SharePoint is gaining recognition as a full-fledged application server with many features and enhancements that specifically allow non-developers to create sophisticated intranet sites. However, with the 2010 release, Microsoft's SharePoint increasingly becomes a compelling development platform. The strong application programming interface (API), its highly extensible nature, and its foundation on the underlying .NET Framework all generate "the perfect storm" to make it one of the most powerful web development platforms available.

However, with power comes complexity. The wide range...