Predefined Lists

Predefined Lists

·         Announcements – A list of news items, statues and other short bits of information.

·         Contacts – A list of people your team works with, like customers or partners. Contacts lists can synchronize with Microsoft Outlook or other compatible programs.

·         Discussion Board – A place to have newsgroup-style discussion. Discussion boards make it easy to manage discussion threads and can be configured to require approval for all posts.

·         Calendar – A calendar of upcoming meetings, deadlines or other events. Calendar information can be synchronized with Microsoft Outlook or other compatible programs.

·         Links – A list of web pages or other resources.

·         Custom List – A blank list to which you can add your own columns and views. use this if none of the build-in list types are similar to the list you want to make.

·         Tasks – A place for team or personal tasks.

·         Project Tasks – A place for team or personal tasks. Project tasks lists provide a Gantt Chart view and can be opened by Microsoft project or other compatible programs.

·         Status List – A place to track and display a set of goals. Colored icons display the degree to which the goals have been achieved.

·         Import Spreadsheet – Create a list which duplicates the columns and data of an existing spreadsheet. Importing a spreadsheet requires Microsoft Excel or other compatible program.

·         Issue Tracking – A list of issues or problems associated with the project or item. You can assign, prioritize and track issue status.

·         Survey – A list of questions which you would like to have people answer. Survey allows you to quickly create questions and view graphical summaries of the responses.

Example of Surveys List

Questions:

1. How did you find out about our website?
2. Which course were you looking for? (MS.NET / SharePoint / Sql Server / Java)
3. Did you find all the topics in the course you were looking for?
4. If No, Please mention the topics you were looking for?
5. How do you rate our website?

Note: Once the basic survey questions are added, the order of these questions can be changed by using the option ‘Change the order of the questions’

A Branching Logic can be set so that Question 4 shows only if answer to the 3^rd Question is ‘No’. 

Adding the Branching Logic

Select Question 3 (click on the question) à set the branching logic.

Taking the Survey

Users can take this survey from the link in Quick Launch Bar.  Once the survey is taken, we will be able to see all responses and graphical responses.

Predefined Libraries

·         Document Library – A place for strong documents or other files that you want to share. Document libraries allow folders, versioning, and check out.

·         Asset Library – A place to share, browse and manage rich media assets, like images, audio and video files.

·         Picture Library – A place to upload and share pictures.

·         Report Library – A place where you can easily create and manage web pages and documents to track metrics, goals and business intelligence information. 

·         Slide Library – Create a slide library when you want to share slides from Microsoft office PowerPoint, or a compatible application. Slide libraries also provide special features for finding, managing, and reusing slides.

·         Wiki Page Library – An interconnected set of easily editable web pages, which can contain text, images and web parts.

·         Data Connection Library – A place where you can easily share files that contain information about external data connections.

·         Form Library – A place to manage business forms like status reports or purchase orders. Form libraries require a compatible XML editor, such as Microsoft InfoPath. (To be covered in Infopath chapter)

Common Problem

While trying to open the document from the SharePoint list, if you are getting the following error:

Solution

1. Run one of the Office 2010 applications (e.g. Word 2010).
2. Click on File menu, and select Options.
3. In the “Options” dialog, select Trust Center in the left pane.
4. Click on Trust Center Settings in the right pane.
5. Select Protected View in the left pane of “Trust Center” dialog.
6. Disable any of all of the protected view options as below by unchecking the check boxes:
1. Enable Protected View for files that fail validation
2. Enable Protected View for files originating from the Internet
3. Enable Protected View for files located in potentially unsafe locations
4. Enable Protected View for Outlook attachments

Version / Check in – Check out Settings

Open library à SettingsàDocument Library SettingsàVersioning SettingsàContent Approval: YesàVersion: Create Major VersionsàWho should see: Any user who can read itemsàRequire checkout: YesàOK

To Manage Permission of document library

Open library DSS forms à Settings à Document Library settings à Permissions for this document library

               

Creating a document template

In order to maintain uniformity of files in the document library, it is recommended to use a document template that the users can use while adding documents to the library

·         To create a document template : Create a new Word Document with the desired skeleton(template)

·         Open library à Settings à Document Library SettingsàAdvanced SettingsàDocument Template: [Edit Template]

We also create folders for better management of documents (New à Folder).  To copy a from one folder to another, the explorer view can be used (List à Explorer View (In Ribbon))

Document Workspace:

A Document Workspace enables you to collaborate on draft documents with selected coworkers. If documents and related materials such as tasks, objectives, and events are scattered, a Document Workspace site can help you to keep them all in one place.

}  A Document Workspace provides

}  A document library for storing primary documents and their supporting files.

}  A task list for assigning to-do items.

}  A links list for listing resources that are related to the documents.

}  A members list that shows who has access to the site.

How to create a document workspace:

1. In SharePoint: From a document that is already in a document library. Use this method if your file is already stored in a library on a SharePoint site. As you update the file on the Document Workspace, you can simultaneously update the original copy in the library with your changes.
2. From a SharePoint site (Site Actions à More Options à Site à Document Workspace).  This method creates a Document Workspace when you are working on a SharePoint site in a Web browser. When you create a Document Workspace this way, you have more initial configuration options than you do with the other methods, and you can configure elements of the workspace such as the description, user permissions, and the last part of the workspace's Web address.

Note:

This is a temporary holding space. Don’t forget to put your document in its proper location once it is final.

If you created based on an existing doc in a library, use dropdown > choose Send To > Publish

List and Libraries

Introduction to Lists

·         A list is a repository where data is systematically stored and displayed in SharePoint.

·         You can use the lists that come with your site as is, you can change or delete lists that you don't use, and you can create your own lists.

·         SharePoint has templates for links, announcements, contacts, events, tasks, and issues lists.

·         When we create our own lists, we can base them on the designs used for the built-in lists, or we can create custom lists from scratch.

There are four categories of Lists

1. Libraries: Contains the list type useful for managing the documents.
2. Communication: Contains the list types useful for communicating with other people
3. Tracking: Useful for managing tasks and plans
4. Custom Lists: Useful for creation of our own list

 

To Create Custom List

Open Siteà All Site Content àCreate àList à Custom List à Name: Student à CREATE

After this is done in the site, in Quick Launch we can notice a new link to this list is added.

Once a list is created columns can be added to a list.  There are two types of columns that can created and added to the list

1)       List columns : Can be used only in the current list

2)       Site columns : Can be used in any list in any site in web application

Adding Columns to a List

Open Student ListàIn Ribbon Select List (List tools) àCreate Column

Example:

1. Courses {Course Name(Text), Duration(Number), Overview(Multiline Text), Fees(Currency)}
2. Faculties {Faculty Name(Test), Photo(Hyperlink or Picture), Experience(Number), Join Date(Date), Courses(Lookup), Designation(Calculated based on Experience), Manager(Person or Group)}
3. Batches {Batch Name, Location(Choice), Course(Lookup), Faculty(Lookup), Starting Date and Time}

For Calculated Columns Sample Formula:

Column Name=Experience

=IF(Experience<1,"Trainee",IF(AND(Experience>=1,Experience<3),"Junior","Senior"))

Operators: AND, OR, NOT, =, <, >

Most of the times, the formula can be created in excel and used here.

Read more about Formulas at: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb8620071.aspx

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-sharepoint-services-help/examples-of-common-formulas-HA001160947.aspx

Referential Integrity and Projected Fields in Lists

This is valid only for Lookup Fields in the list.

List in SharePoint 2010 supports Referential Integrity with another list. So if you have two lists Courses and Batches, you can create a referential integrity constraint (Cascade Delete or Restrict Delete) between them.

Index Column

SP2010 now allows list designers to create up to 20 indices (some of multiple columns) on any one list.  These indices allow for faster query of data when the list size exceeds that of typical.

To Set Index Column: Select List à List Settings à Columns à Indexed columns

The following is a list of column types usable as indexed columns:

·         Single line of text

·         Choice field, but not multi choice

·         Number

·         Currency

·         Date/Time

·         Look up, but not a multi value look up

·         Person or group, but not multi value

·         Title, except in a document library

To enter bulk data into the list

Open ListàRibbonà Datasheet View.  This opens the list in grid like view where bulk data can be entered.

To Export data to MS. Excel

Open Student ListàActionsàOpen in Spread Sheet.  This opens the list in MS Excel.

Sort and Filter the data:  

To Sort: To sort the list click on the heading of the column.

To add Filter:  click on the ∆ button beside the column name and select the desired filter criteria (rows)

Column Level and List Level Validations:

1.       Column Level validation must evaluate to TRUE for validation to pass. It can be used for validating current column and cannot be compared with other columns

Example: Join Date of faculty must be either today or previous date.

2.       List Level Validation can be used for validations involving multiple columns of the list.

a.        To validate: Ribbon à List Settings à Validation Settings

                Example: Experience of the faculty must be greater than Year(Today()) minus Year(Join Date)

Solution: =(INT(Experience)>=YEAR(TODAY())-YEAR([Join Date]))

Alert Me Option

Select List à List Tools, List (Ribbon) à Alert Me à Alert Title = Student à Send Alerts To = <usernames>, Delivery Method = E-mail, Change Type=All Changes, Anything Change àSend notification immediately à OK

Custom Views

Custom views are used to do one or more of the following:

• Filter by a set of criteria
• Sort in a particular order
• Hide or show columns
• Group information based on list data
• Display subtotals of columns
• Show lists with date information as calendars or tables

Creating Customs Views

Custom Views can be created, saved and viewed any time.  Custom views are done to filter columns.  Here one can select the desired columns for display.

Select Listà List Tools, List (Ribbon)à Create View à Standard View

Creating Site Columns & Group

Site Action à Site Settings à Galleries à Site Columns à Create à

New Group = Team

Team Name {Choice (Team1, Team2, Team3)}

Add 2 more columns: Coordinator Name, Team Size

Attaching Site Columns to List

Select List from Menu à List (Ribbon) à List Settings à Add from existing Site Columns à Select Site Column From = “Team”

 

Example: Team Name can be used in Batch List and Faculty List

Advantage: Changes made to the site column are automatically reflected in all the lists where the column has been used.

Content Type

·         Content Type is primarily a collection of references to site columns that defines a complex type.

·         SharePoint supports reuse of site columns across multiple content types. It also ensures that changes to a site column propagate across all content types.

·         Content Types are like Classes and Lists are like Objects. List is an instance of Content Type. Changes made to the content type after the list is created are automatically reflected in the list.

1.       To Create a Content Type

 Site ActionsàSite SettingsàSite Content TypesàCreate à Name: TeamCT àDescription: Content type of TeamsàParent Content Type= List Content TypeàParent: ItemàSelect NEW GROUP: Team àOK

2.       Adding Columns to Content Types

Add from Existing Site ColumnsàSelect Column: All GroupsàAvailable Columns: Team NameàOK

TeamCT (Team Name, Coordinator Name, Team Size)

3.       Create a List

Development Teams & Training Teams

4.       To allow managing of content types in a existing List

Open Development Teams List àList (Ribbon)àList SettingsàGeneral SettingsàAdvanced SettingsàAllow management of Content Type: YES àOK

5.       Go to Add from existing site content types

Add from existing site content typesàAddàTeamsàOK

6.       Go to Change new button order and default content type

Set TeamCT Position = 1 and Item Position = 2

Hide Item from New Button (Uncheck visible)

Important Note:

In List created using content type, if the column is changed, it doesn’t change the actual site column. But if the site column is changed, the changes made to the column in list are lost and are overwritten with the changes made to site column.

List Template

A list that has been created once can be saved as a template and this template can be used to create other list with the same schema.

Steps: Open ListàSettings à List SettingsàSave List as TemplateàFile Name: FacultyListTemplateàTemplate Name: Faculty TemplateàDescription: Template to create a faculties like list àInclude content: uncheck (if copying data is not required) à OK

 

Now to View the List template we just created

Top Level SiteàSite ActionsàSite SettingsàGalleriesàList Templates

To Create a List from a Template

Go to the target SiteàSite Actionsà CreateàCustom ListsàFaculty Template à Name: LabFaculty àDescription: List of Lab Faculties who will be supporting the teaching faculty.àSelect option YES àOK

Versioning of Data / Content Approval

Steps to allow Versioning of data

Open List àSettingsàList Settings à[under General settings] Versioning SettingsàCreate a version each time: YESàSelect Keep the Following Number of versions: 5

For enabling approval

Require content Approval: YESàNumber of drafts: 5 àwho should see items in this list àSelect Only Users Who Can Edit Items àOK

Example: New batches posted requires approval of administrator (owner or designer role)

Note: By using content approval the items will need to be approved by Administrator before it appears in the list (as approved).  The items that are not approved are ‘drafts’.  Draft items can be changed by users before approval.  When Administrator views the record he has an option to Approve, Reject of keep it as Pending

Metadata Navigation Settings

1.       Configure Navigation Hierarchies

2.       Configure Key Filters

Both the options are shown in the Left Navigation below the list of Quick Navigation Bar.

Both can be used for filtering the current view to show only the items matching the selected value.

Open List àSettingsàList Settings à General settings à Metadata navigation settings.

Pre-location view settings:

Some of the views can be hidden based on the Location selected in the navigation bar. This can be done only after having Metadata Navigation Hierarchy.

Throttling

As the items in the SharePoint list continue to grow, the performance of the queries retrieving data from the list decreases. To help SharePoint users, Microsoft has provided different Performance Control checks through “Resource Throttling” on lists in SharePoint 2010.

 “Through throttling settings, SharePoint Server 2010 provides a way for administrators to determine the level at which the server will go into throttling mode. Every five seconds, a job runs that checks server resources compared to configured levels. By default, Server CPU, Memory, Request in Queue, and Request Wait Time are monitored. After three unsuccessful checks, the server enters a throttling period and will remain in this state until a successful check is completed. Requests that were generated prior to the server’s entering throttling mode will be completed. This will, in theory, keep users from losing any current work when the server begins to throttle requests. Any new HTTP GET and Search Robot requests will generate a 503 error message and will be logged in the event viewer.”

Central Administration à Application Management àManage Web Application. Once in the Web Application List, select the web application and click General Settings àResource throttling

Property	Code Run in Context of Normal List User A (But Not SharePoint Administrator)	Code Run in Context of User B (SharePoint Administrator)
List Items Count < “List View Threshold “ (5000), i.e. <5,000	Code will run fine and return the required result.	Code will run fine and return the required result.
List Item Count > “Warning Level” (2000) i.e. >2000 but < 5000	No exception is thrown, code runs fine	No Exception is thrown, code runs fine.
List Items Count > “List View Threshold”(5000) But Less than “List View Threshold for Auditors and Administrators” (20,000), i.e. >5,000 but < 20,000	An Expensive Query Exception is thrown	No Exception is thrown, and the code will return the required result.
List Items Count > “List View Threshold for Auditors and Administrators”(20,000), i.e. >20,000	An Expensive Query Exception is thrown	A Expensive Query Exception is thrown
During Time of Daily Time Window for Large Queries.	Query threshold not applied, query runs fine even if the threshold limit is exceeded.	Query threshold not applied, query runs fine even if the threshold limit is exceeded.
Object Model Override = true and RequestThrottleOverride is overridden	Exception thrown if list is throttled, this property cannot be overridden by a normal user.	No exception thrown, even if the list is throttled (i.e. Items Count >20,000)