DataMember not coming into CollectionDataContract class – WCF

While working with WCF CollectionDataContract class, I have found very weird problem. we don’t have a way to add DataMember property into CollectionDataContract class.

Here is link about actual issue: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/471364/can-i-add-a-datamember-to-a-collectiondatacontract-in-wcf

Though I have found some links which talks about alternate way to populate/add data members into CollectionDataContract class.

http://borismod.blogspot.com/2009/06/v2-wcf-collectiondatacontract-and.html

http://borismod.blogspot.com/2009/04/wcf-collectiondatacontract-and.html

Differences between Web Services and WCF Services

.NET Framework 3.5 and higher version has introduced WCF services. Most of the time we don't know what are the advantages to use WCF services over traditional web services.

Here is very good link which talks about in-depth differences between web services and WCF services:

http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/255684/Create-and-Consume-RESTFul-Service-in-NET-Framewor

We can use two types of serialization in WCF : XmlSerializer and DataContractSerializer. Both has its own advantages-disadvantages over other.

Link for differences between XmlSerializer and DataContractSerializer :  http://www.danrigsby.com/blog/index.php/2008/03/07/xmlserializer-vs-datacontractserializer-serialization-in-wcf/

 

WCF Web Service in SharePoint 2010

Here are very good links about how to create custom WCF services in SharePoint 2010:

http://answers.oreilly.com/topic/1404-how-to-customize-wcf-services-in-sharepoint-2010/

http://blog.sharepointbits.com/2010/04/custom-wcf-services-in-sharepoint-2010_17.html

.NET 3.5 framework with SharePoint

I thought to search on how best we can get from .NET 3.5 framework into SharePoint environment, so first I have searched what .NET 3.5 framework provides us for developer, actually .NET 3.5 frameworks provides some of the good development features like LINQ, AJAX, WF (workflow foundation), WCF (workflow communication foundation) and WPF (workflow presentation foundation)

Now if we use and integrate .NET 3.5 with SharePoint then we can use same features into our development environment, but for using .NET 3.5 framework into SharePoint, we needs to install .NET 3.5 framework into SharePoint servers and has to make configuration changes like changing our existing SharePoint web application, I have also found out that there were some problem into record center site after installing .NET 3.5 framework.

Reference Links:

1. How to setup and configure .NET 3.5 with SharePoint

http://www.zimmergren.net/archive/2008/09/22/how-to-get-up-and-running-with-net-3-5-in-your-sharepoint-environment.aspx   

2. How to use LINQ into SharePoint

http://www.zimmergren.net/archive/2008/09/24/how-to-use-linq-and-the-net-3-5-framework-with-sharepoint-to-retreive-sharepoint-list-items.aspx

3. Record center SharePoint site wasn’t working after installing .NET 3.5 frameworks

http://dotneteers.net/blogs/aghy/archive/2008/10/31/moss-2007-and-net-framework-3-5-sp1.aspx

Just try it out into development machine and see how it works :)

Good Luck!!