Cloud-Developer-Space

When developing webparts within Visual Studio, and using WSPBuilder, I was having some troubles deploying the webpart. 

Well, the WSP solution (feature) would deploy OK, but I couldn’t add it to the page.

The error message was :

“Unable to add selected web part(s).”

Within my Visual Studio project, I have a FEATURE.XML :

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Feature  Id="E4AE2E3A-F4EA-4f76-8AB1-1EB10A035129"
          Title="SharePointRoot Very Awesome Web Part"
          Description="Does lots of awesome things"
          Version="12.0.0.0"
          Hidden="FALSE"
          Scope="Site"
          DefaultResourceFile="core"
          xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/">
  <ElementManifests>
    <ElementManifest Location="elements.xml"/>
  </ElementManifests>
</Feature>

This then points to the ELEMENTS.XML :

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<Elements xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/">
  <Module Name="WebPartPopulation" Url="_catalogs/wp" RootWebOnly="TRUE">
    <File Url="Very_Awesome.webpart" Type="GhostableInLibrary">
      <Property Name="Group" Value="SharePointRoot"></Property>
      <Property Name="QuickAddGroups" Value="SharePointRoot" />
    </File>
  </Module>
</Elements>

The corresponding file containing the “real” details for the WEBPART (typename, etc) is VERY_AWESOME.WEBPART :

<webParts>
  <webPart xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WebPart/v3">
    <metaData>
      <type name="SharePointRoot.VeryAwesome, SharePointRoot, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=9ddc3289d104dfbe" />
      <importErrorMessage>Cannot import SharePointRoot VeryAwesome Web Part.</importErrorMessage>
    </metaData>
    <data>
      <properties>
        <property name="Title" type="string">SharePointRoot VeryAwesome</property>
        <property name="Description" type="string">Displays lots of Very Awesome list items</property>
      </properties>
    </data>
  </webPart>
</webParts>

CODE LIBRARY :

I have a Class library within my project – with the specific logic, etc – and the specific namespace and class library name :

namespace SharePointRoot
{
    public class VeryAwesome: Microsoft.SharePoint.WebPartPages.WebPart
    {

        …………….       

        …………….        etc.

PROBLEM :

All the plumbing looks correct – I initially realised I had the WRONG PublicKeyToken for the DLL. 

The value had been copied from another project – but it’s now correct.

• Re-deploy – and STILL can’t add the WebPart.
• I un-installed the feature using WSPBuilder – and re-deployed it.
• Still got the same error – unable to add selected web part(s).

WTF !!?!

RESOLUTION :

To cut a long story short (well – over an hour of fiddling, poking, IISRESET’ing, etc) – it turned out to be the copied value for the PublicKeyToken.

Or more specifically – the WEBPART file within the Web Part Gallery.

When you retract/delete the solution – the WEBPART file does not get deleted.

And – if you make changes to the WEBPART file – it doesn’t get over-written.

And so – even though I had updated the PublicKeyToken, but it wasn’t actually re-deploying the file.

I only discovered this after I (in desperation) changed the text within the WEBPART – to see if the message box would change – and it didn’t…!

LESSON :

If you’re having troubles with NOT being able to add a webpart, maybe manually delete the WEBPART file from the Web Part Gallery – and try to re-deploy it – especially if you’ve had to change the PublicKeyToken, or TypeName, etc – AFTER it’s been initially deployed.

• Click on Site Actions > Site Settings
• Click Web Parts
• Find the WebPart – and click the “Edit” button (on the right)

• Click “View XML” to see the type name – this is how I noticed the OLD PublicKeyToken value
• Click the button for “Delete Item”
• Re-deploy your WSP from within Visual Studio
• Check the Web Part Gallery to see the updated value/s

Hope that helps – it certainly tricked me for a little bit !

——————————–

Another great post from Mikhail Dikov has a few other pointers and things-to-try…>

• Unable to add selected web part(s)