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Users of Microsoft SharePoint and Microsoft Teams are getting new capabilities and options thanks to new preview versions of the SharePoint Framework and of Microsoft Teams.
For SharePoint Frameworks, the new preview edition adds easier deployment options across Office 365 sites and a new ability to use Office 365 to host application elements, according to a Nov. 26 post on the Microsoft 365 Blog. Also new to Frameworks, which is in its eighth update since its launch, are built-in capabilities to work with a variety of web services.
SharePoint Framework also works with on-premises SharePoint Server 2019, as well as SharePoint Server 2016 via Feature Pack 2, according to Microsoft.
The SharePoint Frameworks preview also has new capabilities to empower developers to create full application experiences built on Microsoft 365 components. That means that developers can create applications hosted in the familiar frame of SharePoint, while using known infrastructure such as Microsoft Graph services, SharePoint lists and document libraries, all from a centrally hosted application page.
Earlier in November, Microsoft announced some of the upcoming SharePoint features that are now coming to the newest preview version of the Microsoft Teams group chat software. That includes new interoperability that allows tabs from Teams to show up as web parts and applications in SharePoint. Conversely, web parts from SharePoint can now show up and be used in Teams, giving new easy-to-integrate capabilities for users.
SharePoint Framework allows full client-side SharePoint development that ties in directly with SharePoint data to build team and communications sites and apps that are mobile-ready. SharePoint Framework was launched in 2017, giving enterprises the ability to create custom business data dashboards, document integrations and more for their SharePoint deployments.
The new preview of the Teams updates takes advantage of the latest SharePoint Framework 1.7, which means that enterprises can host many or all of their application components on SharePoint, which can reduce operational costs and deployment complexity, according to the post. The latest Framework includes built-in Content Delivery Network (CDN) capabilities, lists and page hosting, which make self-hosting possible.
“With some adjustments to the package metadata, every web part you’ve built can become a Tab in Microsoft Teams, made available via the Microsoft Teams Tenant App Catalog,” the post continued.
In addition, SharePoint Framework version 1.7 also now allows developers to leverage all of SharePoint’s capabilities, including lists, files, security, CDNs, and integration with Microsoft Graph and Azure Active-Directory secured APIs, to create complete applications for their business users. Previously, developers didn’t have that “full page” experience with which to create their applications, according to Microsoft.
Improvements to Microsoft Teams Tabs mean that developers will be able to take Teams Tab experiences and host them in SharePoint—both as full application pages and as web parts, adding useful new capabilities for Teams users.
Also included in SharePoint Framework version 1.7 are new developer tools that let developers have compatibility with SharePoint Server 2019 while also enabling web parts and extensions to work seamlessly with SharePoint in Office 365.