PowerShell to repeatedly provision SharePoint master and config data

The ease of creating and maintaining SharePoint lists also makes them a good option for application configuration. As example, in one application I applied SharePoint list as the configuration storage for task types specification, in another as the configuration storage of the specifications for BCS invocations via a generic BDC model. However, as easy it is to create a list; so it is also to delete one including the configuration contents. In particular in the development phase, with repeated solution deployment and feature de- and reactivation, typically the configuration list and thus its contents get deleted.

To cope with this, I utilize PowerShell to refill the list with the desired configurations. And the same PowerShell scripts are also of use for transition of the application from development landscape to QA, and ultimate to production.

Example:

# script
 
Clear
 
# Fill Configuration
$webApp = “<url>"
$ApplicationConfigList="/Lists/ApplicationConfiguration"
 
# functions
 
function X-CheckItemNotExists($list, $itemTitle)
{
   $camlQuery =
      "<Where>
         <Eq>
            <FieldRef Name='Title' />
            <Value Type='Text'>" + $itemTitle + "</Value>
         </Eq>
       </Where>"
   $spQuery = new-object Microsoft.SharePoint.SPQuery
   $spQuery.Query = $camlQuery
   $spQuery.RowLimit = 1
   $destItemCollection = $list.GetItems($spQuery)
   return $destItemCollection.Count -eq 0
}
 
# Initialization
 
$spWeb = Get-SPWeb $webApp
 
# (Re)fill the Application Config Settings
 
$ApplicationConfigSettings = @{
   "0" = @("<config-item title>", "AovpGetPerson ", "{0,8:D8}{1,30: 30}", "<SAP-system-ID>");
   "1" = @("< config-item title>", "CrmGetCustomer", "{0,8:D8}{1,8:D8}", "<Oracle-system-ID>")
}
                              
$spApplicationConfigList = $spWeb.GetList($ApplicationConfigList)
foreach ($array in $ ApplicationConfigSettings.values) {
   if (X-CheckItemNotExists -list $spApplicationConfigList -itemTitle $array[0].ToString())
   {
      $spApplicationConfigItem = $spApplicationConfigList.AddItem()
      $spApplicationConfigItem["JsonMethodName"] = $array[0].ToString()
      $spApplicationConfigItem["GenericModuleMethodName"] = $array[1].ToString()
      $spApplicationConfigItem["CallInputParamsFormat"] = $array[2].ToString() 
      $spApplicationConfigItem["ExternalSystemAlias"] = $array[3].ToString()   
      $spApplicationConfigItem.Update()
   }
}
  
# Release
 
$spWeb.Dispose()