Section 6.1. Understanding Libraries


6.1. Understanding Libraries

Libraries organize content within a site. Technically, they are a special type of list that provides these key features:

  • Templates for creating new documents

  • A status field that indicates whether the document was approved or rejected

  • Storage for previous versions of documents

  • The ability to reserve documents by checking them in/out

  • Synchronization of list columns with properties stored in the document

Most types of SharePoint sites include a Shared Documents library when they are created. You can create new documents, upload existing ones, create folders, check out files, and sort or filter the contents of the library using the toolbar and Edit menu as shown in Figure 6-1.

animal 6-1. Using the library toolbar and context menu

The standard Shared Documents library doesn't include approval status or version history. To enable those features:

  1. Choose Modify settings and columns Change general settings and select Yes for the Content Approval and Document Versions sections (Figure 6-2) .


  2. Sites and subsites can contain any number of document libraries. You should create a separate library for each type of document you want to share through the site. The term "type" is awfully vague; here are a couple factors to help you decide when to create a new library and where to put it:

    • Libraries can include a template for creating new documents. You can only have one template per library, so create separate libraries for each template you use.

    • Templates are associated with applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint). If you're using templates, create a separate library for each type of document (. doc , . xls , . ppt ).

    • SharePoint performs searches at the site level, so include all libraries you want members to be able to search in top-level sites rather than subsites.

    Here are two different scenarios that illustrate some of the choices you face when creating document libraries:

    • For large written works (such as this book), it's important to store documents in a central place where authors, editors, and reviewers have access. It's important to keep track of versions of each document and for multiple authors to be able to work on a single document.

    • For shorter works ( letters , forms, etc.), tracking versions is less important, but organization, templates, and approval become critical.

    Figures 6-3 and 6-4 show these two scenarios.

    animal 6-3. Using SharePoint to create a book

    The following sections describe the specific tasks you can accomplish with document libraries.



Essential SharePoint
Essential SharePoint 2007: A Practical Guide for Users, Administrators and Developers
ISBN: 0596514077
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2005
Pages: 153
Authors: Jeff Webb

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