Lately I’ve started to crack open VS 2012 and started to write production code in C# against SharePoint 2010. We’ve been deploying Web Parts and features left and right. All over the place!

One tip that I did learn developing on this new project is that customers change. Their. Mind.

Often. All the time. Guaranteed. Bet money!

Soooooooooo….in comes “Configuration Lists” that I created to allow users to control the functionality post deployment. If they want that button to say something else? Check the config list. They want that document auto-saved somewhere else? Check the config list!

[I’ll create a sample write-up on how I did this specifically for a few Web Parts]

To have a central location to let specific users get to my Config. lists, I created ‘Custom Actions’ and groups within my solution. Read more details here (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb802730(office.14).aspx).

The basic concept is to have an area in “Site Settings” that grouped links to my hidden configuration lists and/or pages. That way, regular users cannot reach the lists, easily, and you can have a central list. Looking at SharePoint 2013, it looks like Custom Actions and Groups should work the same way. I have not verified for SharePoint 2007.