What Is SharePoint Framework Development?

SharePoint is an online collaborative platform by Microsoft that helps users in sharing files and documents with their colleagues and senior management within an organization. SharePoint development services also allow users to develop dedicated websites that help the team to perform specific tasks and streamline their business processes.

In order to understand SharePoint development, it is important to be well-versed with SharePoint framework development.

What Is SharePoint Framework?

In simple words, the SharePoint Framework (SPFx) is a software development model for building SharePoint customizations based on JavaScript. The model allows developers to build customizations on the SharePoint platform using a framework that is based on the concept of designing client-side solutions for integrating with the modern SharePoint user experience.

Developers can use any JavaScript framework for designing SPFx solutions for their clients. Also, building customized SharePoint solutions is not limited to Windows and Visual Studio. This is because the SPFx makes use of a widely used web development stack, making it possible for building solutions on any platform, including OS X and Linux via a code editor of one’s choice.

With the SharePoint framework, it is the first time that Microsoft is deviating from using a proprietary development model that is specific to SharePoint. Instead, it is leveraging tools and technologies that are widely used by developers on a range of platforms and stacks. Moreover, the Product Group is only committed to using APIs that are publicly available for building their solutions over a framework that allows developers to design solutions with out-of-the-box capabilities.

Key Features Of The SharePoint Framework

Here are some of the major features of the SharePoint framework:SPFx runs in the context of the concerned user and connection of the browser used. It used no iFrames for customizations.

The framework’s controls are responsive and accessible in nature

The framework’s controls are rendered in the normal page DOM

SPFx allows developers to access the lifecycle along with render, serialize, load, configure, deserialize, and more.

SPFx is framework-agnostic in nature. Any JavaScript can be used by developers in the model, including webpack, gulp, TypeScript, NPM, Yeoman, and many more.

The framework allows the end-users to utilize the SPFx client-side solutions approved by the tenant administrators on all the different sides, including the self-service team, group, or personal sites.

The framework provides reliable performance.The framework’s solutions can be used for extending the functionality of Microsoft Teams.

The SPFx web parts can be added to classic as well as modern pages.

When Should A Developer Use The SharePoint Framework?

Essentially, developers should use the SharePoint framework whenever they are willing to extend the functionalities of the modern team sites and allow users to avail of seamless collaborative functionalities. In fact, the SharePoint framework is the only SharePoint development model that is compatible with the modern SharePoint sites.

Moreover, it is important to note that the SPFx solutions work with both classic and modern experience, as mentioned above. So, even if an organization is not using the modern SharePoint sites yet, it can make use of this framework and avail of its advanced functionalities to be equipped for the future.

As a developer, if you primarily work with C#, you might want to learn more about client-side JavaScript development to work with SPFx. However, most of your JavaScript knowledge related to SharePoint is transferable as both the data models have not changed much. Also, with SPFx, you would be using the same REST services according to the requirements of your client for developing dedicated team sites.

Chitiz Agarwal is a Salesforce evangelist and architect who has more than 14 yrs of IT experience. He has worked with big MNCs like Accenture and IBM and now running Techila Services for the last 8 yrs.