We have several customers who use SharePoint 2010 Foundation and are constantly trying to get the most out of the product, envious of what SharePoint standard and enterprise can do, frustrated by Foundations limitations but liking its price tag.

I’ve compiled a list of useful add-on’s here but I’ll come back and keep adding to it as we find more that are note worthy.

 

Infrastructure

1. Install SharePoint 2010 Search Server Express
   • Gives you Foundation + Search + Web Analytics
2. Install SQL Server 2008R2 Express / 2012 Express (not with Advanced Services)
   • Gives you 10GB DB sizes. Be creative with site collections and content DB’s and this can take you quite far.
3. A Test Farm with the same configuration as production. You don’t want to go installing third party add-ons which could break production, trust me… they can.
4. Two servers for production –one web front end, one backend for SQL. If you’ve got less than 50 users you can get away with an all in one (but don’t quote me on that).

Graphing

1. Generate graphs based on lists http://charts4sharepoint.codeplex.com/
   • Renders graphs in flash, won’t work on iPads.
2. Another graphing tool http://smarttools.codeplex.com/releases/view/22111
   • Renders using silverlight, won’t work on iPads.
3. Google Charts http://www.amrein.com/apps/page.asp?Q=5749
   • Uses the Google Charts API so makes api requests across your firewall, rendered client side. Will work on iPads.

Visual Enhancements

1. Metro design master page for an Intranet based on Foundation (don’t use this for a collaboration areas since it is fixed width). http://lifeinsharepoint.codeplex.com/releases/view/78033
2. Rotating news and pictures (Google seems to see Malware on the page from the guy who wrote it but it looks like that’s just due to the screenshot coming from that site) https://enr2.codeplex.com/
3. List column Filter http://www.amrein.com/apps/page.asp?Q=5835

Workflow Extensions

1. Attach an file to an email workflow http://sharepointstuff.codeplex.com/releases/view/66258

Site Templates (focused on business process solutions)

1. Brightworks Project Management Site Templates. Lite and Structured project sites.
2. The upgraded fabulous 40 template from SharePoint 2007 http://www.techsolutions.net/SharePointSolutions.aspx
   • careful, no upgrades to SP2013 and occasional bugs in workflows and behaviours that worked in 2007 so some effort may be required.

List Templates

<None to list here yet>

System Management

1. SharePoint 2010 Manager http://spm.codeplex.com/releases/view/97332
2. SharePoint Versioning Manager http://versioningmanager.codeplex.com/

List Forms

1. Cascading Dropdown lists http://www.uccorner.com/253/sharepoint/cascading-drop-down-sharepoint-foundation-2010/
2. Extended column, view and content type security http://sppex.codeplex.com/
3. View lists across sites and site collections in the same web application http://www.powerpartsforsharepoint.com/collaboration/cross-site-viewer-web-part

Navigation

1. Basic Search Centre back button (pretty obvious missing piece of user interface) <Linking coming soon>

User Management

1. Update user profiles from within SharePoint http://www.powerpartsforsharepoint.com/download-now
2. Sync AD user properties to a SharePoint list http://www.powerpartsforsharepoint.com/active-directory/ad-syncronization-module-for-sharepoint-2010-2013-free

Data consumption and manipulation

1. Cross site list data lookup http://www.powerpartsforsharepoint.com/download-now

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Keep checking back on this post and I’ll keep adding suggestions and more information. If you have any suggestions for Foundation, let me know in the comments.

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