Now that I've had a chance to think more about WebParts and play with the first iteration of WebParts in mojoPortal as implemented in the MyPage feature I'm starting to get a vision for the next steps and here is what I've come up with and will be working on this weekend. Basically, I'm envisioning 2 new modules WebPartModule and WebPartAdminModule.

WebPartModule will allow us to use any installed WebPart as content anywhere in the site. When I say installed I'm talking about assemblies dropped in the bin folder, in other words third party WebParts or WebParts developed as pure WebParts outside of mojoportal and compiled into a class library like MyCustomWebParts.dll and placed in the bin folder beneath the web. Of course WebParts used this way won't have the drag and drop and personalization but will be just like any other content in the site (not including MyPage) and will stay where the Admin puts it. So this module will just be a way to make any WebPart available for the Content System. When installed WebParts are used on MyPage they will have all the WebPart features but the WebPartModule is not part of that equation, its job is just to load a WebPart as if it were any other site content wherever you tell it to. In this context the WebPart will be treated like an ordinary Control.

WebPartAdminModule will allow the admin to "install" the WebParts by entering the Assembly Name, the Class Name, and Description to display in the WebPart Catalog on MyPage. It will also allow configuring whether each installed WebPart is available for MyPage and/or available for the Content System using the above WebPartModule. To make it friendly I may use Reflection to iterate through the assemblies in the bin folder and make a list of WebParts in those assemblies that aren't yet installed. I've already done preliminary work on loading WebParts dynamically from assemblies. The WebPartAdmin module will just give them permission to be used on a site by site basis. In a multi site installation the root site will be able to determine which WebParts are installed in each subordinate site just as we currently do with the Installed Feature Administration in Site Settings. This feature will show the currently installed WebParts and the WebParts found in the bin assemblies that are not installed to make it easy to install them.

So these features will allow us to use third party WebParts on MyPage where they will have all the WebPart bells and whistles or anywhere else in the site where they will be treated like ordinary controls.

I think this will work, should be fun.