Building the Data Layer

The Web Part will generate XML that lists all the ChannelItems in the configured StartChannel using the configured SortOrder. The use of XML facilitates the separation of the presentation layer from the data layer. Our data layer will be another class in the Web Part project but it could have been placed in an entirely different assembly for further abstraction.

As we are using the MCMS Publishing API (PAPI), this Web Part will only run on an SPS/WSS server with MCMS installed as the PAPI cannot connect to remote MCMS servers. If SPS/WSS and MCMS live on different servers, one solution is to use Web Service calls from the Web Part to the MCMS server.

1. 1. In Visual Studio .NET, right-click on the ExtensibleMCMSPageListingWebPart project and choose Add New Item.

2. 2. Under the Add sub-menu, choose Add New Class.

3. 3. Enter NavigationWebPartMCMSIntegration as the name and click OK.

4. 4. Add a reference to Microsoft.ContentManagement.Publishing.dll. As with other library files from...