Web definition and webtemplate and site defintion and site template in sharepoint 2010

Question

Can any one explain what are Web definition and webtemplate and site defintion and site template in sharepoint 2010

Regards, Suresh Pydi

Answer 1

Site Definitions

• A site definition is the core definition of what a site is in SharePoint.
• A site definition is installed on file system of web front ends, located at ..\12\Template\SiteTemplates. This directory is language-neutral.
• A site definition consists of .aspx pages and .xml files with Collaborative Application Mark-up Language (CAML).
• A major benefit is that the Page and List definition is read locally from the file system, not from Content Database.

Site Template

• A site template (*.stp file) is created through the user interface or through implementation of the object model.

• The site template package is a package containing a set of differences and changes from a base site definition.

• The site template package is stored as a CAB-based file that can be downloaded or uploaded to site collections by users with the appropriate rights.

For more details you can check these link out Site Definition Vs Site tempalte

Answer 2

WebTemplates and Site Definitions

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms434313.aspx

Deciding Between Custom Web Templates and Custom Site Definitions

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa979683.aspx

Site Definitions vs. Web Templates

http://sharepointchick.com/archive/0001/01/01/site-definitions-vs.-webtemplates.aspx

A site definition is the basic blueprint for a site, including how it looks, what lists it contains, default navigational structures, and so on. You normally create a site definition by hand-editing CAML.

A site template can be created from within the Sharepoint application, and is basically a "diff" between the site definition and any changes made since the site was created. A site template is based on the underlying site definition, which means that if you create a new site from a template, and later change the underlying site definition, you run the very real risk of irreversibly screwing up your site.

A best practice is to configure a minimal site definition that, once created, is never modified again, and use site templates to store reusable customizations.

Above taken from here:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4386016/what-is-the-main-differences-between-site-definition-and-site-template

Site Features vs Site Templates vs Site Definitions

https://www.nothingbutsharepoint.com/sites/devwiki/SP2007Dev/Pages/Site%20Features%20vs%20Site%20Templates%20vs%20Site%20Definitions.aspx

I hope this helps!