Extending Project Server: A Deep Dive into Microsoft Project 2013 SDK refers to the development methodologies, architectural paradigms, and tools introduced with the Microsoft Project 2013 Software Development Kit (SDK). The kit allows developers, solution providers, and value-added resellers to customize and integrate Project Standard, Project Professional, Project Server 2013, and Project Online into broader Enterprise Project Management (EPM) systems.
The primary components, capabilities, and design patterns introduced in this technical framework include: Core Paradigms Shift: CSOM vs. PSI
The 2013 framework marked a major architectural transition in how developers interacted with Project Server data:
Client-Side Object Model (CSOM): Introduced as the modern standard. It allowed developers to write JavaScript (JSOM) or .NET code that interacts with Project Server remotely using unified REST endpoints (/_api/ProjectServer). This shifted processing away from the server backend and enabled support for both on-premises setups and Project Online.
Project Server Interface (PSI): The legacy, heavy-duty API layer using WCF (Windows Communication Foundation) and ASMX web services. While ASMX was officially deprecated in this version, the WCF interface was maintained to handle complex server-side operations using typed DataSets. Key Extensibility Features in the SDK
The SDK provided documentation, schema files, and samples targeting several extension points:
Task Pane Add-ins: Enabled developers to build web-based apps directly inside Project Professional using HTML5 and JavaScript. These add-ins read and wrote task or resource data contextually inside the desktop interface.
OData Reporting Service: The 2013 architecture collapsed the four legacy project databases into a single database. It introduced a standardized OData feed (/_api/ProjectData) specifically for business intelligence, enabling direct data extraction into Excel 2013 or Power BI without heavy SQL queries.
Remote Event Receivers: Replaced legacy on-premises event handlers. Developers could write web services that handle server-side triggers (e.g., when a project is published or a timesheet is approved) from external environments.
Demand Management & Workflows: Deep integration with Windows Workflow Foundation 4 (WF4) allowed developers to build complex project-governance lifecycles and custom Project Detail Pages (PDPs) through SharePoint Designer or Visual Studio. Developer Setup and Deliverables
The technical implementation payload of the physical Project 2013 SDK download (Project2013SDK.msi) includes: Download Project 2013 SDK from Official … – Microsoft
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