Automating SharePoint Online using PowerShell and CSOM

We always think of having automation solution while deploying components in office 365 projects. I can also say it’s a really challenging moving list, libraries, all out of the box development from Dev to other sites.

Using PowerShell and CSOM Combination, we can write a script to automate the deployment process. I have implemented a few of the scripts to automate the deployment process, which I will be explaining in further articles.

Let’s start with “How to connect Office 365 site from PowerShell editor?”

We have to prepare our machine to write the script. Here is an interesting part you can write the scripts in SharePoint (On-Premise) server or we can use our local system to write the script.

Open Windows PowerShell ISE with Run as administrator.

If you get below error with respect to Machine policy then we just need to change the Execution policy of the system.

Update Execution Policy as per below command but you need administrator access to run this command. Open the PowerShell editor as an administrator and then update the execution policy.

PS C:\> Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted

As said earlier I am writing the scripts in my local system, so I need to keep all SharePoint DLL’s in local folder to provide the reference in script.

You can copy the DLL’s from SharePoint server or download it from below URL. http://www.microsoft.com/en-ie/download/details.aspx?id=35585

I have created Library folder to keep all required. DLL files, which I’m referring in the code.
Below code will create Term sets based on provided XML inputs.



Script Code:

cls

$0 = $MyInvocation.MyCommand.Definition

$dp0 = [System.IO.Path]::GetDirectoryName($0)

$xmlFilePath = $(“$dp0\Inputs.xml”)

$xmldata = [xml](Get-Content($xmlFilePath));

$username = “emailid@microsoft.com”

$password = Read-Host -Prompt “Please enter your password” -AsSecureString

$url = $xmldata.WebSite.Url

$securePassword = ConvertTo-SecureString $password -AsPlainText -Force

# connect/authenticate to SharePoint Online and get ClientContext object..

$clientContext = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.ClientContext($url)

$credentials = New-ObjectMicrosoft.SharePoint.Client.SharePointOnlineCredentials($username, $securePassword)

$clientContext.Credentials = $credentials

Add-Type -Path “C:\Library\Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.dll”

Add-Type -Path “C:\Library\Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.Runtime.dll”

Add-Type -Path “C:\Library\Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.Publishing.dll”

Add-Type -Path “C:\Library\Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.Taxonomy.dll”

$clientContext = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.ClientContext($url)

$credentials = New-ObjectMicrosoft.SharePoint.Client.SharePointOnlineCredentials($username, $securePassword)

$clientContext.Credentials = $credentials

if (!$clientContext.ServerObjectIsNull.Value)

{

Write-Host “Connected to SharePoint Online site: ‘$Url'” -ForegroundColor Green

$web = $clientContext.Web

$clientContext.Load($web)

$clientContext.ExecuteQuery()

}

unction createTerms([Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.Web] $web)

{

$TMS =[Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.Taxonomy.TaxonomySession]::GetTaxonomySession($clientContext)

$clientContext.Load($TMS)

$clientContext.ExecuteQuery()

if(!$TMS.ServerObjectIsNull.Value)

{

Write-Host “Connected to SharePoint Taxonomy” -ForegroundColor Green

#Retrieve Term Stores

$TermStores = $TMS.TermStores

$clientContext.Load($TermStores)

$clientContext.ExecuteQuery()

if(!$TermStores.ServerObjectIsNull.Value)

{

Write-Host “Get SharePoint Taxonomy TermStores” -ForegroundColor Green

#Bind to Term Store

$TermStore = $TermStores[0]

$clientContext.Load($TermStore)

$clientContext.ExecuteQuery()

#Get Groups

$Groups = $TermStore.Groups

$clientContext.Load($Groups)

$clientContext.ExecuteQuery()

#Get Site collection Group

$Group = $Groups[2]

$clientContext.Load($Group)

$clientContext.ExecuteQuery()

if(!$Group.ServerObjectIsNull.Value)

{

Foreach ($TermMain in $xmldata.WebSite.TermMain)

{

$TermSet = $Group.CreateTermSet($xmldata.WebSite.TermMain.TermName,[System.Guid]::NewGuid().toString(),1033)

$TermSet.SetCustomProperty(“_Sys_Nav_IsNavigationTermSet”, “True”)

#$TermSet.SetCustomProperty(“_Sys_Nav_CustomSortOrder”, “True”)

$clientContext.Load($TermSet)

$clientContext.ExecuteQuery()

Foreach ($TermSub1 in $TermMain.TermSet)

{

$TermSubSet1 = $TermSet.CreateTerm($TermSub1.Name,1033,[System.Guid]::NewGuid().toString())

$TermSubSet1.SetCustomProperty(“_Sys_Nav_IsNavigationTermSet”,”True”)

$TermSubSet1.SetLocalCustomProperty(“_Sys_Nav_SimpleLinkUrl”,$TermSub1.Url)

$clientContext.Load($TermSubSet1)

$clientContext.ExecuteQuery()

Foreach ($TermSub2 in $TermSub1.Term)

{

$TermSubSet2 = $TermSubSet1.CreateTerm($TermSub2.Name,1033,[System.Guid]::NewGuid().toString())

$TermSubSet2.SetCustomProperty(“_Sys_Nav_IsNavigationTermSet”,”True”)

$TermSubSet2.SetLocalCustomProperty(“_Sys_Nav_SimpleLinkUrl”,$TermSub2.Url)

$clientContext.Load($TermSubSet2)

$clientContext.ExecuteQuery()

Foreach ($TermSub3 in $TermSub2.TermSub)

{

$TermSubSet3 = $TermSubSet2.CreateTerm($TermSub3.Name,1033,[System.Guid]::NewGuid().toString())

$TermSubSet3.SetCustomProperty(“_Sys_Nav_IsNavigationTermSet”,”True”)

$TermSubSet3.SetLocalCustomProperty(“_Sys_Nav_SimpleLinkUrl”,$TermSub3.Url)

$clientContext.Load($TermSubSet3)

$clientContext.ExecuteQuery()

}

}

}

}

}

}

}

}

createTerms $web

So here i am calling the createTerms function.

XML Input Values:
<?xml version=”1.0″ encoding=”utf-8″?>
<WebSite Url=”https://company.sharepoint.com/sites/Sample” >
<TermMain TermName=”Custom Top Navigation” GroupURL=”company.sharepoint.com” >
<TermSet Name=”Home” Url=”/” Order=”1″>
</TermSet>
<TermSet Name=”Departments” Url=”/sites/Library” Order=”2″>
<Term Name=”Accounting” Url=”/sites/Accounting”>
<TermSub Name=”Accounting1″ Url=”/sites/Accounting/Accounting1″ />
</Term>
<Term Name=”IT” Url=”/sites/IT” />
<Term Name=”Marketing” Url=”/sites/Marketing” />
</TermSet>
</TermMain>
</WebSite>

Read some SharePoint 2013 tutorials:

• Configure Site Mail Box for Office 365 SharePoint Online Site
• Azure Add-in Send Email SharePoint Online Office 365
• Create SharePoint 2013 List using out of box or custom template using PowerShell
• Deploy sharepoint 2013 designer workflow into production in SharePoint online
• SharePoint designer workflows and create workflow using SharePoint designer 2013

I will post a few more scripts. Hope this will be useful.
Thanks,
Sambita