How to programmatically get Feature ID?

Question

In order to programmatically activate a feature, you need its Feature ID (some type of GUID) that is set in the .feature file. Is there a pretty way of retrieving this value programmatically, so that I can do something like:

string featureID = ""; // Get Feature ID here
web.Features.Add(new Guid(featureID));

without having to hard code it?

Answer 1

If you know the name of the feature, you can retrieve the feature's definition ID by iterating the SPFeatureDefinitionCollection.

Guid yourGuid;
foreach (SPFeatureDefinition featureDef in web.FeatureDefinitions)
{
   if (featureDef.DisplayName == "YourTitle" &&
       featureDef.Scope == SPFeatureScope.Web) // Check the scope just to be safe
   {
      yourGuid = featureDef.Id;
      web.Features.Add(yourGuid, true);
   }
}

Just test the code, because I haven't, but this should get you there.

Edit:

I initially gave code for the site collection feature definitions... fixed it.

Answer 2

Not without something else to identify it.

Best alternative I can come up with is by having the FeatureId in the web.config and get it.

Answer 3

Disclaimer: this is a surrogate that I'm using in my project. There may be a better solution.

SharePoint provides a class called SPBuiltInFieldId that contains a list of fields identifier. What I have done is add a new class called SPBuiltInFeaturesId by copying the logics behind the original Microsoft one.

You can find the list of features id on some sites like this, my advice is to add the new ids when you need them.

Note: I will edit the post with a sample, but for now the idea is to add a static guid field to the class, one for each feature id. If you are worried about performance, know that this is what SP does with the built in fields "enum" class.

Answer 4

Well, as other answers mentioned, you can:

1. Scan all features and find one you need - using its name. However, you will have to hardcode string.
2. I haven't checked web.config method.
3. Use external tool to generate static class which all features you need.

As @SPArchaeologist said. We use this method. Create a static class to keep all the GUIDS you need. We use .tt files which use some simple reqex to create static class with guids.

Deploy dll, and feel free to use it anywhere.