Publishing the Smarter Advent Calendar in the SharePoint Store

Christmas sweets are already back on supermarket shelves – the perfect reminder to give our Smarter Advent Calendar some love. In this article we share the improvements that will let us publish the solution in the SharePoint Store.

Automated provisioning of SharePoint lists

After installing the web part from the store, all required SharePoint lists are created automatically the first time the web part loads. We add the necessary fields to each list and include them in the default view, saving administrators the manual configuration effort. For the content list we even pre-populate the 24 items – one for each day – so you can immediately start adding text, images, or videos.

// Ensure the list
const adventcalenderContentsListResult = await sp.web.lists.ensure(this.adventcalendarContentsList, undefined, undefined, undefined, { Hidden: true });

// Add fields e.g. "Text"
try {
    await list.fields.getByInternalNameOrTitle("Text").get();
} catch {
    await list.fields.addMultilineText("Text", undefined, true, false, false, true, {
        Description: strings.ContentTextFieldDescription
    });
}

// Add fields to default view
let defaultView = list.defaultView;
let viewFields: any = await defaultView.fields.get();
for (const fieldTitle of fieldTitles) {
    if (!viewFields.Items || viewFields.Items.indexOf(fieldTitle) < 0) {
        await defaultView.fields.add(fieldTitle);
    }
}

// Add all 24 advent calendar door items
for (let i = 1; i < 25; i++) {
    try {
        await list.items.getById(i).get();
    }
    catch (error) {
        await list.items.add({ Title: i.toString() });
    }
}

Editing mode for administrators

A brand-new editing mode is available for administrators via a toggle in the toolbar. Once enabled, selecting a door opens a panel with the edit form for that specific day. Admins can add and save content without leaving the page – perfect for last-minute tweaks.

Custom background images

Another highlight is the ability to configure a custom background. Admins open the settings via the toolbar, pick an image, and save it. The Advent calendar instantly updates to match the selected design.

Interested in the Smarter Advent Calendar or need help setting it up for your organisation? We are happy to support you.

Contact us