The latest version of Internet Explorerversion 6.0 at the time of writingoffers some new features that go hand-in-hand with the SharePoint 2003 technologies, and this section reviews those features, as well as points out some features that may be overlooked that can improve the SharePoint 2003 user experience. It is assumed that you understand the basics of using a browser, entering URLs, selecting hyperlinks, adding favorites, and accessing the configuration settings for Internet Explorer. Experience has shown that most end-users are familiar with 50% or less of Internet Explorer's features and are comfortable with basic Internet browsing but have not experimented with many of the more advanced features covered in the following sections. Familiarity with these features helps users more efficiently navigate the sites and pages, configure their browsers for optimal performance, and take a stab at troubleshooting problems that may be encountered. Basic Settings to Apply to Internet Explorer 6.0Instead of leaving Internet Explorer and XP Professional configured with the default settings, some quick changes can be made to improve the efficiency of Internet Explorer and the operating system. The first thing that can be done to increase the exposure of the SharePoint 2003 portal site or top-level website is to change the default home page:
This ensures that each time Internet Explorer is opened this page loads automatically. This can be an excellent way to get users to access a specific site on a regular basis such as the portal home page, or the user's personal site, or a departmental home page. TIP Group Policies in Active Directory can be used to set a user's home page in Internet Explorer, which saves time over manually configuring each user's computer. Following are some additional recommendations on settings in Internet Explorer 6.0:
TIP The Internet Explorer Administration Kit (IEAK) 6 Service Pack 1 (SP1) (available from Microsoft's website http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/ie/ieak/default.mspx) provides programs and tools for the administrator that make it easy to deploy and manage custom browser software packages. The Internet Explorer Customization Wizard provides step-by-step instructions for the process of creating custom browser packages. When these packages are installed on desktops, the users will receive customized versions of Internet Explorer with the settings and options that are approved by the organization. The included IEAK Profile Manager allows the administrator to change browser settings and restrictions automatically. Managing Temporary Internet FilesWhenever a web page is visited, the content needs to be downloaded to the local computer before it can be displayed. Some fine-tuning of Internet Explorer can be helpful to optimize the experience.
History Feature in Internet Explorer 6.0One feature overlooked by many users is the history tracking capabilities of Internet Explorer 6.0. The history information can be accessed by using Ctrl+H. Figure 7.2 shows the History pane at the left-hand side of the screen. The view options are By Date, By Site, By Most Visited, and By Order Visited Today. In Figure 7.2, the By Date option is selected. This view organizes sites visited by folders, and in this example icons are included for a domain controller on the network (ABCDC01) an SharePoint Portal Server 2003 server (ABCSPS01), a Windows SharePoint Services server (ABCWSS01), two Internet sites (www.cco.com, www.msn.com), and another SharePoint site (sp.cco.com). Note that when the cursor hovers over an entry, the full URL is provided, and, if the icon is selected, the page loads normally. Figure 7.2. Internet Explorer history information.Using the entries in the History pane, the user can easily jump to previously visited pages. By clicking on View, By Order Visited Today, the user can see the pages visited in order, with the most recent at the top. The amount of time that historical information is tracked can be modified by choosing Tools, Internet Options and then in the History section of the General tab, selecting the appropriate number of days (up to 99). History can also be cleared in this area. This information can be useful for troubleshooting problems that users are encountering because the help desk resource can find the specific pages visited and see whether the problems can be replicated or assist the individual with problems. Making Sites Available Offline to Empower Mobile UsersA powerful tool in Internet Explorer 6.0 is the ability to save a site as a Favorite and opt to Make It Available Offline. Offline sites should be used for reference purposes, because the full functionality of SharePoint 2003 sites can't be provided without the server actually being online. For example, when offline, a document library can be accessed, and the documents contained in it can be opened and read, but if a change is made to the document, it can't be saved back to the SharePoint 2003 site, which is now offline. Even so, offline websites, similar to offline files, can be valuable to knowledge workers who are out of the office frequently and carry laptops, especially as SharePoint 2003 usage increases and these individuals become more reliant on the collaboration and document-management tools provided by SharePoint 2003. The first step in allowing sites to be made available offline is to configure the desktop operating system to allow offline access as follows:
The steps to make a SharePoint 2003 site collection and connected sites available offline are as follows:
These files are stored by default not in the Offline Files folder, as might be logical, but in the Temporary Internet Files folder located in Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings. The Local Settings folder is hidden by default. A useful feature is the ability to have synchronization take place when the computer is idle. To access this feature
Fine-Tuning Offline SharePoint 2003 SitesNow that the site has been saved to be available offline, additional fine-tuning can be done to optimize the experience. When Internet Explorer 6.0 is next opened to access the saved site, follow these steps:
If the user clicks on a tool or hyperlink that references a page or site that is not available offline, an error message states "The Web page you requested is not available offline. To view this page click Connect." The Connect and Stay Offline buttons are provided. When working with a SharePoint 2003 site offline, this error is encountered if a feature of the Web Part is used that is not available offline (such as adding a document to an offline document library, or adding a link to a Links Web Part). TIP To make a document library available offline, make sure to save the document library itself as a favorite, as saving the top-level site that contains the library will not make the documents contained within it available when off-line. The offline settings of the Favorite can be fine-tuned as follows:
NOTE Web pages can also be saved as files by choosing File, Save As and then selecting between the following file types: Web Page, complete (*.htm, *.html); Web Archive, single file (*.mht); Web Page, HTML only (*.htm, *.html); or Text File (*.txt). However, in this state only the active page is saved, and there is no option to save connected pages and files in lists or libraries, so for the average SharePoint 2003 user, these options won't have the same value as creating offline web pages. It should be clear based on the complexity of configuring pages for offline use that this process is not well suited for novice users. However, for more experienced users, who understand the limitations of offline websites and require access to content stored in SharePoint 2003 sites or lists, this process can enable them to have this data available even when access to the Internet isn't. Using Web Content Zones in Internet Explorer 6.0Internet Explorer allows the user to assign websites to web content zones. When first installed, Internet Explorer 6.0 considers anything that is not on the computer or an intranet, or assigned to any other zone to be part of the Internet zone and uses a medium level of security. The three other zones are Local Intranet, Trusted, and Restricted. To access and modify these settings:
TIP Add company SharePoint 2003 sites to the Trusted web content zone in Internet Explorer, then select Custom Level, and set the User Authentication to Automatic logon with current username and password (indicated with an arrow in Figure 7.5). Otherwise, you may be prompted to login in one or more times when accessing favorite SharePoint 2003 sites. The organization should provide guidance to the end users about how to use the different zones, and either approve the use of the predefined settings in each zone, or recommend appropriate settings. For example, it might be a good corporate policy for the SharePoint 2003 sites to be added to the Trusted sites zone, and train end users to put new sites in the restricted sites zone until they are proven to be safe. The organization might choose to add sites to the restricted zone using IEAK or Group Policies. Managers might want to improve the security of the Internet zone, to disable file downloads, disable drag-and-drop or copy-and-paste files, and to prompt for username and password. Often users aren't aware of why and how to use these zones, and a quick orientation session would help them better understand the functions of these zones. Using Discussions in Internet ExplorerA standard button provided in Internet Explorer 6.0 Standard Buttons toolbar is the Discuss icon, which looks like a Post-It note. This enables SharePoint 2003 site users to post notes on sites for design or discussion purposes. While not that widely used in production, this can be handy during the site design process. To add a discussion to a web page, follow these steps (numbers correspond to Figure 7.6):
Figure 7.6. Discussions in Internet Explorer.Discussions can be hidden individually by clicking on the minus sign in the Discuss button directly above the discussion, or by clicking on the icon with the minus sign in it in the Discussions toolbar at the bottom. Although there is the danger that these discussions can make a page very "busy," they allow conversations to take place outside the documents or web pages themselves and can be hidden if needed. CAUTION One danger with discussions is that unless users know that they exist and know how to view them by clicking on the Discuss icon on the Standard Buttons toolbar, they may never see the discussions! If used properly, however, and if end-users are familiar with them, discussions can provide a means of quick and easy communication about contents of the site without using the more formal tools of email or a discussion Web Part. Exploring Other Internet Explorer 6.0 FeaturesSeveral other enhancements to Internet Explorer 6.0 further support the features offered by SharePoint 2003. A subset of these features is as follows:
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