After provisioning the site as seen in: How to provision a site (with master page and default.aspx) in WSSv3 using a site definition I want to add a custom menu to the topnavbar. I decided to use the XmlSiteMapProvider so I can use a simple XML file to define the menu layout. When you want to use a custom XML you have to add a value to the web.config of the sharepoint site to point to the XML file, i want this menu to be added by default when a site is created so i will add it to my site provision
Step 1: Create a sitemap file and place it in TEMPLATELayoutsCmenu.Sitemap, for example:
Step 2: Add the xml file as a new sitemapprovider to the web.config in a feature:
public override void FeatureActivated(SPFeatureReceiverProperties properties)
{ SPWeb siteCollection = (SPWeb)properties.Feature.Parent;
SPWebApplication webApp = siteCollection.Site.WebApplication;
SPWebConfigModification modification = new SPWebConfigModification();
modification.Path = “configuration/system.web/siteMap/providers”;
modification.Name = “add[@name=’CMenu’]”;
modification.Sequence = 0;
modification.Owner = “FeatureReceiverSiteLayout”;
modification.Type = SPWebConfigModification.SPWebConfigModificationType.EnsureChildNode;
modification.Value = “
webApp.WebConfigModifications.Add(modification);
// webApp.WebConfigModifications.Remove(modification);
// Save web.config changes.
webApp.Farm.Services.GetValue
// Serialize the web application state and propagate changes across the farm.
webApp.Update();
siteCollection.Dispose();
}
Use the webApp.WebConfigModifications.Remove part to remove the item from the web.config. Take note the FeatureDeactivating will not be be called when a site is deleted, use the FeatureUninstalling when you want the the item removed from the web.config at site delete.
Step3: Change your master page with the following:
- find the asp:ContentPlaceHolder id=”PlaceHolderHorizontalNav” tag, place the following above it: “
- Edit the datasource propertie of asp:ContentPlaceHolder id=”PlaceHolderHorizontalNav” to: DataSourceID=”SMCMenu”
The page will now use the your XML file as navigation
Step 4: When provisioning a site using a site definition you would like the feature to autmomaticly add the changes to the web.config. To do this you have to add:
- Find the ID of the feature in feature.xml
- Find the
node in ONET.XML - Place a new WebFeatures in de the WebFeatures tag under configuration “
- Now the feature will be activtivated on site creation.
Keep in mind that the feature has to be deployed to the server first, again this is posible with WSPBuilder