The solution? I whipped up a Windows application so download one, several, or all of the solution packages currently stored in the farm configuration database.

I have posted the application to CodePlex @ http://spsolutiondownloader.codeplex.com/.

The application must be run in the context of a Farm Administrator (i.e. right-click, Run As…) on a server in the farm for which you wish to download the solution package(s) from and requires the .NET Framework 3.5.

I would love some feedback from the community as to whether or not this useful. I have some other little apps in mind I could put together with the proper motivation.

Go check it out.

Check it out.

If you have ever felt the pain of having to have a SharePoint instance/farm/installation available to run your code again, you’ll appreciate what HubKey is doing. You can grab a beta of their API here (select HubKey SharePoint API as your interest).

SPSite site = SPContext.GetContext(HttpContext.Current).Site;
                ServerContext serverContext = ServerContext.GetContext(site);

                UserProfileManager profileManager = new UserProfileManager(serverContext);
                UserProfile currentUserProfile = profileManager.GetUserProfile(System.Web.HttpContext.Current.User.Identity.Name);

                if (this.chkTerms.Checked)
                    currentUserProfile["TermsOfUseAccepted"].Value = "true";
                else
                    currentUserProfile["TermsOfUseAccepted"].Value = "false";

                currentUserProfile["SecurityQuestion1"].Value = this.lstQuestion1.SelectedItem.Text + "|" + Server.HtmlEncode(this.txtQuestion1Ans.Text);
                currentUserProfile["SecurityQuestion2"].Value = this.lstQuestion2.SelectedItem.Text + "|" + Server.HtmlEncode(this.txtQuestion2Ans.Text);
                currentUserProfile["SecurityQuestion3"].Value = this.lstQuestion3.SelectedItem.Text + "|" + Server.HtmlEncode(this.txtQuestion3Ans.Text);

                currentUserProfile.Commit();

                site.RootWeb.Dispose();
                site.Dispose();

SPSite site = SPContext.GetContext(HttpContext.Current).Site;
            ServerContext serverContext = ServerContext.GetContext(site);

            UserProfileManager profileManager = new UserProfileManager(serverContext);
            UserProfile currentUserProfile = null;

            if (profileManager.UserExists(System.Web.HttpContext.Current.User.Identity.Name))
                currentUserProfile = profileManager.GetUserProfile(System.Web.HttpContext.Current.User.Identity.Name);
            else
                currentUserProfile = profileManager.CreateUserProfile(System.Web.HttpContext.Current.User.Identity.Name);

            string termsOfUseAnswered = (string)currentUserProfile["TermsOfUseAccepted"].Value;
            string securityQuestion1 = (string)currentUserProfile["SecurityQuestion1"].Value;
            string securityQuestion2 = (string)currentUserProfile["SecurityQuestion2"].Value;
            string securityQuestion3 = (string)currentUserProfile["SecurityQuestion3"].Value;

Note that this buids on Creating Custom Profile Properties Through Code.

The following is the method used to create four new properties in the SSP:

private void VerifyCreateBaseProfileProperties()
        {
            SPSite site = SPContext.GetContext(HttpContext.Current).Site;
            Guid siteId = site.ID;
            HttpContext savedContext = HttpContext.Current;

            SPSecurity.RunWithElevatedPrivileges(delegate()
            {
                using (SPSite elevatedSite = new SPSite(siteId))
                {
                    try
                    {
                        HttpContext.Current = null;

                        elevatedSite.AllowUnsafeUpdates = true;
                        elevatedSite.RootWeb.AllowUnsafeUpdates = true;

                        ServerContext serverContext = ServerContext.GetContext(elevatedSite);

                        UserProfileManager profileManager = new UserProfileManager(serverContext);
                        UserProfileConfigManager profileConfigManager = new UserProfileConfigManager(serverContext);
                        PropertyCollection propertyCollection = profileConfigManager.GetProperties();

                        bool question1Exists = false;
                        bool question2Exists = false;
                        bool question3Exists = false;
                        bool termsOfUseExists = false;

                        foreach (Property property in profileManager.Properties)
                        {
                            switch (property.Name)
                            {
                                case "SecurityQuestion1":
                                    question1Exists = true;
                                    break;
                                case "SecurityQuestion2":
                                    question2Exists = true;
                                    break;
                                case "SecurityQuestion3":
                                    question3Exists = true;
                                    break;
                                case "TermsOfUseAccepted":
                                    termsOfUseExists = true;
                                    break;
                            }
                        }

                        if (!question1Exists)
                        {
                            Property question1 = propertyCollection.Create(false);
                            question1.Name = "SecurityQuestion1";
                            question1.DisplayName = "Security Question 1";
                            question1.Type = "string";
                            question1.PrivacyPolicy = PrivacyPolicy.OptIn;
                            question1.DefaultPrivacy = Privacy.Private;
                            question1.Description = "Security Question 1";
                            question1.IsSearchable = false;
                            question1.IsVisibleOnEditor = false;
                            question1.IsAlias = false;
                            question1.Length = 100;
                            question1.IsUserEditable = true;
                            propertyCollection.Add(question1);
                        }
                        if (!question2Exists)
                        {
                            Property question2 = propertyCollection.Create(false);
                            question2.Name = "SecurityQuestion2";
                            question2.DisplayName = "Security Question 2";
                            question2.Type = "string";
                            question2.PrivacyPolicy = PrivacyPolicy.OptIn;
                            question2.DefaultPrivacy = Privacy.Private;
                            question2.Description = "Security Question 2";
                            question2.IsSearchable = false;
                            question2.IsVisibleOnEditor = false;
                            question2.IsAlias = false;
                            question2.Length = 100;
                            question2.IsUserEditable = true;
                            propertyCollection.Add(question2);
                        }
                        if (!question3Exists)
                        {
                            Property question3 = propertyCollection.Create(false);
                            question3.Name = "SecurityQuestion3";
                            question3.DisplayName = "Security Question 3";
                            question3.Type = "string";
                            question3.PrivacyPolicy = PrivacyPolicy.OptIn;
                            question3.DefaultPrivacy = Privacy.Private;
                            question3.Description = "Security Question 3";
                            question3.IsSearchable = false;
                            question3.IsVisibleOnEditor = false;
                            question3.IsAlias = false;
                            question3.Length = 100;
                            question3.IsUserEditable = true;
                            propertyCollection.Add(question3);
                        }
                        if (!termsOfUseExists)
                        {
                            Property termsofUsequestion = propertyCollection.Create(false);
                            termsofUsequestion.Name = "TermsOfUseAccepted";
                            termsofUsequestion.DisplayName = "Terms Of Use Accepted";
                            termsofUsequestion.Type = "string";
                            termsofUsequestion.PrivacyPolicy = PrivacyPolicy.OptIn;
                            termsofUsequestion.DefaultPrivacy = Privacy.Private;
                            termsofUsequestion.Description = "Terms Of Use Accepted";
                            termsofUsequestion.IsSearchable = false;
                            termsofUsequestion.IsVisibleOnEditor = false;
                            termsofUsequestion.IsAlias = false;
                            termsofUsequestion.Length = 10;
                            termsofUsequestion.IsUserEditable = true;
                            propertyCollection.Add(termsofUsequestion);
                        }
                    }
                    catch (Exception exc)
                    {
                    }
                    finally
                    {
                        elevatedSite.Dispose();
                    }
                }
            });

            site.Dispose();
            HttpContext.Current = savedContext;
        }

Note that the current context (HttpContext.Current) needs to be saved off, set to null, then reinstated upon the completion of the method.

“The Web Platform Installer (Web PI) is a simple tool that installs Microsoft’s entire Web Platform, including IIS7, Visual Web Developer 2008 Express Edition, SQL Server 2008 Express Edition and the .NET Framework. Using the Web Platform Installer’s user interface, you can choose to install either specific products or the entire Microsoft Web Platform onto your computer. The Web PI also helps keep your products up to date by always offering the latest additions to the Web Platform.”

The Web PI certainly looks promising as a quick ramp-up when setting up a development environment (or even a one-off server environment).

Typemock are offering their new product for unit testing SharePoint called Isolator For SharePoint, for a special introduction price. it is the only tool that allows you to unit test SharePoint without a SharePoint server. To learn more click here. The first 50 bloggers who blog this text in their blog and tell us about it, will get a Full Isolator license, Free. for rules and info click here.