Experience Sitecore !

1. Canonicals - do 301 permanent redirect (this also works with HTTPS).

2. Rewrite URL lowercase - one more rewrite rule aiming SEO improvement.

3. Append trailing slash - this is another SEO (sometimes arguable) improvement. It is believed that having trailing slash on your URLs (except when it deals with file names for sure) will improve search engines ranking.

4. Query string rewrite - the example of extracting query string parameters and rewriting it in your own manner

5. Redirect to HTTPS - forcely redirect all non-secure request to HTTPS

6. Prevent image hot-linking - disallow strangers of reusing images hosted on your website in order to protect them and traffic.

This post going to be a quicke one. One of the most frequent screens I have to deal with in Sitecore is Layout Details dialog of Presentation Details:

I thought once, why not just to have the link to it from item's Context Menu? Sounds good, but, foirst of all, what is context menu?

Context Menu is just a set of Sitecore items under /sitecore/content/Applications/Content Editor/Context Menues/Default folder within core database. Each child item (except dividers) is derived from Menu Item template. The most interesting field there is Message - its value stores is nothing but just a Sitecore command with a parameter of current item (as all that happens in item's context).

Just want to remind - Sitecore commands are defined at <web_root>\App_config\Commands.config file, you may freely use any of them that start with item: (but not limited to that).

So, the only thing we need to do is to create an item under /sitecore/content/Applications/Content Editor/Context Menues/Default folder, and set its message to item:setlayoutdetails and that's it. Also you may configure Display name and the Icon to be shown next to that label within context menu (something like Applications/32x32/document_gear.png)

As soon as you return to master database, you'll get new context menu shortcut working:

This trick works on all versions of Sitecore. For lazy guys - here's a package for download that will do exactly the same - create Set presentation item for you within core database.

Hope this helps!

set COMPLUS_ZapDisable=1
cd /d "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Enterprise\Common7\IDE"
start devenv.exe
exit

[.NET Framework Debugging Control] 
GenerateTrackingInfo=1 
AllowOptimize=0

What actually happens when you type website URL in browser and how is your request factually served in sitecore. We are going to use www.site.com as the URL for our example. This is simplified version where only most important steps are covered.

First of all, as you hit this URL in browser's address bar, it retrieves IP address by the host name from DNS server. Then it creates request to IP address resolved with host name (www.site.com) in HTTP header. There may be multiple traffic managers / load balancers on the route to the server, but eventually request gets to that IP address to the specified port (as we use normal HTTP, then the port is default 80).

On the server computer there should be specific software running and listening to that port (80) otherwise request will fail. In our scenario, that is the Microsoft IIS web server. Below are two most important IS configuration screens:

On the first screenshot you see Site Bindings screen that binds exact website within current IIS instance to specific port and hostname (if set). There can be multiple website hosted within same IIS instance, so you we usually vary them by hostname / port combinations. The example above shows that all requests to port 80 with the hostname www.site.com would be served by current website. Second record shows that all requests to port 443 (which is default to HTTP) would be served by the same site as well.

The second screenshot assigns our website www.site.com to a folder on a disk drive which becomes a web root for our site.

Root of the website should have a configuration file called web.config, that may be split and overridden in subfolders and that itself overrides global web.config and machine.config files with default settings. Every sitecore-based website contains <sitecore> node in the configuration file, that is where all sitecore settings are defined, including <sites> node that specifies all the websites per current Sitecore instance.

Important to note that sites are determined by "first match" principle, so order is critical. If you look at our www.site.com record - you'll notice that it specifies hostname - all requests matching that name will be served by this site. Other setting set what database is used for particular site (name should match database name from connection string), what is starting sitecore tree node within that database - factual page item that is being returned. There are also html caching setting, sitecore domain name for the site, etc.

The rest of request to current Sitecore instance, that do no math our host name pattern will be served by site called "website", it does not have hostName specified, so it will serve everything else and return /sitecore/content/home item.

Let's assume the site has been published from master database to web database, as per configuration. Here's below how sitecore tree looks like in Sitecore Content Editor:

Our website's home item (selected) is called SiteCom and it will return the page with "www.site.com"in title. Let's see the browser:

Here we done. That is our www.site.com landing page loaded!

Advanced topic: How to host several sites within the same Sitecore instance without specifying a hostname, just on different ports

While playing with core database for some useful stuffies - I came across some improvements that can save little of my time in day-to-day activities. A screenshot below can say better than few paragraphs of text, so here it is:

It works across all the versions of Sitecore, I in fact had opportunity to test that package against 6.6 and 8.0 Update 4.

Enjoyed that and want to get for yourself?

Download the package: Sitecore Desktop Improvements-1.1.zip (47.5KB)

Previous version: Sitecore Desktop Improvements-1.0.zip (30.8KB)

I have just tested the one on my Sitecore 8.0 Update 4 instance - it works pretty well!

For those who has never met this config before - SwitchMasterToWeb is a configuration patch file, that aims to be placed into App_Config\Include folder on content delivery server (CD) in order to remove references to master database, that should not present there by design.

	
		
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
		
		
			
			
			
				
			
		
		
			
		
		
			
				
			
		
		
			
				
					
						
							
								
							
						
					
				
			
		
		
			
				
					
						
					
				
			
			
				
			
			
				
			
			
				core
				/sitecore/system/tasks/schedules
				true
			
			
				
			
			
				
					
						sitecore_master_index
					
				
			
			
				
			
			
				
			
		
		
			
				
					
						
					
					
						
					
					
					
						
					
					
					
						
					
					
					
						
					
					
					
						
					
					
					
						
					
					
					
						
					
				
			
			
			
				
					
						
					
					
						
					
				
			
		
		
		
			
				
			
		
		
		
			
				
					web
				
			
		
		
		
			
				
					
						
							web
						
					
					
						
							web
						
					
					
						
							web
						
					
				
			
		
		
		
			
				
					
						web
					
				
			
			
				
					
						web
						sitecore_marketing_asset_index_web
					
				
			
			
				
					
						web
					
				
			
			
				
					
						web
					
				
			
		

		
		
			web
		
	

As you probably know, there is a feature in Sitecore, called "wildcard items". Let's say you have a folder where multiple subitems suppose to be and should be presented by similar pages. Sitecore allows you create a wildcard item named "*" (asterisk) so that it will serve any request to this folder. Let's take a look on example below:

Here we see clear separation of pages and data. Airports page has the only child - wildcard page item that is highlighted (and you see its details). Below, in /Data folder, there is a corresponding data sources for each of the airport.

In usual scenario, there should be a page item created for each of airports from /data folder, and page's presentation details screen should have that data items set as the datasource for corresponding rendering (yes, we are on MVC here). But how to have this working, if we have only one universal page item? We have a rendering called Airport to display airport info, but how should we specify the datasource to it?

The rendering relies on RenderingContext.Current.Rendering.DataSource as usual. And instead of datasource of specific airport, we get "*" item as the datasource in all cases, regardless of what airport's page we're loading.

I wanted to leave page's datasource and rendering untouched, as normal implementation. Instead, I decided to incline into mvc.getRenderer pipeline and resolve datasources for "*"-wildcard-items dynamically, based on the URL requested, so that rendering get corresponding data item from RenderingContext.Current.Rendering.DataSource. And of course, as "*"-items serves all possible requests to its folder, I must provide datasources only for matching data items, redirecting all the rest to 404 error page (since there's no data for the page - there's no sense in such a page).

So here's my implementation of wildcard datasource resolver:

Airport
        
      
    
  

Code referenced from configuration patch file:

    public class WildcardDatasource : GetRendererProcessor
    {
        public string RenderingName { get; set; }

        public override void Process(GetRendererArgs args)
        {
            if (args.PageContext.Item.Name == "*" && args.Rendering.RenderingItem.Name.IsSameAs(RenderingName))
            {
                string datasourceFolder = args.Rendering.DataSource.IsOK()
                    ? args.Rendering.DataSource
                    : string.Format("{0}/{1}", Paths.DataFolder.TrimEnd('/'), args.PageContext.Item.Parent.Name);

                string dataSourcePath = string.Format("{0}/{1}", datasourceFolder, 
                    args.PageContext.RequestContext.HttpContext.Request.Url.Segments.Last());

                var dataSourceItem = Sitecore.Context.Database.GetItem(dataSourcePath);
                if (dataSourceItem != null)
                {
                    args.Rendering.DataSource = dataSourcePath;
                }
                else
                {
                    // process 404 page not found
                }
            }
        }
    }

Things to improve in future:

1. Add support for nested wildcards
2. Find the way wildcard items work with Page Editor

I have just taken official Sitecore Developer Training and Certification in their office in London, near Tower Bridge.

In general, I did not expect the course to be so intensive. 4 days going through all aspects of working with Sitecore filled many gaps in my knowledge of platform. There were 5 of us so everyone could receive proper support and explanation while stuck with anything while studying.

Thanks to our tutor, Raul, who has heroically stood out a flurry of questions from me and gave really great insights on quite advanced topic outside of course agenda.

My advice for those who are just about to sign up for it - treat this course not as a final result by itself, but as a starting point for your individual further investigation. You will not become an expert after getting a certification, but you will be aware of most Sitecore features you need to know at that moment and how they function. Thus, do the notes, as much notes as you can. And ask as much question as you feel important to satisfy your understanding of each exact feature.

Another point I would suggest is to postpone your training if you are complete newbie in Sitecore. In that case, there is a risk you may miss something very important, especially if that becomes a prerequisite for further module. Do your own research before attending the course as much as possible - read multiple blogs, Q&A on StackOverflow etc. and ideally form the list of your own questions that you'd find answers for, while taking the course.

I personally found that very useful, so do recommend to you guys. And yes, if you are successful enough, you shortly receive a certificate like the one below but with your name, and also gain access to Sitecore developers' resources such as SDN forums and support.

So, good luck!

Update (01 Aug 2015):  Here is the alternative approach answer and the solution for blog post:

I was always wondering, why Sitecore yet hasn't hosted Sitecore.Kernel and Sitecore.MVC on the NuGet?

This would have simplified our (developers') life in some way, as for today, we have to keep an additional /Libs folder and reference those 2 DLLs out of it (but couple others will serve good as well, for instance Lucene DLLs etc.). That could also simplify versioning and dependencies issues for us as soon as we still are using NuGet package management, so we now have 2 folders for references, highlighted below:

If they avoid doing that for licensing purposes - that seems quite strange as mentioned libraries are very little part of what Sitecore is, plus they may just supply obfuscated DLLs via NuGet and normal reflection-friendly via standard platform installation.

Here is what I have in my Libs folder and that I use and reference in small proof-of-concept project:

Dear Sitecore, if you read me, please consider using NuGET - today's industry standard for packaging and resolving dependencies .

1. Load Sitecore Desktop automatically and pre-select an item

I was wondering, if there is any opportunity to preload Sitecore Desktop automatically on Sitecore enter.

So annoyed of moving mouse across whole big monitor to the very top bottom, then select Content Editor from the menu, then wait till it loads an eventually as content tree loads - navigate to specific item! Even if it does not seem quite complex for a first glance - the number of times I do that per day makes me sadly thinking of wasted efforts for nothing...

Good news, everyone! There a convenient way of creating a shortcut that not only loads Content Editor, but also select any item you would like and loads its data right hand side. Here is the format of url:

http://your.host.name/sitecore/shell/Applications/Content%20Editor.aspx?fo={9CFF486B-9829-416E-8A39-408D3909B4FE}

where fo parameter stands for the item you want to pre-load.

2. If you use Google Chrome - install Chrome extensions for Sitecore

More details in my blog post by this link: Sitecore extensions for Google Chrome