Sharepoint 2007 How to create custom Web part and add it to the GAC. How to refresh dll in the GAC without IIS restart

Here is the plan:

I Create custom web part that will display current user

II Since getting usename involves accessing Microsoft.Sharepoint.dll, we will need to add our custom web part dll to GAC and then add it to sharepoint

III Make changes to our custom web part dll and "refresh" ASP.NET to see that change

Here is How:

Part – I Building WebPart

1) Created Class library and call it Sharepoint.SampleWebPart

2) Created a class called “DisplayMessageWebPart”

3) Put this code in:

using System;

using System.Collections.Generic;

using System.Linq;

using System.Text;

using System.Web.UI.WebControls.WebParts;

using Microsoft.SharePoint.WebPartPages;

using Microsoft.SharePoint;

namespace Sharepoint.SampleWebPart

{

    public class DisplayMessageWebPart : Microsoft.SharePoint.WebPartPages.WebPart

    {

        private string customMessage = "Hello, world!";

        [WebBrowsable(true),

        WebDescription("Displays a custom message"),

        WebDisplayName("Display Message"),

        Personalizable(PersonalizationScope.User)]

        public string DisplayMessage

        {

            get { return customMessage; }

            set { customMessage = value; }

        }

        protected override void Render(System.Web.UI.HtmlTextWriter writer)

        {

            writer.Write(DisplayMessage + "Current User: " + SPContext.Current.Web.CurrentUser);

        }

    }

}

4) Sign your .dll

 

 

5) Get Public key token from dll by using a tool like .Net Reflector

 

6) Build you solution and you should see Sharepoint.SampleWebPart.dll in you bin/debug or bin/release folder

 

7) Copy Sharepoint.SampleWebPart.dll to C:\inetpub\wwwroot\wss\VirtualDirectories\{port}\bin

8) Let sharepoint know about the dll by editing C:\inetpub\wwwroot\wss\VirtualDirectories\{port}\web.config

add another item to SafeControl list

<SafeControl Assembly="Sharepoint.SampleWebPart, Version=1.0.0.0, 

Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=57cb4249cf411ed0" 

Namespace="Sharepoint.AcceptParamsPart" TypeName="*" Safe="True" />

Part –II – Adding it to GAC

1) Use gacutil.exe (google to find it’s location on your server, if server 2008 just copy from dev machine)

gacutil.exe -i 
C:\inetpub\wwwroot\wss\VirtualDirectories\{port}\bin\Sharepoint.SampleWebPart.dl

”i” stand for install

“u” for uninstall in case if you need to

2) In sharepoint site navigate to Site Setting –> Web Parts –> New –> Choose your dll –> Click on “Populate Gallery”

3) You are done. You can add it to any page. It is under Miscellaneous category

 

Part – III -  Makes chages and refresh GAC

If you made changes to you dll, just replace it in the bin folder and then go to IIS –> Find your application pool –> right click –> Recycle

 

You should know see changes affected in your website

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