guess like everyone in Microsoft, we are all busy people...

Our WM5.0 + Exchange collaboration is a great tools to show our mobility platform, however I think it's not good enough when you have to present to BDM audience. Well, developing my own sample of mobile LOB apps is not a bad idea though...

This is the snapshot of two-screen, that might give you the vision on how the apps working. In the first screen you can see a scorecard representing a number of revenue/profit trends today compare with LastMonth and same month in last year.

In the second screen, a detail daily sales report per account manager. Again, this is really simple but I believe will give a perspective to audience on how you can interact with your system any time, any where.

The scorecard & sales report itself represent XML file that store locally in the device. I create 'report.xml' to represent Sales Report and 'scorecard.xml' for each of Scorecard value. In the following screen, you may found a "Sync" menu that will be use to download a latest scorecard and sales report data from 'live server'. I'll give you more detail on how it's working soon..

I host the 'back end' or live server of this sample apps in Brinkster, a free asp web host that i known since i was still a hardcore developer. It's amazing to know that my old account : "hadiwinata" still exists after this number of years.

If you go directly to http://www5.brinkster.com/hadiwinata/simple.asp and http://www5.brinkster.com/hadiwinata/simple2.asp you may found 2 different XML File with each schema. Those two XML files have exactly the same schema that exists in report.xml & scorecard.xml files in the device. The idea of asp scripts (simple.asp & simple2.asp) is generate a random data and render it to XML file. Of course, in real life you might want to connect the script with your BI apps, Finance or other LOB apps.

Some of my colleague like the demo, and of course you can expect to develop other mobile apps like purchase order approval, travel request, and any other workflow application.

Mario Hadiwinata

IW Solution Specialist
Small and Midmarket Solutions & Partner - Microsoft Indonesia

Phone: (62-21) 2551-8176

Mobile:  (62) 0812-926-9148

http://blogs.msdn.com/marioha

Office Communicator Mobile

Just installed this morning, in ancient Windows Mobile 2003 handheld. Anyone sponsored me a  SmartPhone? :) It should integrate with a “Call Mobile” menu; I would like to try...

Microsoft spend a billion of dollar in R&D, the result ? Integrated Innovation, that brings Microsoft to the next level of competition that no vendor (probably) can match. It's uncontested market space and make the competition irrelevant. Blue Ocean strategy you said ? perhaps...  :)

_____________
Mario Hadiwinata, MCSD - MCDBA - MCSE - MBS Certified Professional for CRM
Solution Specialist| Microsoft Indonesia |

Office: (62-21) 2551 8176| Cell (62) 812 9269148 | Fax (62-21) 515 0411

Customizing Context Menu in Sharepoint

The context menu itself is a JavaScript program and you can found it at \Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\60\TEMPLATE\LAYOUTS\1033\ows.js

There’s a script that out-of-the-box available to check whether there’s a customization applied.

if (typeof(Custom_AddDocLibMenuItems) != “undefined”)

  {

    if (Custom_AddDocLibMenuItems(m, ctx))

    return;

  }

So, the idea here is the override the Custom_AddDocLibMenuItems with our own script. You can add the script using the Content Editor Web Part, (you may want to clear the “Visible on The Page” option as it only contain our script. Choose the source editor and add this script to modify the context menu of Sharepoint.

<script language="javascript">
function Custom_AddDocLibMenuItems(m, ctx){
var strDisplayText = "Kirim melalui Email...";
 var strAction;
var strImagePath = "";
// parse the URL out of the itemTable
var URL = "";
var index = itemTable.innerHTML.indexOf("href=");
if (index > 0) {
  var str = itemTable.innerHTML.substr(index + 6);
  index = str.indexOf('"');
  if (index > 0)
  {
    URL = str.substr(0, index);
  }
}
if (URL != ""){  strAction = 'window.navigate("mailto:%20?subject=Take a look at this document...&body=<' + URL + '>")';

  // Add menu item 
CAMOpt(m, strDisplayText, strAction, strImagePath);
  // add a separator to the menu
  CAMSep(m); }
return false; }
</script>

The script only send the link of the document, you need to find the Jscript to attach the document as well. You can use the alternative and detailed documentation on customizing SPS is in Sharepoint Product & Technologies SDK (http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/odc_2003_ta/html/sharepoint.asp) and http://blogs.msdn.com/marioha/

Enabling Wildcard Search in Sharepoint

This walkthrough will guide  you how to enable wild search using SPS, you need to do the following:

1. Export the search result web part.
2. Customize the DWP file, add query to enable the wild search criteria
3. Import the web part back to SPS and drop it within search page area.

Here are the details:

1. Go to your search page. By default, you won’t be able to modify it, go to this link to enable the shared mode
   http://nama_server/search.aspx?mode=edit&view=shared
2. Modify the Shared Page, and export the search result Web Part (just save it in your desktop, by default it has *.dwp extension)
3. The Webpart file (DWP) is basically XML File, so you can open it using Notepad. Go find this section : “QueryTemplateWherePart”
4. Add the following code in the END of the section to enable the wide search : OR CONTAINS("urn:schemas-microsoft-com:sharepoint:portal:profile:PreferredName", '"%__keywordinput__%"') RANK BY COERCION(multiply, 0.01)
   OR CONTAINS(#WeightedProps, '"%__keywordinput__%"')
5. Save the file, go back to your sharepoint modify page – Add Web Parts – Import
6. Drop your modified search result web part to your search page. And that’s all, hope this help…

Programmaticaly Save Document to Sharepoint Document Library

A week after partner update in IKIN, Semarang - I finally came back there again to help some of the technical challenge in their upcoming  project. The project seems interesting for me, they will use Teleform - Verity to scan the form papers and stores the softcopy to sharepoint document library.

Here's a code that we use to store a document/file programmaticaly to windows sharepoint services document library, depending on your scenario, you can change the process of File selection from OpenFileDialog control with your database record, etc...

private void UploadFile()
  {
   if( File1.ShowDialog() == DialogResult.OK )   {
   string strFileName= File1.FileName;
   string destUrl = "http://localhost:8083/Shared Documents/tes.log";//+strFileName;

   SPWeb site = new SPSite(destUrl).OpenWeb();

   Stream fStream = new FileStream(File1.FileName, FileMode.Open,FileAccess.Read);
   byte[] contents = new byte[fStream.Length];

   fStream.Read(contents, 0, (int)fStream.Length);
   fStream.Close();
   
   site.Files.Add(destUrl, contents);
    }
  }

You need to add reference (Microsoft.Sharepoint.dll) for your project from  C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\60\ISAPI , and add the following items at the beginning of your code:

using System.IO;
using System.Net;
using Microsoft.SharePoint;

In reality, you may want to change the "tes.log" with the real File Name that being generated / created. 
Here's the result of the sample code on my sharepoint services...

Windows Server Update Services

WSUS is the next version of Software Update Services (SUS), I have this question in one of partner events last month, on how to filtering updates in SUS. "We don't need update of Japanese Windows XP..." 
Another question on how to applying Office update through SUS. Though WSUS had been in the market since mid of the year, yet I did not remembered to suggest WSUS to him, so apologize for that -> "Presenter juga manusia..." :)

For all those reasons, I suggest you to take a look at WSUS, builds on the features of SUS by providing more updates for Microsoft products, filtering updates from Microsoft Update by product and update type, reporting capabilities, etc. You can check the overview of WSUS here.

Anyway, here are some of the snapshots. It rans well in my lab machine, however you can refer to the following documentation for references :

My Favourite new features in Windows Server 2003 R2 Beta 2

We have a Partner Update on Windows Server 2003 R2 in Jakarta last week . Here's the list, at the official R2 Beta page, just in case you don't have a chance to come to BEJ last week.

I have 2 favourite features, without a doubt, first is the ADFS (Active Directory Federation Services). In R2's ADFS there are two main sets of big features : Web Single Sign-On and Federation Services.

Second, is the DFS Replication with Remote Differential Compression ability. Uses efficient RDC to send only changes bytes accross the wire. I think lots of company will interest with this WAN Friendly, distributed file system for simplified branch management solutions.

Here's the snapshot on my network performance to simulate how DFS in R2 works...

Office Solution Accelerator for recruiting (anyone ?)

It's been a while since Microsoft first introduce the Microsoft Office solution accelerator for recruiting to customers. Probably you also had seen the cool flash-demo of how this Recruiting Accelerator in action. Smartly integrates Microsoft Office, Sharepoint, SQL Server, Exchange & Windows Server into single solution to address recruitment scenario in HR department. The Office System had set the higher bar in office productivity tools competition.

However, if you are in the middle of MOSA for recruiting implementation right now, you probably facing several challenges in getting the engine works. Well, some of the challenges i've found during the joint activity with my partner are :
- Failed import sample database
- Failed Save Interview Feedback Form
- Cannot access Free Busy public folder (therefore it brings you to the next challenge)
- Unable use the cool 'generate schedule' features
- Send Interview Meeting Request Failed

I have post the articles summarized all the problem I encountered during implementation of pilot project as well as the workaround. Check it out..

Ad Hoc Sharepoint Site creation

In Sharepoint, there's a cool features that enable users to create their own sites without having to much dependencies to IT folks. Then the site might be use as a simple project workspaces, they can store a number of supporting documents, tasks, agenda and team member within the site.

However, there are a number of reasons why you want to create an ad hoc sharepoint site. I have post a new article that you can use as a reference

Tips & Trick Category

Just finish the Exclusive Technology Flash event in East Java today, the sessions is loaded from applying GPO - SMS - MOM. Anyway, it's the same sessions that I've delivered a couple week ago in Jakarta when Microsoft Indonesia introduced Windows Server for Mid Size Business to the market. At that time, I was being helped by Andjar (Consultant) from Solusi for the demo session...

The only different from today event is the audience. The audience is very active, i think it's because there only small group of people join the event today, so that we can easily discuss things one and another, which is very good.

I received a lot of question from the audience, some of the questions that still in my list: how to migrating W2k to W2k3, why the W2k3 unable to connect to the internet after applying SP1, and a question about how do we restrict the usage of USB Flash Disk in user workstation (correct, only the USB Flash Disk - means that you cannot restrict the USB port as it might be used for another devices), and another question regarding error in SQL Setup, etc... "Do More with Less" - but still i found it difficult to answer all of the questions on the spot, especially the troubleshooting type of questions. So, in order to answer those questions (and help me remembering the workaround as well..[:D] )  I've create additional categories : Tips & Trick that you can refers to.

Surabaya, 220905 - 00:35

Information Bridge Framework

Back in 2001, I hardly understand why is Microsoft releasing Smart Tag in top of Office XP. Still, I did a small research on it and found it's really a huge improvement in unlocking the potential of Microsoft Office, not just as a productivity tools - you can easily perform and link certain action for particular pattern that being recognized by the Tag. It also give the end user more opportunity in accessing information without leaving their favorite Word or Excel spreadsheet. 

Apparently my XmartTagging Customer (XTC) won the phase I of Smart tag competition that time, the concept is very straightforward, XTC will recognized your customer name (the customer database included in installation package) - so that you will be able to perform several actions on top of it (e.g : Go To customer's site, Get the Customer phone, display customer address, list all customers, view customers by industrt (chart report) and my favourite : Perform Mail Merge function to your customer list... ).

Let's roll...

After a thought, I decided to roll my blogs. It's important in a way to help me in the future and sharing with others. Most of the time, I found myself very easily in forgotting things. Especially when I do a code or configuration for particular problem, the moment I encounter the same problems, I totally lost. Maybe it's because I love in facing a challenging situation, one leads you to another, until you realize times flies like crazy and you totally left blank.

The other thing is about sharing to the community. If you happened to read my book, you can see how nervous and excited when I have my first public speaking in Calling All Developer event. Now, I try very hard to keep involves with the local community, they are very good actually : dotnet Mailing List, impact Mailing List (Microsoft partner indonesia community), TopCoder, Project Otak, etc. Take for example in Projek Otak, Agus Kurniawan (he's MVP anyway) is a leader writer for this project. Kind a tough to follow through the tight schedule in writing free ebook, yet it still something to worth to do if you have the passion for community. :)

The blog will not only about the code anyway, as for the last couple of years i have opportunity looking into other areas of Microsoft technology stack. So stay tuned, hope you'll found it useful .. ;)