Windows SharePoint Services File System and “Customized” Pages
WSS File System is represented by pair of tables: “dbo.AllDocs” and “dbo.AllDocStreams”. “dbo.AllDocs” table is a file system itself. “dbo.AllDocStreams” contains binary data of uploaded files. “Customized” or “Unghosted” pages are saved into WSS File System instead of hard drive. This document shows the way of how to return them back to the physical disk.
This document can be used by programmer as a reference.
WSS File System is described by dbo.AllDocs table.
The following two columns create WSS File System hierarchy:
· Id
· ParentId
Virtual path to the File System resource is a combination of the following two columns:
· DirName – path to the resource
· LeafName – resource name
For example:
· DirName=”_catalogs/masterpage” and LeafName=”default.master” for “_catalogs/masterpage/default.master” path
· DirName=”_catalogs” and LeafName=”masterpage” for “_catalogs/masterpage” path
· DirName=”” and LeafName=”_catalogs” for “_catalogs” path
“Type” column contains 0 for file and 1 for folder. It has 2 for root folder (DirName=”” and LeafName=””).
“Size” column has file size in bytes and NULL for folder.
Column “DocFlags” has 268 for resources located on hard drive and 332 for resources located inside dbo.AllDocStreams table.
If DocFlags=268 then resource is taken from file system, using path from SetupPath column. That path is a relative path to the “C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\TEMPLATE” folder. For example: SetupPath=”global\default.master” means “C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\TEMPLATE\global\default.master”.
1. Upload any custom built Master Page into “Master Page Gallery”.
Click Site Actions -> Site Settings -> Galleries -> Master Pages -> Upload -> Browse
I saved a copy of “Global\Default.master” file as “Global\vitaly.master” and modified “vitaly.master”, adding word “WssFileSystem” immediately after <body> element for this example.
Uncheck “Add as a new version to existing files” and don’t fill “Version Comments”.
I uploaded “vitaly.master” file for example.
As a result, uploaded master page appeared inside dbo.AllDocs table under “_catalogs/masterpage” folder. You can check that running the following statement:
SELECT
DirName,
LeafName
FROM
dbo.AllDocs
WHERE
DirName='_catalogs/masterpage' AND
Type=0
It returned the following two entries for my example:
|
DirName |
LeafName |
|
_catalogs/masterpage |
default.master |
|
_catalogs/masterpage |
vitaly.master |
2. Change Site Master Page
There are two options to do that:
a) Swap LeafName values, that is rename “default.master” to “vitally.master” and “vitally.master” to “default.master”:
-- Rename default.master into default_original.master
UPDATE
dbo.AllDocs
SET
LeafName='default_original.master'
WHERE
DirName='_catalogs/masterpage' AND
LeafName='default.master'
-- Rename vitaly.master into default.master
UPDATE
dbo.AllDocs
SET
LeafName='default.master'
WHERE
DirName='_catalogs/masterpage' AND
LeafName='vitaly.master'
-- Rename default_original.master into vitaly.master
UPDATE
dbo.AllDocs
SET
LeafName='vitaly.master'
WHERE
DirName='_catalogs/masterpage' AND
LeafName='default_original.master'
This is a “dirty” way because you need to remember that original “default.master” is stored as “vitaly.master” from now on.
b) Change MasterUrl value from “_catalogs/masterpage/default.master” to “_catalogs/masterpage/vitaly.master” inside dbo.Webs table:
SELECT
MasterUrl
FROM
dbo.Webs
|
MasterUrl |
|
_catalogs/masterpage/default.master |
-- Change master page
UPDATE
dbo.Webs
SET
MasterUrl='_catalogs/masterpage/vitaly.master'
WHERE
MasterUrl='_catalogs/masterpage/default.master'
SELECT
MasterUrl
FROM
dbo.Webs
|
MasterUrl |
|
_catalogs/masterpage/vitaly.master |
After refreshing SharePoint site I saw word “WssFileSystem” at left top corner of the screen.
Placing Master Page on Hard
Drive
Continuing with above example, let place “vitally.master” file on physical disk as “Vitaly\vitaly.master”.
I created “Vitaly” folder under “C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\TEMPLATE\”, saved a copy of “Global\Default.master” file as “Vitaly\vitaly.master” and modified “vitaly.master”, adding word “LocalDisk” immediately after <body> element for this example.
1. We need to provide “SetupPath” – physical path to the file on hard drive. In our case it is “Vitaly\vitaly.master”.
2. We need to change the value of “DocFlags” column from 332 (which forces SharePoint to take file from dbo.AllDocStreams table) to 268. If DocFlags=268 then resource is taken from local disk, using path from SetupPath column.
UPDATE
dbo.AllDocs
SET
DocFlags=268
SetupPath='Vitaly\vitaly.master'
WHERE
LeafName='vitaly.master'
After refreshing SharePoint site I saw word “LocalDisk” at left top corner of the screen.
Now there are two “vitaly.master” files. One is on the local disk and second is inside dbo.AllDocStreams table. It is easy to switch between them changing “DocFlags” value:
-- Show file from dbo.AllDocStreams table
UPDATE
dbo.AllDocs
SET
DocFlags=332
WHERE
LeafName='vitaly.master'
After refreshing SharePoint site I saw word “WssFileSystem” at left top corner of the screen.
-- Show file from file system
UPDATE
dbo.AllDocs
SET
DocFlags=268
WHERE
LeafName='vitaly.master'
After refreshing SharePoint site I saw word “LocalDisk” at left top corner of the screen.
It is easy to specify to SharePoint where it should take a resource from – WSS File System or local dick.
Vitaly Laskarzhevsky
2007-09-05