A few weeks ago, I discussed some new developments related to SharePoint 2013 that have made custom SharePoint implementation and development much safer. To build on that topic, there is another way to safely customize your SharePoint environment besides client-side code. Another way, which seems to be the wave of the future for SharePoint, is applications.
As you can see in the figure above, a SharePoint 2013 application never actually touches the code of the SharePoint environment. The code is thus encapsulated in a totally separate domain. Even if there is faulty code in the app, SharePoint is completely protected.
The encapsulation of SharePoint applications is also what allows a SharePoint app store to exist in the first place. Because the code is separate, it doesn’t need to be custom fitted for your specific SharePoint environment. This opens up a whole new world for SharePoint users, where they can download and implement a range of applications to meet business needs without ever needing to program a speck of code!
Entrance SharePoint Consultants have been working on an application other companies can use to carry out yearly or quarterly performance reviews for a few months now. It is almost complete and ready to be placed in the store.
For part three of this series, I will share some screenshots of the app, in addition to a few lessons learned from this project.
In the meantime, you can check out a short podcast from a recent internal Entrance lunch and learn where I go into more detail on how SharePoint 2013 applications translate to safer development.