This is a collection of questions and answers about Microsoft® Content Management Server (MCMS) gathered from the MCMS newsgroup. This content is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights. If you have feedback about one of these topics or would like to add information, please post your comments to the MCMS newsgroup.

 

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Steve Cawood Program Manager

MCMS 2002 - Visual Studio .NET FAQ - Table of Contents

Accessing a MCMS Web site different from the Default Web site
Application for project type .csproj is not installed
Developertools.xml not found
Error Message: "Cannot MCMS-enable a project that is on a remote computer"
Error message: "Could not get the root template gallery"
Error message: "This operation requires the context of a Posting"
RobotMetaTag
Virtual directory "CMS" cannot be created
Visual Studio .NET 2003 and .NET Framework 1.1 support
Visual Studio .NET 2003 not recognized
Visual Studio .NET hangs on project creation

Topic: Accessing a MCMS Web site different from the Default Web site

How can I configure Microsoft® Visual Studio® .NET to access a MCMS Web site that is different from the Default Web Site?

Answer

First of all: Microsoft officially only supports the Default Web site to be used with VS.NET and the MCMS developer tools. But there is a method to get it working for different Web sites.

It is required that the Web site you are trying to access has a unique port. No other Web site (independend if started or not) must have the same port number.

In addition you need to modify the 'InstanceID' in your DeveloperTools.xml file located at C:\Program Files\Microsoft Content Management Server\DevTools. This number should correspond with the entry point of your Web site in Internet Service Manager.

<CMSENVIRONMENT>
  <SERVER BaseUrl="http://localhost" InstanceId="1" />
  <TEMPLATE QueryString="" />
</CMSENVIRONMENT> 

To determine this number have a look in the registry. There is a key for every entry point below
\HKLM\SOFTWARE\NCompass\Resolution Content Server\Configuration\0\EntryPoints.

Also ensure that the MCMS Web site has a unique port that is not being used by any other Web site. The MCMS developer tools will try to create necessary virtual directories on the first Web site with the given port and ignore the 'InstanceId'. This also happens if the other Web site is stopped.

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Topic: Application for project type .csproj is not installed

After installing the WoodgroveNet sample (which installed successfully), I attempted to open the project in Visual Studio. I was told that 'The application for project http://localhost/woodgrovenet/woodgrovenet.csproj is not installed. Make sure the application for the project type (.csproj) is installed.'

I click OK and get 'The application for project 'C:\Program Files\ Microsoft Content management
Server\Sample Data\McmsWebControlLibrary\McmsWebControlLibrary.csproj' is installed. Make sure the application for the project type (.csproj) is installed.'

What's the problem here?

Answer

Please check if you installed C# support when you installed Visual Studio .NET. You may have just installed VB.NET support.

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Topic: Developertools.xml not found

Whenever I start Microsoft® Visual Studio® .NET 2003 I receive the following error message: "Developertools.xml not found".

Answer

This can happen when 3rd party Microsoft Visual Studio .NET add-ins are installed.

To confirm whether the problem is caused by one of these, deactivate all 3rd party add-ins.

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Topic: Error Message: "Cannot MCMS-enable a project that is on a remote computer"

I am using Content Management server 2002 (SP1a installed) with Visual Studio .NET. While creating a new MCMS Web project I receive the following error message: "The 'New MCMS server project' operation failed because the following preconditions were not met: - Cannot MCMS-enable a project that is on a remote computer".

How can I solve this?

Answer

This can happen if you did not use a Url with the host name "localhost" when creating the project. The developer tools are only supported with the default web site running on port 80.

Different web sites and ports can be used - although not officially supported - if the port is unique.

To use a different Web site than the default web site you need to modify the 'InstanceID' in your DeveloperTools.xml file located at C:\Program Files\Microsoft Content Management Server\DevTools. This number should correspond with the entry point of your Web site in Internet Service Manager.

<CMSENVIRONMENT>
  <SERVER BaseUrl="http://localhost" InstanceId="1" />
  <TEMPLATE QueryString="" />
</CMSENVIRONMENT>

To determine this number have a look in the registry. There is a key for every entry point below:
\HKLM\SOFTWARE\NCompass\Resolution Content Server\Configuration\0\EntryPoints.

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Topic: Error message: "Could not get the root template gallery"

Error when using MCMS Template Explorer: "Could not get the root template gallery".

Answer

Here are some things to consider:

1. The Web application is not located on the local Microsoft Visual Studio® .NET server. The developer tools can only access the local MCMS server.
   
2. The user running Microsoft Visual Studio .NET is not in a Template Designer role or their role does not have access to the root template gallery.
   
3. Check the details of the error message text for further hints. E.g. it can contain the message 'The CMS Server license has expired'. If this happens for a non-eval edition of MCMS then this indicates a problem when reading the registry. This can be caused by permission problem when accessing the registry. Please check the permissions on the \HTKLM\Software\NCompass registry key.
   
4. On Windows Server 2003 or with Windows 2000 SP4 ensure that the user running Visual Studio .NET has the "Impersonate a client after authentication" privilege.
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Topic: Error message: "This operation requires the context of a Posting"

I am trying to follow the "Using Visual Studio .NET to Create a MCMS Web Site" article from the MCMS help file. When I test the site I receive the following error:

This operation requires the context of a Posting. The request must have a valid Posting Url or QueryString so that the CmsHttpContext.Posting will not be null.

Answer

MCMS template files cannot be executed on their own. They need to be executed in the context of a posting (as indicated in the error message).

To create a posting, login and then browse to the channel you want to create a posting. You should see a "Switch To Edit Site" link on the cover page. After clicking this link you will find a "Create New Page" link. This will allow you to pick the template from the template gallery and create a new posting based on this template.

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Topic: RobotMetaTag

What is the MCMS 'RobotMetaTag' and why should I add it to my template?

Answer

The RobotMetaTag does the following two things:

• Renders a META tag specifying the robot directives (INDEX, FOLLOW, NOINDEX, or NOFOLLOW) matching the settings in the page properties dialog for the posting.
  
• Renders a BASE tag with an href that is the entire path and querystring for the template ASPX file. This causes Microsoft Internet Explorer to resolve relative links based on the template file’s virtual location instead of the perceived address in the browser address bar (which changes between edit and live mode). This behavior can be turned off by adding the “RenderBaseHref=False” to the RobotMetaTag server control tag, but the index and follow meta tags are always printed out, even when the RenderBaseHref is turned off.

It is not necessary if both of the following are true:

• You have no need for robot meta tag directives.
  
• You have no links to images or script files which have a source specified as a link relative to the template file (e.g. a file in your Microsoft Visual Studio® .NET project). This also applies, to links pointing to named anchors within the page (e.g. #faq).
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Topic: Virtual directory "CMS" cannot be created

I have created a new Visual Studio .NET project and I am trying to enable it as a MCMS project. I am getting this error: 

---------------------------
Microsoft Development Environment
---------------------------
Could not create virtual directory 'http://localhost/project/CMS' in location C:\Program Files\Microsoft Content Management Server\Server\IIS_CMS\.
---------------------------

What could cause this problem?

Answer

Here are some things to investigate:

1. Ensure that the project path in Visual Studio .NET to the Web site is http://localhost/projectname (not http://localhost/projectname/). No other name is supported since only local Web sites can be enabled as MCMS projects.
   
2. Ensure that the Web site you are using has a unique port. This includes Web sites that are stopped.
   
3. Ensure that the DeveloperTools.xml has the correct port and 'InstanceId' for the Web site configured.
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Topic: Visual Studio .NET 2003 and .NET Framework 1.1 support

I tried using MCMS 2002 with Microsoft Visual Studio® .NET 2003 and .NET Framework 1.1 but ran into errors.

Answer

MCMS 2002 RTM does not support Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003 and/or .NET Framework 1.1.

Support for Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003 and .NET Framework 1.1 is added with MCMS 2002 Service Pack 1.

To install MCMS 2002 with Visual Studio .NET 2003 follow the hints below:

• install MCMS 2002 Server component only (no Developer Tools, no Site Manager, no Site Stager)
  
• install MCMS 2002 Service Pack 1

MCMS 2002 SP1 will give you the option to install updated versions of Site Manager, Site Stager and the Developer Tools.

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Topic: Visual Studio .NET 2003 not recognized

I currently have Microsoft® Visual Studio® .NET 2003 installed. I am trying to install MCMS 2002 but I keep receiving the following error message:

"Microsoft Visual Studio .NET not found (needed by Dev Tools)"

Answer

Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003 is not recognized by the MCMS 2002 installer because this product was not out when MCMS 2002 was released. Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003 support is added with MCMS 2002 SP1.


To get around this problem do the following:

1. Install MCMS 2002 server component only (no Site Manager, no Site Stager, no Developer Tools)
   
2. Install MCMS 2002 SP1. The SP1 install will give you the chance to install updated versions of the above components including Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003 support.
   
   - or -
   
   Install MCMS 2002 SP1a. After installing this service pack use Control Panel - Add/Remove Programs - Select MCMS in the list - use the change option to install the missing components now.
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Topic: Visual Studio .NET hangs on project creation

When I try to create a new MCMS template project in Microsoft® Visual Studio® .NET project Microsoft Visual Studio .NET (DEVENV.EXE process) hangs indefinitely.

What might cause this?

Answer

This can happen when Microsoft Visual Studio .NET Analyzer is turned on under Administrative Tools, Data Sources (ODBC), Tracing

Alternatively you can check if the following registry key is set to 1 in the current user profile:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ODBC\ODBC.INI\ODBC]
"Vista"="1"

To resolve this stop Microsoft Visual Studio .NET Analyzer using the button in Administrative Tools, Data Sources (ODBC), Tracing tab.

Alternatively you can resolve it by setting the above registry key value to “0”

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