After WSS is installed, the system can be used to create Web sites, manage documents, and provide other capabilities. Understanding and testing the features available in WSS is an important prerequisite step toward effectively using Windows SharePoint Services, and a walkthrough of those features should subsequently be performed. The next sections will walk through the features that are readily available to an employee using Microsoft Word 2003 when Windows SharePoint Services is installed on the network. Note that Shared Workspaces can be created from other Office 2003 applications, including Excel, PowerPoint, and Visio. Creating a Shared Workspace from Microsoft WordWhen a document is opened or created in Word 2003, the Tools menu provides the option of a Shared Workspace, and when selected, the Shared Workspace interface appears on the right side of the screen. The user is prompted to name the workspacethe default is the document nameand choose a SharePoint site where the workspace will reside. The user can then add members to the site by entering either a domain and username, an email address, or both to define who will be included in the workspace. The level of participation for those members can also be set on the site with varying levels of authority, such as Reader, Contributor, Web Designer, or Administrator. Six tabs in the Shared Workspace area provide information and tools to the user who created the site, as well as other users who open the file:
These features give the user a "dashboard" providing valuable information about the document, and helps other users collaborate on the document. Tip Online presence can be enabled on a virtual server basis when Office 2003, Live Communications Server 2003, and the latest version Windows Messenger software is installed. Person Name Smart Tags become active when the mouse pointer is hovering over a site member's name. Additional tools are made available when the down arrow is clicked, such as a notification as to whether the person is online or available for instant messaging. Other options include Schedule a Meeting, Send Mail, or Edit User Information. With this basic functionality, a Word user can create in minutes a customized work environment that includes other employees and can include other key documents. This ease of use will go a long way in speeding adoption of Windows SharePoint Services. Working Within the Windows SharePoint Services SiteBy clicking on the Open Site in Browser link, the individual will see the workspace open up in their browser (see Figure 36.7) and this opens up a whole new range of features that display the power of Windows SharePoint Services. Figure 36.7. The Windows SharePoint Services workspace.Note Note that if network users simply double-click on the file to open it from a network folder, or open it from within a Word session, they will be informed that the document is part of a workspace and asked whether they want to update the document they are opening based on the information available from the workspace. This feature ensures that anyone who uses the document becomes aware that it is connected to a workspace and can access this site if they like. The default workspace appears in a browser window that shows the location of the file in the Address area of the browser and, below that, a customized SharePoint menu bar. The default components of the site that appear in the Quick Launch bar are as follows:
The rest of the page provides space for the Web Parts, which by default are as follows:
The administrator of the workspace, along with a member of the site in the capacity of contributor or Web designer can easily modify the contents of the workspace by selecting Modify Shared Page, found in the upper-right corner of the page, and then selecting the Design This Page option. For more adventurous or experienced users, new Web Parts can be selected and added to the workspace. Through this process, a Web page can quickly be created that contains the document that the end user wants to share with other co-workers, as well as be expanded to include other resources for collaboration purposes. This creates a browser-based working environment, and that provides a wealth of additional tools and capabilities for document management and collaborative efforts. For example, the creator of this new site can choose which users or groups to grant access to, and limit their capabilities to add, change, or delete items stored within the site. She can then assign tasks to these users related to the goals of the site, and these tasks will show up in the Shared Workspace pane when the document is opened in Word 2003. Understanding Document LibrariesDocument libraries may well be the feature most often used, as it is the location where documents and folders can be stored and managed, and document libraries offer a number of features not available in a standard server file share. The team members who are working on the original document ("Windows 2000 Server Upgrade SOW r5" in this case) can upload related documents to this library for reference purposes. This eliminates the step of printing out copies of supporting documentation for an in-person meeting, or emailing the actual files or hyperlinks via email. A number of actions can be performed on the document from the Shared Documents page, as shown in Figure 36.8. Figure 36.8. Available actions at the Shared Document page.Tip Libraries include an Explorer View by default that enables you to work with files in the library similar to the way in which you work with files in Microsoft Windows Explorer. In Explorer view, files and folders can be deleted, renamed, copied, and pasted from the desktop. Multiple files and folders can be selected to be deleted, moved, or copied, as well. This capability allows users to use tools and processes they are already familiar with to manage their documents in Windows SharePoint Services libraries. To use Explorer view, a Windows SharePoint Servicescompatible client program such as Microsoft Office 2003 and Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 or later must be installed.
Other capabilities in the Shared Documents page include creating a new document, uploading other documents to the site, creating a new folder, filtering the documents, or editing the list in a datasheet. Using Picture LibrariesA picture library can include a wide variety of file types, including JPEG, BMP, GIF, PNG, TIF, WMF, and EMF. Examples would be photos of members of the team, or screenshots of documents from software applications that might not be available to all users. For instance, a screen capture from an accounting application could be saved to the library in BMP format so that any of the users of the site could see the information. Similarly, a Visio diagram or Project Gantt chart could be saved to one of these formats, or as an HTML file and then saved to a picture library and thereby made accessible to users of the site who might not have these software products installed on their workstations. By providing a graphical image rather than the native file format, the amount of storage space required can be reduced in many cases, and there is no easy way for users to change the content of the documents. Maps of how to find a client's office or digital photos of white boards can also be included. Some editing features are available using the Microsoft Picture Library tool (if Office 2003 is installed), which include brightness and contrast adjustment, color adjustment, cropping, rotation and flipping, red-eye removal, and resizing. Pictures can be emailed directly from the library, or a discussion can be started about a photo as with other documents in libraries. Pictures can be sorted using the filter tool by file type, viewed in a slideshow format, checked out for editing, the version history can be reviewed, or alerts can be set. Although this type of library may not be useful in every collaborative workspace, it provides a set of tools that are well suited to newsletter creation, complex document publication, or less formal uses, such as company events. Working with SharePoint ListsLists are used in many ways by WSS, and a number of the Web Parts provided in the default workspace site are in fact lists. The following lists can be created:
With any list, there are additional options available to users of the site. Figure 36.9 shows a simple task list open in Datasheet view (Office 2003 is required for this feature), as well as the additional options available when the Task Pane option is selected. Figure 36.9. Datasheet view task options.After the list is displayed in Datasheet view, new rows can be added by either selecting this option in the tool bar, or by clicking in the row that starts with the asterisk. Totals of all columns can be displayed by clicking the Totals option. By selecting the Task Pane option, the tools shown in Figure 36.9 in the Office Links area become available, including exporting or linking to Excel, printing, charting, creating a pivot table in Excel, or exporting, creating a linked table of reporting with Access. Using SharePoint DiscussionsThe next option in the Quick Launch bar is for discussions, which are a key component for online collaboration. Although email is well suited to conversations involving a handful of people, it becomes unwieldy when there are too many participants, as multiple threads of conversations can easily get started and the original point of the discussion can get lost. With a bulletin board or threaded discussion, the high-level topics can be viewed at the same time, readers can choose the topics of interest, and can see any responses to the initial item. With email, individuals have no control over which emails they receive, while a discussion Web Part in SharePoint allows the user to decide what items to read and which ones to respond to. Members with the appropriate rights can also manage the discussions to remove topics or responses that are not appropriate to the discussion, or remove threads when they have been completed. This level of control facilitates effective communication and encourages participation by the various team members. Figure 36.10 shows a sample of a discussion concerning a proposal that is about to be sent out. The paperclip icon on the top-level posting indicates that the actual document is attached for review. Two other users of the site have posted their responses. Figure 36.10. Sample discussion board.Discussions can also take place on any Office document posted to a SharePoint site. The data is stored in the SharePoint database, not in the document itself. This encourages team members to share their input and thoughts about a document in a controlled environment that is directly associated with the document. Depending upon which site group participants are members of, they may only be able to view threaded discussions, or they may be able to participate, edit, and even delete portions of the conversation. The alerts feature is very useful with discussions, as users can choose when and if they want to be alerted about changes to a specific discussion thread. This eliminates the need for participants to check a number of different discussions on a regular basis, as they can receive an email informing them if changes have been made. Understanding SurveysAn entry for surveys also appears in the Quick Launch area in the Document Workspace. With Windows SharePoint Services, it's easy to quickly create a survey to request input from site users on any number of topics. They can be configured to request input on any topic imaginable, such as the functionality of the site, the information contained in it, or any business-related topics. As well as collecting the information from the surveys, the results can be viewed individually, displayed graphically, or exported to a spreadsheet for further analysis. Surveys can be configured to be anonymous, so no information is saved or provided about the individual who responds to the survey, or the information can be displayed. Additionally, both multiple responses and single responses are possible. Other options include allowing survey users to see other responses or only their own, or allowing them to edit their own and others' responses (or none at all). Common sense would dictate that users should not be able to edit a survey once it's submitted, but in some situations it may make sense to allow a person to go back and change input at a later date. |