Office Graph implementation with SharePoint Online Search REST APIs

Graph Query Language (GQL) is a preliminary query language designed to query the Office Graph via the SharePoint Online Search REST API. By using GQL, we can query the Office Graph to get items for an actor that satisfies a particular filter.The Office Graph contains information about enterprise objects, such as people and documents, as well as the relationships and interactions among these objects. The relationships and interactions are represented as edges.Some edges represent a single interaction:

• Modified — User A modified a document.

• Viewed — User B viewed a presentation.

Some edges are computed based on multiple interactions:

• WorkingWith — People whom you frequently interact with.

• TrendingAround — Items that are popular in your circle of colleagues.

The Office Graph data model and edge properties

As with any graph, each edge in the Office Graph has a source node and a target node. The source node is called the actor and the target node is called the object.

Figure 1. 

The relationship among actor, edge, and object

A typical graph query call via REST

A graph query can contain both a content part (Querytext) and a graph part (GraphQuery). We can use these to do a combined search on the contents of a whole item and the interactions people have had with this particular item. The Querytext property is mandatory. If we want to match all items without filtering any part of the content, you can use an asterisk (*).

GQL has one main operator: ACTOR. The ACTOR operator finds all actions of the given actor that satisfies a filter and then returns all the objects for these actions. For example, to return Items viewed by the actor in the last three months. (Assuming the ActorId = 12345 for User A) you can split this information into:• User A is the ACTOR.• View is the action with ID = 1001.• Document is the object, which is returned in the result.Then, you can write the following query.ACTOR(ME, action:1001)The following is the syntax for the ACTOR operator.ACTOR(<ActorId> [, filter])

Example 1: View all items created by userExample 2: People whom the actor communicates with or works with frequently.  You can sort the result returned for graph queries in two ways: by the edge's Timestamp or the edge's Weight.

• To sort based on the edge timestamp, set the GraphRankingModel property equal to {"features"\:[{"function"\:"EdgeTime"}]}.

• To sort based on the edge weight, set the GraphRankingModel property equal to {"features"\:[{"function"\:"EdgeWeight"}]}.

In both cases, you must also set the RankingModelId property to '0c77ded8-c3ef-466d-929d-905670ea1d72'. If an item in the result is the object of more than one edge matching the graph query, the highest Timestamp or Weight is used.

Table 1. Edge property descriptions and their types

Property	Type	Description
ActorId	Integer	The ID of the actor.
ObjectId	Integer	The ID of the object.
Action type	Integer	An ID that identifies what action or relationship type the edge represents. Important action types are listed in Available action types.
Time	String	A timestamp of the edge; based on the ISO 8601 standard. The semantics of the time stamp depend on the type of the edge. See Available action types.
Weight	Integer	A number that indicates the importance of the edge. The semantics of the weight depend on the type of the edge. See Available action types.
Blob	Blob	For internal use only.
BlobContent	String	For internal use only.
ObjectSource	Integer	For internal use only.

Table 2. Action types and their descriptions

Action Type	Description	Visibility	ID	Weight	Timestamp
PersonalFeed	The actor's personal feed as shown on their Home view in Delve.	Private	1021	A sequence number.	When the item was added to the feed on the Home view in Delve.
Modified	Items that the actor has modified in the last three months.	Public	1003	The number of modifications.	Last modified.
OrgColleague	Everyone who reports to the same manager as the actor.	Public	1015	Always 1.	-
OrgDirect	The actor's direct reports.	Public	1014	Always 1.	-
OrgManager	The person whom the actor reports to.	Public	1013	Always 1.	-
OrgSkipLevelManager	The actor's skip-level manager.	Public	1016	Always 1.	-
WorkingWith	People whom the actor communicates with or works with frequently.	Private	1019	A relevance score.	-
TrendingAround	Items popular with people whom the actor works with or communicates with frequently.	Public	1020	A relevance score.	-
Viewed	Items viewed by the actor in the last three months.	Private	1001	The number of views.	Last viewed.
WorkingWithPublic	A public version of theWorkingWith edge.	Public	1033	A sequence number.	-

Table 3. Result sources for SharePoint query

Result Source	ID
Documents	e7ec8cee-ded8-43c9-beb5-436b54b31e84
Items matching a content type	5dc9f503-801e-4ced-8a2c-5d1237132419
Items matching a tag	e1327b9c-2b8c-4b23-99c9-3730cb29c3f7
Items related to current user	48fec42e-4a92-48ce-8363-c2703a40e67d
Items with same keyword as this item	5c069288-1d17-454a-8ac6-9c642a065f48
Local People Results	b09a7990-05ea-4af9-81ef-edfab16c4e31
Local Reports And Data Results	203fba36-2763-4060-9931-911ac8c0583b
Local SharePoint Results	8413cd39-2156-4e00-b54d-11efd9abdb89
Local Video Results	78b793ce-7956-4669-aa3b-451fc5defebf
Pages	5e34578e-4d08-4edc-8bf3-002acf3cdbcc
Pictures	38403c8c-3975-41a8-826e-717f2d41568a
Popular	97c71db1-58ce-4891-8b64-585bc2326c12
Recently changed items	ba63bbae-fa9c-42c0-b027-9a878f16557c
Recommended Items	ec675252-14fa-4fbe-84dd-8d098ed74181
Wiki	9479bf85-e257-4318-b5a8-81a180f5faa1

References:Query the Office Graph using GQL and SharePoint Online Search REST APIsSharePoint Search REST API overview

Create Crawled Property for Custom Column - SharePoint 2013

Create Site column "TestName" using following powershell script 

#Get site and web object

$site = Get-SPSite -Identity "http://MySiteurl"

$web = $site.RootWeb

#Assign fieldXML variable with XML string for site column

$fieldXML = '<Field Type="Text"

Name="TestName"

Description="This is a test date column."

DisplayName="Test Name"

StaticName="TestName"

Group="Test Custom Columns"

Hidden="FALSE"

Required="FALSE"

Sealed="FALSE"

ShowInDisplayForm="TRUE"

ShowInEditForm="TRUE"

ShowInListSettings="TRUE"

ShowInNewForm="TRUE"></Field>'

#Output XML to console

write-host $fieldXML

#Create site column from XML string

$web.Fields.AddFieldAsXml($fieldXML)

#Example of changing the site column settings after creation

#Configure Test Date column to be Date Only instead of Date & Time

$dtField = $web.Fields["Test Name"]

$dtField.Update()

#Dispose of Web and Site objects

$web.Dispose()

$site.Dispose()

Open  Search Service application  in central admin and run incremental crawl. 

Under Crawled properties search for "TestName"

If missing custom site columns in crawled properties, you should:

1. verify your custom fields is in use (in existing item or at least associated with visible content type)
2. check your search settings and crawled category properties
3. do a Search Index Reset
4. perform a full crawl

Even after full crawl if you can't find your column in crawled properties then create it using following powershell script.

add-pssnapin microsoft.sharepoint.powershell

$searchapp = Get-SPEnterpriseSearchServiceApplication

$cat = Get-SPEnterpriseSearchMetadataCategory -SearchApplication $searchapp -Identity SharePoint

$crawlprop = Get-SPEnterpriseSearchMetadataCrawledProperty -SearchApplication $searchapp -Category $cat -Limit 1

New-SPEnterpriseSearchMetadataCrawledProperty -SearchApplication $searchapp -Name "ows_TestName" -PropSet $crawlprop.PropSet -Category $crawlprop.CategoryName -IsNameEnum $false -VariantType $crawlprop.VariantType -IsMappedToContents $false

Now search again in crawled properties. you will find your "TestName" column.

Access is denied - SharePoint 2013 search crawl

Error Message : Access is denied. Verify that either the Default Content Access Account has access to this repository, or add a crawl rule to crawl this repository. If the repository being crawled is a SharePoint repository, verify that the account you are using has “Full Read” permissions on the SharePoint Web Application being crawled. ( Error from SharePoint site: HttpStatusCode Unauthorized The request failed with HTTP status 401: Unauthorized. )

Context: Application 'Search Service Application', Catalog 'Portal_Content'

Details: Access is denied. Verify that either the Default Content Access Account has access to this repository, or add a crawl rule to crawl this repository. If the repository being crawled is a SharePoint repository, verify that the account you are using has "Full Read" permissions on the SharePoint Web Application being crawled. (0x80041205)

Solution: Add Default Content Access Account for Search in your web application

Add-PSSnapin Microsoft.sharepoint.powershell
$userName = "<Domain\SearchAccount>" 
$displayName = "Search Crawl Account" 

Get-SPWebApplication https://mywebApplicationUrl | foreach { 
$webApp = $_ 
$policy = $webApp.Policies.Add($userName, $displayName) 
$policyRole = $webApp.PolicyRoles.GetSpecialRole([Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPPolicyRoleType]::FullRead) 
$policy.PolicyRoleBindings.Add($policyRole) 
$webApp.Update() 
}

It should fix the issue.

Hide Ribbon in SharePoint 2013

You might have thought to show Ribbon to administrator and hide it from other users due to security reason.

 In SharePoint 2013 , we can not modify the master page directly, we need to modify the concern html page.

Every master page in 2013 would have it concerned html page eg for Seattle.master we have Seattle.html

for oslo.master we have oslo.html page.

1. Open the html page in SharePointDesigner 2013.

2. Look for <div id=”ms-designer-ribbon”>

…..

</div>

3. Add the following markup enclosed in the <!--MS:--> and <!--ME:—> tags,

<!--MS:<SharePoint:SPSecurityTrimmedControl runat="server" PermissionsString="FullMask">-->

<div id=”ms-designer-ribbon”>

….

</div>

<!—MS:</SharePoint:SpSecurityTrimmedControl>—>

the design manager will create the corresponding master page with the correct functionality of showing the Ribbon for only administrators.

You can check different permissions level HERE.

SharePoint 2013: Useful Links

Installation and Configuration

Install and Configure SharePoint 2013 SP1
http://shlok-sharepoint.blogspot.in/2014/05/introduction-purpose-purpose-of-this.html

Configure an environment for apps for SharePoint (SharePoint 2013)
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/fp161236.aspx

Configure app authentication in SharePoint Server 2013
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj655398(v=office.15).aspx

How to: Set up an on-premises development environment for apps for SharePoint
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/office/fp179923(v=office.15).aspx#NextSteps

Create App

How to: Create high-trust apps for SharePoint 2013 using the server-to-server protocol (advanced topic)
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-US/library/office/fp179901.aspx

How to: Use an Office 365 SharePoint site to authorize provider-hosted apps on an on-premises SharePoint site(Used it to create n configure security token)
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/dn155905.aspx

Guidelines for registering apps for SharePoint 2013
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-US/library/office/jj687469

Client Web Part Definition Schema
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/dn481208.aspx

Deploying MVC5 based provider hosted apps for On-premise SharePoint 2013
http://spbreed.wordpress.com/2013/11/25/deploying-mvc5-based-provider-hosted-apps-for-on-premise-sharepoint-2013/

SSL in SharePoint 

use selfSSL7
http://blogs.iis.net/thomad/archive/2010/04/16/setting-up-ssl-made-easy.aspx

SSL for sharepoint site
http://blog.blksthl.com/2012/12/20/a-guide-to-https-and-secure-sockets-layer-in-sharepoint-2013/
https://confluence.atlassian.com/display/SPCON/Access+SharePoint+using+Basic+Authentication+and+SSL+(via+Alternative+Access+URL)+with+SP+2013

Development Issues

Access Denied Host Header Sharepoint
http://surendrabsingh.blogspot.in/2012/02/access-denied-host-header-sharepoint.html

Fix app deployment issue
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/how24/archive/2013/06/14/prepare-your-sharepoint-2013-farm-for-app-development-and-debugging.aspx

Publish reports to sharepoint
http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/sqlserver/en-US/506621e7-6c14-4a55-9a5e-eff9fc363250/cannot-deploy-to-sharepoint?forum=sqlreportingservices

SharePoint Provider-Hosted App - 401 Unauthorized error on clientContext.ExecuteQuery()
http://jamestsai.net/Blog/post/SharePoint-Provider-Hosted-App-401-Unauthorized-error-on-clientContextExecuteQuery().aspx

App Web is not deployed for this app's request url
http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/sharepoint/en-US/b3fb30b1-1ded-475f-95b5-3f6cef086855/app-web-is-not-deployed-for-this-apps-request-url?forum=appsforsharepoint

SharePoint 2013: How to refresh the Request Digest value in JavaScript
http://www.wictorwilen.se/sharepoint-2013-how-to-refresh-the-request-digest-value-in-javascript

http://techmikael.blogspot.in/2013/07/how-to-copy-files-between-sites-using.html

DisableLoopbackCheck & SharePoint: What every admin and developer should know.
http://www.harbar.net/archive/2009/07/02/disableloopbackcheck-amp-sharepoint-what-every-admin-and-developer-should-know.aspx


Metro style
http://www.drewgreenwell.com/

SharePoint 2013: AppFabric and Distributed Cache Service
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/20348.sharepoint-2013-appfabric-and-distributed-cache-service.aspx

SharePoint Apps 

Overview of apps for SharePoint 2013

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/fp161230(v=office.15).aspx

Important aspects of the app for SharePoint architecture and development landscapehttp://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/fp179896(v=office.15).aspx

Data access options for apps in SharePoint 2013http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/fp179897(v=office.15).aspx

Host webs, app webs, and SharePoint components in SharePoint 2013

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/fp179925(v=office.15).aspx

App for SharePoint update process

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/fp179904(v=office.15).aspx