SharePoint 2010 ratings is cool new feature but before you can use it – you have to activate it`s dependencies and here is how:
1. Navigate to your Central Administration
2. Open `Manage Service Applications` page located here:
http://[central admin url]/_admin/ServiceApplications.aspx
3. Ensure you have User Profile Service Application in the list, if not run Farm Configuration Wizard and enable User Profile Service Application. Note: you can run thewizard using the following URL:
http://[central admin url]/_admin/adminconfigintro.aspx?scenarioid=adminconfig&welcomestringid=farmconfigurationwizard_welcome
4. If you ran the wizard above you will be prompted to create site collection. At the time of this post (Beta 2) you had to create new site collection for the rating services to be available in it.
5. Once you have you User Profile Service Application up and running; go to any desired list or library List/Library Settings and set Rating Setting to be enabled.
Now the default rating stars control will be added to the list and all existing and new items.
Enjoy!
Thanks for the post. I have two questions though.
1. Can I add this control to a web part? I have been trying without luck. I can access the two fields easily via a webpart. If I add the control to my web part it will not display at all.
SPListItem li = SPContext.Current.ListItem;
object testObj = li["Number_x0020_of_x0020_Ratings"];
2. Do you have any idea about the logic behind the ratings? Meaning, can a user keep rating something, or will it only allow one rating per user. I would think they would protect against a user skewing the results, but I am not sure how they do it. I was thinking of manually updating the two columns just to avoid the latency, but I am not sure how their actual ratings work.
Thanks, I would really like some input on question 1 if you have any ideas.
Hi jmillman,
1. Rating control is basically a set of javascript and DOM that is sealed as a single control and output to a browser. I haven`t tried it on a webpart, but, since it requires the context of the item it`s trying to rate – I assume it can only be placed on a webpart within Display/Edit form. If you place it on a random page it won`t know the context of an item which your trying to rate and therefore refuse to render.
2. User can cast rating, which is picked up by timer job and average is calculated. Same user can cast another rating on the same item later and this new rating will take place of the old rating and average will be recalculated. In essence users can change their mind about the rating. That`s how it works now, I don`t know if MS plans to change it.