Apps and App Parts

Question

I'm looking at creating a SharePoint 2013 provider hosted app, and wondering about whether to expose it as a straight app (and use the client chrome control for branding) or as an app part to be added to a page. According to MSDN,

UI: There are three ways to surface an app for SharePoint in SharePoint: at a minimum, all apps are surfaced in a full web page. Optionally, an app can also be surfaced through an app part, and through a menu item or ribbon button.

Are there any benefits or side effects to surfacing the app as an app part that can be added to web part pages, as well as the full web part page?

Answer 1

Surfacing an app as app part is like using a web part on a page in traditional development. The navigation (left navigation, top navigation, etc) is retained. However, if you simply use an app, then by default you get a chrome control which helps in navigating back to SharePoint host web and also applies the styles. However, you loose all navigation (like top navigation, left navigation). So, if you don't want your users not to make use of Hostweb navigation and want to create your own navigation then you can create an app without surfacing it from app part.

Answer 2

I would recommend create an sharepoint hosted app and upload to 365 to start with http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/fp142379

OR design patterns for app http://blogs.msdn.com/b/officeapps/archive/2013/04/09/apps-for-sharepoint-page-patterns.aspx

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/office/jj220046.aspx

Answer 3

Please check the below articles on differences between provider hosted and SharePoint hosted app. Based on your requirement you can choose whoch one is best. http://www.jeremythake.com/2014/02/sharepoint-apps-playbook-series-part-2-sharepoint-hosted-vs-provider-hosted-2/

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/fp179887.aspx

As Nikhil suggested you can start with SharePont hosted app, If that is not meeting your requirements you can use provider hosted app.

http://officeams.codeplex.com/ codeplex solution covered lot of examples which you can leverage while building the apps.