5 Steps to Getting Started with SharePoint Development

5 Steps to Getting Started with SharePoint Development

Here are the steps I took to getting started with SharePoint development:

1. Sign up for Microsoft Virtual Academy and use it
   • I wish I had known about this a long time ago, even before making this transition.
   • This is a free service offered by Microsoft with a ton a great material for all levels of developers across all types of technologies and languages.
   • Really – don’t skip this step! It will make your life a TON easier as you’re learning.
2. Know the basics of C#
   • If you’re fresh out of school, then there’s a good chance you’ve already had some C# (or very similar) training. Understanding the basic structure of how namespaces, classes and functions tie together will carry you a long way.
   • If you’ve never seen it before (like me), get a trial copy of Visual Studio and start playing around with C#. Develop a small application that does something simple.
   • Go watch a tutorial or two and do the exercises, as this will really help jump-start the process.
   • C# Programming Guide – https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/67ef8sbd.aspx
3. Know the basics of HTML and CSS
   • This is a pretty easy one actually, even if you’ve never looked under the hood of a web page. You won’t become an expert immediately as there’s still a lot to learn here, but it’s pretty straight forward once you start looking.
   • Get a couple of CSS and HTML reference books that can help you with the syntax.
   • HTML & CSS Tutorial – http://learn.shayhowe.com/html-css/
4. Understand the difference between client-side and server-side code
   • This was a BIG gap for me. And yes, I still struggle with it sometimes.
   • Take the time to read up on web application architecture and try to get a basic grasp of it. Understanding where each kind of code runs and how they talk to each other (or don’t) is extremely important. I can’t emphasize this enough!
   • ASP.NET Page Life Cycle Overview – https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms178472(v=vs.100).aspx
5. Lastly, start learning about SharePoint itself
   • Yes, this is last because if you have a good grasp on all the other stuff, you can learn how to develop in SharePoint.
   • Be sure to get a SharePoint book or use some of the plethora of online materials available and start learning the basics.
   • Create your own VM and install SharePoint. You can get 3-6 month trials of most everything you need to run it and there’s a great setup guide put out by Critical Path Training that will walk you through all the steps to get your new SharePoint VM up and running.
   • Couple of good guides for setting up Vms:
     https://www.criticalpathtraining.com/articles/sharepoint-server-2010-rtm-virtual-machine-setup-guide-v1-8/
     https://www.criticalpathtraining.com/articles/critical-path-training-sharepoint-server-2013-virtual-machine-setup-guide/

This, of course, is just the tip of the iceberg as there’s a ton of other stuff you will need to know and learn. Much of it, as with all things, will come with the real world experience of doing it. But if you can get a handle on some of these basics beforehand, you’ll be in a good position to become a SharePoint Developer yourself – especially if you can find a nurturing company that encourages learning and personal growth like I did here at ThreeWill.