Base: I have created a ASP.NET web part to be deployed to a Sharepoint 2010 site. This web part is using a external web service, a WCF service that is hosted else where, not on the same machine as the Sharepoint site. The web parts are installed on the sharepoint server using a CAB-file that is created via a deploy project.
Issue: My issue is that I have web service binding configurations in the web.config of my ASP.NET web part solution that I need to modify based on what customer is using it, so I need to be able to modify my binding address after installation (or during).
Other: I have seen solutions using the SPWebConfigModification, but I have no local installation of Sharepoint so that is not an option. I have also seen pure C# solution where the endpoint address is hard coded in the assembly, but this will prevent me from modifying the address after compilation of the web part. The best way would be to have an external txt/xml-file that I can use from my web part to get the endpoint address from, or a smart way of updating the sharepoint web.config not using SPWebConfigModification.
so...
any one have a awesome solution to my issue?
Can you use custom webpart properties that will contain the WCF endpoint information? This way you will be able to configure your webpart(s) after they are added to a page. The properties are reachable from the webpart code so you can generate the wcf proxy in the runtime with no custom config files in the solution.
this article might help you with the custom properties http://www.lamber.info/post/2010/05/21/How-do-I-create-custom-properties-in-Visual-Web-Parts.aspx