Visual Studio deployment doesn’t activate SharePoint feature

claims-based-identitydeploymentsharepointsharepoint-feature

I have a simple SharePoint project with one farm-scoped feature. The feature contains no modules; it just refers to an SPClaimProviderFeatureReceiver-derived class which in turn points to an SPClaimProvider-derived class.

When I tell the project to deploy, it does successfully add the assembly to the GAC, and does successfully create Feature.xml within a folder in C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\14\TEMPLATE\FEATURES, and gives this output:

------ Build started: Project: xxx, Configuration: Debug Any CPU ------
  xxx -> E:\xxx\bin\AnyCPU\Debug\xxx.dll
  Successfully created package at: E:\xxx\xxx.wsp
------ Deploy started: Project: xxx, Configuration: Debug Any CPU ------
Active Deployment Configuration: Default
Run Pre-Deployment Command:
  Skipping deployment step because a pre-deployment command is not specified.
Recycle IIS Application Pool:
  Skipping application pool recycle because no matching package on the server was found.
Retract Solution:
  Skipping package retraction because no matching package on the server was found.
Add Solution:
  Adding solution 'xxx.wsp'...
  Deploying solution 'xxx.wsp'...
Activate Features:
  No features in this solution were activated.
Run Post-Deployment Command:
  Skipping deployment step because a post-deployment command is not specified.
========== Build: 1 succeeded or up-to-date, 0 failed, 0 skipped ==========
========== Deploy: 1 succeeded, 0 failed, 0 skipped ==========

The deployed Feature.xml:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Feature xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/"
   Title="xxx"
   AutoActivateInCentralAdmin="TRUE"
   Description="xxx" 
   Id="063aae98-029f-4c01-a20e-15b6c8576bc8"
   ReceiverAssembly="xxx, Version=0.1.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=6e7f8ba8e1265a7f"
   ReceiverClass="xxx" Scope="Farm" />

I'm concerned that it says that no features were activated. The WSP does show up in Central Administration Solution Management, but says that it "isn't deployed", and the feature doesn't show up in Manage Farm Features. When I click on Deploy in the web interface, it says "The solution was successfully deployed" (Why didn't VS do this??). But after that the feature still doesn't show up.

Best Answer

In VS solution explorer, right click on project >> select properties >> select sharepoint tab Here you have different 'Active deployment configuration'. make sure you have selected appropriate configuration from drop down list. you can modify and view steps of each configuration.

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R – Timing in SharePoint features deployment

You can also create an event handler and activate the features in the order you want. I've found it always to be better to rely on doing things manually in code rather than using the xml files to do thing.

Take a look at SPWeb.Features and FeatureCollections.Add

Here is an example of how I coded this in my event handler

public void ActivateFeatures(SPFeatureReceiverProperties properties)
{
    logger.Info("Creating content types");
    // feature is scoped at Site, so the parent is type SPSite rather than SPWeb..
    using (SPSite site = properties.Feature.Parent as SPSite)
    {
        SPWeb currentWeb = null;
        if (site != null)
        {
            currentWeb = site.RootWeb;
        }
        else
        {
            currentWeb = properties.Feature.Parent as SPWeb;
        }

        using (currentWeb)
        {
            if (currentWeb == null) return;

            try
            {
                currentWeb.Site.Features.Add(new Guid("01A27C0C-2E44-4298-A74F-8F50601A20B0")); // ctCategory
                currentWeb.Site.Features.Add(new Guid("496DFE3E-A41E-46e8-B627-29775F376017")); // ctChapter
                currentWeb.Site.Features.Add(new Guid("F2ECBD5A-4766-49bf-A158-62550661E141")); // ctChapterList
                currentWeb.Site.Features.Add(new Guid("8C91646F-1466-49d7-BB53-B666F164AA96")); // ctComments
                currentWeb.Site.Features.Add(new Guid("112E1564-FA1C-41fd-853A-F7569C555905")); // ctDocument
                currentWeb.Site.Features.Add(new Guid("48BD5A07-8DD1-46ef-9F05-9824380BA26E")); // ctExternalReviewer
                currentWeb.Site.Features.Add(new Guid("20553A8E-8272-400c-816D-6EE8E02F34E9")); // ctStandard
                currentWeb.Site.Features.Add(new Guid("E84259BD-E4B3-465e-8928-1745F8760F2D")); // ctSuggestion
                currentWeb.Site.Features.Add(new Guid("0B313654-D296-4bfa-8F21-E4FF33C1DD6C")); // ctTask
                currentWeb.Site.Features.Add(new Guid("EFDA877B-B686-4954-9F1A-65ADB32B2E50")); // ctDepartment
                currentWeb.Site.Features.Add(new Guid("4E4B984E-65E2-4601-A216-2C4D08AA97AE")); // ctInnerWork
                currentWeb.Site.Features.Add(new Guid("4D85D4B9-1909-45cd-81C7-CDBB0874492F")); // ctOtherDocuments
                logger.Info("Content types added successfully");
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                logger.Error("Could not in activate content types.", ex);
            }
        }
    }
}

R – Sharepoint deployment packaging (simplest!)

This has nothing to do with the content deployment wizard (nor do you need an expensive tool for this ;), your new server is missing that template: JRIM#75805

You should compare your old and new server for installed add-ons, templates, features, etc. because they will all have to be present on the new server.

Related Topic

Visual-studio – How to debug Sharepoint solution/feature through Visual studio