Feature stapling - custom code OnSiteCreation

I wanted to enable some features upon a siteCollection creation, but i couldnt find an eventhandler which I could use to run some code in to activate those features. I found out that sharepoint is missing a OnSiteCreation event :(. After some search on the web, I found out some possibilities:

1) alter the SiteTemplates
This was no option for me: too much work for a lazy person like me
2) feature stapling
This was a technique I never heard of: A new, farm wide feature is created, with a
reference to a stapling.xml. That file is filled with:
* elements
* FeatureSiteTemplateAssociation Id: the feature that needs to be installed
* TemplateName

This way, features can be activated to some siteDefinitions (for example STS#1, BLANKINTERNET#0) or to the GLOBAL definition!

When making a custom feature with a OnFeatureActivated method, and that feature is deployed to GLOBAL, code can be executed ON SITE CREATION!

NOTE: the STS#1 (blank page) has a setting "AllowGlobalFeatureAssociations" set to false. This way, the STS#1 sitedefinition needs to be added to, when you want to execute custom code to be executed when any site is created.

<br /><Elements xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/"><br /> <FeatureSiteTemplateAssociation Id="F6924D36-2FA8-4f0b-B16D-06B7250180FA" TemplateName="GLOBAL" /> <br /> <FeatureSiteTemplateAssociation Id="F6924D36-2FA8-4f0b-B16D-06B7250180FA" TemplateName="STS#1" /> <br /></Elements><br />

generic feature to install a custom masterpage

During my current job i needed to create a few new visual designs and install them as a masterpage. I searched the internet and found a custom masterpage changer, and used it. But it didnt fullfill my needs. WHen using this solution, i needed to have 7 assemblies for 7 masterpages. I changed the code and the feature.xml a bit to make it more generic. The code isn't too neat, it's more of quickly hacked ;)

How to use it?

Create a new dir with the name of your feature. Put an elements.xml, feature.xml and a dir with the name of your masterpage([name]). put the NewDesign.master, and custom css files (and maybe some other files) into that directory.

FeatureName
|- [Name]
|- Feature.xml
|- Elements.xml

put the ChangeMaster assembly into the GAC.


feature.xml:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<Feature xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/"
Id="90969656-A1C9-4f40-A95F-A3BDDF5723BF"
Title="Use Custom Master File"
Scope="Web"
ReceiverAssembly="CustomMaster, Version=1.0.0.0,
Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b2f164534d725b81"
ReceiverClass ="CustomMaster.ChangeMaster"
>
<ElementManifests>
<ElementManifest Location="Elements.xml"/>
</ElementManifests>
<Properties>
<Property Key="VisualDesignName" Value="[Name]" />
</Properties>
</Feature>



elements.xml:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<Elements xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/">
<Module Name="AddMasters" Url="_catalogs/MasterPage" >
<File Url="[NAME]/NewDesign.master" Type="GhostableInLibrary"
IgnoreIfAlreadyExists="True"/>
<File Url="[NAME]/custom.master" Type="GhostableInLibrary"
IgnoreIfAlreadyExists="True"/>
<File Url="[NAME]/custom.css" Type="GhostableInLibrary"
IgnoreIfAlreadyExists="True"/>
<File Url="[NAME]/custom_tables.css" Type="GhostableInLibrary"
IgnoreIfAlreadyExists="True"/>
</Module>
</Elements>


using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text;
using Microsoft.SharePoint;

namespace CustomMaster
{
public class ChangeMaster : Microsoft.SharePoint.SPFeatureReceiver
{
public override void FeatureInstalled
(SPFeatureReceiverProperties properties)
{
}
public override void FeatureUninstalling
(SPFeatureReceiverProperties properties)
{

}
public override void FeatureActivated
(SPFeatureReceiverProperties properties)
{
string strKey = "VisualDesignName";
string name = properties.Definition.Properties[strKey].Value;

SPWeb CurrentWeb = properties.Feature.Parent as SPWeb;
string filler = "/";
if (CurrentWeb.ServerRelativeUrl == "/")
{
filler = "";
}
CurrentWeb.MasterUrl = CurrentWeb.ServerRelativeUrl + filler + "_catalogs/masterpage/" + name + "/NewDesign.master";
CurrentWeb.CustomMasterUrl = CurrentWeb.ServerRelativeUrl + filler + "_catalogs/masterpage/" +name + "/custom.master";
CurrentWeb.Update();
}
public override void FeatureDeactivating
(SPFeatureReceiverProperties properties)
{
SPWeb CurrentWeb = properties.Feature.Parent as SPWeb;

string filler = "/";
if (CurrentWeb.ServerRelativeUrl == "/")
{
filler = "";
}

CurrentWeb.MasterUrl = CurrentWeb.ServerRelativeUrl + filler + "_catalogs/masterpage/default.master";
CurrentWeb.CustomMasterUrl = CurrentWeb.ServerRelativeUrl + filler + "_catalogs/masterpage/default.master";
CurrentWeb.Update();
}
}
}