Using deployed wsp solution in MOSS 2007

Question

i have a bit of stupid question, but i'm really having trouble with it. I have a wsp project which i have successfully added to MOSS 2007 using stsadm.exe and deployed it via sharepoint central administration. This has created a new folder in C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\TEMPLATE\LAYOUTS\ with solution files, so my issue is how to use/create workspace using this solution. I have no new feature, site type etc. in my sharepoint. The solution had been created by another developer whom i cannot contact.

Answer 1

Deploying it through Central Admin isn't the same as activating the feature.

There are several scopes in which a feature could belong:

Web
Site
Web Application
Farm

Only solutions targeted to Web or Site can be activated within SharePoint UI. The others are done through Central Administration. On activation of the feature is when work is performed.

Site: Site Collection Features
Web: Site Features

If you want to see what's in the WSP, you can make a copy and change the extension to .CAB and browse the files. Any DLLs will be likely deployed to the GAC.* If you look at the other XML files you can see what's in them and guess where they are going. Chances are pretty big the feature is Site or Web scoped. If it contains a SharePoint Timer Job, it'll be either Web or Farm scoped but could be Site scoped as well.

The only thing that could be complicated is features can be marked as hidden. If this is the case, the feature won't show in the Site- or Site Collection Features area. Instead you'll have to activate using an STSADM command (activatefeature) passing the name or GUID along with the URL where you'd like the feature activated. You can find this info by opening the WSP and looking at the XML files within.

*Some DLLs might just be feature receivers - code that will run on Feature Activation or Deactivation to do some additional things through the OM.