SharePoint 2013 Project Summary Web Part: Custom Data Display Solution

I remember my first SharePoint 2013 project like it was yesterday—spent 6 hours wrestling with web parts before finding the right approach. The Project Summary Web Part was the missing piece.

Between you and me, the default options never quite fit. This solution lets you display custom project data exactly how your team needs it, with no coding required. Just configuration and a clear understanding of your data sources.

You’ll need SharePoint Designer and proper permissions to get started. The setup takes under 20 minutes once you know the steps, and the result is a clean, functional display that updates automatically.

Works for any SharePoint 2013 environment. Here’s how to make it happen.

What Youll Need

Instructions

Here’s the method I use to deploy a custom data display solution without breaking existing functionality.

Open Visual Studio 2012 or 2013 and select New Project. Choose the SharePoint 2013 – Empty Project template under the Office/SharePoint category. Ensure the target framework is set to .NET Framework 4.5 for compatibility.

Specify the local SharePoint site URL for debugging. I always deploy as a farm solution for this scenario—sandboxed solutions lack the permissions needed for custom web parts that query project data across sites.

Right-click the project in Solution Explorer, then select Add > New Item. Choose Visual Web Part from the SharePoint templates. Name it ProjectSummaryWebPart for clarity.

This automatically generates the necessary files: a .ascx user control for the UI, a .cs code-behind file, and the Elements.xml manifest. The web part class inherits from WebPart, which provides the base functionality.

Open the .ascx file and add the UI controls. For a project summary, I typically use a GridView or Repeater control to display tabular data. Add a Label for the title and a Literal control for dynamic content like status messages.

Set the AutoGenerateColumns property of the GridView to false and manually define columns for Project Name, Status, Start Date, and End Date. This ensures consistent rendering.

In the code-behind file, add a method to fetch project data. Use the SharePoint Server Object Model to query the Projects list. A typical pattern involves SPListItemCollection and a CAMLQuery to filter and retrieve items.

I wrap the data access in a try-catch block to handle exceptions gracefully. Bind the retrieved data to the GridView in the OnLoad method, but only if !IsPostBack to avoid unnecessary reprocessing.

Build the solution, then right-click the project and select Deploy. SharePoint packages and deploys the solution to the local farm. Verify deployment success in the Solution Gallery under Site Settings.

Navigate to the target page, edit it, and add your web part from the Custom category. Test by checking if the project data populates correctly. If the GridView appears empty, use Developer Dashboard or ULS logs to diagnose data retrieval issues.

Tips and Common Mistakes

Here are some key insights I’ve gathered from years of SharePoint development that will save you headaches.

Project Configuration: Always double-check your target framework in Step 1—using anything other than .NET Framework 4.5 can cause compatibility issues with SharePoint 2013. I learned this the hard way when a client’s environment rejected a solution built with the wrong framework version.

Web Part Naming: In Step 2, naming your web part ProjectSummaryWebPart or something equally descriptive isn’t just about organization—it makes debugging far easier when you’re scanning logs later. Trust me, vague names like “WebPart1” will haunt you during troubleshooting.

UI Design Tip: When setting AutoGenerateColumns to false in Step 3, manually defining each column ensures your GridView displays exactly the data you need without extra clutter. This is especially important when working with custom project data structures.

Error Handling: The try-catch block in Step 4 isn’t optional—SharePoint data queries can fail for countless reasons, from permission issues to malformed list data. Always log exceptions to the ULS logs; it’s the only way to diagnose issues in production environments.

Frequently Asked Questions

The SharePoint 2013 Project Summary Web Part offers a powerful way to customize data display and streamline project tracking. With the right configuration, you can enhance collaboration and improve visibility across teams. Ready to get started? Dive into your SharePoint environment and explore how this web part can transform your workflow! 🚀