Search for “SharePoint Framework” in Google and majority of the results starts with the statement “SharePoint Framework (SPFx) is the new development model…” Really? No, not anymore, this is no more a new development model, but this is the DEVELOPMENT MODEL that Microsoft recommends for all customers of Microsoft SharePoint. As per the description “SharePoint Framework (SPFx) is a page and web part model that provides full support for client-side SharePoint development, easy integration with SharePoint data, and extending Microsoft Teams.” So what is it?
With this series on SharePoint Framework (SPFx) let us try to address not just what SPFx is, but deep dive into the world of SPFx.
Before we address what SPFx is, let us look back at the development models that came along as SharePoint evolved. Launched in 2001, SharePoint primarily was a document management and storage system. It was highly configurable and extensible with its features such as web parts and custom development options. Below diagram shows various development models that SharePoint supported from SharePoint Portal aka MOSS 2007, along its journey.
As shown above, the development models that SharePoint supported too evolved along with new versions and they had own pros and cons. But now we are in the world of SharePoint Framework. So, what exactly is SharePoint Framework and how it is different from previous development models?
In simple terms, with SPFx Microsoft is fully moving client side based development model, which in the previous versions were implemented through Content Editor Web part (CEWP) and Script Editor Web parts( SEWP), but had their own limitations and challenges. With SPFx it’s easy to integrate SharePoint data and extends to Microsoft Teams. Some of the other key benefits are:
· All the customizations developed, are run in the browser
· SPFx components are lightweight and run in both web and mobile experiences as these are client-side solutions
· It is backwards compatible, which means along with modern pages, it also work on classic and publishing pages too.
· Tools and platform used for SPFx development are implemented with open-source tools and JavaScript frameworks/libraries such as ReactJS, VueJS, AngularJS, Knockout etc.
There are many other benefits, which we will see as we progress through the series.
In short, SharePoint Framework aka SPFx (won’t call it a new development model anymore), is a development model based on modern web development frameworks where developers can achieve SharePoint customization with better experience and increased efficiency. With SPFx Microsoft have addressed all the shortcomings of previous development models and now is a robust framework for SharePoint development targeted for Microsoft 365, SharePoint 2016/2019.
In the upcoming posts we will focus on features, development and more advanced topics on SharePoint Framework.
