Create External Content Types using SharePoint Designer 2010
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The External Content Types (ECT) section within SharePoint Designer lets us define connections to Line of Business data that we have access to as a developer, designer or admin of that site. Once the connection is defined, business analysts can use that connection to create what’s called External Lists which shows the content of what the connection is attached to (for example a table in a database). ECTs are core to the Business Connectivity Services (BCS) functionality in SharePoint 2010.
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October 30, 2009 am31 7:03 am
SharePoint 2010 external list (BCS) for MOSS 2007 / WSS 3.0?
If you like the new SharePoint 2010 external list feature and the new Business Connectivity Services (BCS) and want to make use of something similar in SharePoint 2007 / WSS 3.0 to connect SharePoint lists (no web parts) directly to external data sourcees (with change workflow), please take a look at:
http://www.layer2.de/en/products/Pages/SharePoint-Business-Data-List-Connector.aspx
The shareware version is completely free for download and use.
March 7, 2010 am31 11:57 am
Hi
I dont see the Entities object in SP Designer. How do you enable it?
March 10, 2010 am31 4:43 pm
The Entities is now called External Content Types in the newer builds
August 26, 2010 am31 9:27 am
How can i connect to a external Database like MySQL?
Thanks
Rainer
August 30, 2010 am31 6:47 pm
Haven’t tried it myself yet, but this should be possible with WCF option in BCS.