Is SharePoint rubbish? Trash talk on SharePoint architecture

I have recently bought a book by one of the favorite knowledgeable guy in the SharePoint world - Todd Klindt - Professional SharePoint 2013 Administration

The book is hilarious and very descent to have on the shelf if you are a SharePoint Administrator, Developer or Architect.

Here is my favorite paragraph so far, which is very metaphorical and easy memorize for someone who is new in this big and messy SharePoint World.

"Try this analogy to understand how [all] pieces work together: Web applications are the landfill. Content databases are giant dumpsters. A site collection is a big, black 50-gallon garbage bag. Webs, lists, and items are pieces of trash. Your users spend all week creating garbage, continuously stuffing it in the garbage bags, with each piece of trash occupying only one garbage bag at a time. Each garbage bag can hold only 50 gallons of trash (quotas) before it is full, after which the user has to either ask for a new garbage bag or get a bigger garbage bag.  That full garbage bag is placed in a dumpster, and it is not possible to put a garbage bag in more than one dumpster without destroying it.  Dumpsters are serviced only by one landfill but that landfill can handle thousands of dumpsters without issue. "

Simple Concept: List View How to add context menu to the column?

[Question]: I want to add a context menu and a link  in the list view on the column that is NOT a default "Title" column. How can I do it?

[Answer]:
You can either
1. implement xsltviewwebpart  (which is tedious task);

2. or you can using PowerShell set up special attributes to the field that you want to add a context menu and a link. 

I personally prefer the second approach. It allows a user to create a view over and over again and he\she will get the same behavior - a context menu and link to a specific , not a default title column.

Here is a simple magic:

 You have to add a following attributes to a desired <Field :

        LinkToItem="TRUE"
        LinkToItemAllowed="Required"
        ListItemMenu="TRUE

 Using PowerShell it will look like this:

$Lst = get-Splist "{full url}"
$prolFld = $Lst.Fields;
$Fld = $projFld.getField("{field static name}")                                                                                                                                                                                                                


#Save original Schema for backup purposes


$Fld.SchemaXml >> fldbkp.txt


#open fldbkp.txt. Copy the content over to the notepad.
#Add attributes LinkToItem="TRUE" LinkToItemAllowed="Required" ListItemMenu="TRUE". 
#Replace '"' with '''.Copy content


$Fld.SchemaXml ="{your copied edited field caml}"
$Fld.Update()
$Lst.Update()

P.S. It turned out that PowerShell SharePoint 2013 Snap-in
doesn't have a command sp-list!

So, here is an PS code for SP2013:

$web = Get-SPWeb{"{Url of spweb}"}
$list = $web.Lists['{List name}']
$Flds = $list.Fields;

$Fld = $Flds.getField("{Static Field name}")

3. For those who in SharePoint Online with limited PowerShell possibilities , you can add the context menu via SharePoint designer

Select the view, edit in Advanced mode.
Locate <ViewFields><FieldRef
Find you column that should have context menu.
And add the following:
ListItemMenu="TRUE"
So, it should like this:
<FieldRef Name="YourColumn" ListItemMenu="TRUE"/>

SharePoint UX: Styling and Branding. Design implementation

Previous related posts:

SharePoint UX: Styling and Branding. Design strategy

SharePoint UX: Styling and Branding . Do it right

Other important course on general UX: Daily UX Crash course (free and simple) 31 days in a row

Last day Kyle Schaeffer in his Styling and Branding class dove deeper into jQuery and how to use it to enhance User Experience in SharePoint portal.

Kyle said it clearly and easy to remember:


CSS is all about presentation

HTML is all about structure

JavaScript is all about behavior. (Jquery should enhance the interface but your basic structure should be functional even without jQuery)

Remember this and you design will be easy to manage.

This post is all about sharing resources that will get you started with such customization:

What to learn:

Fun resource to learn javascript, web fundamentals, jQuery

A free and recommended by Kyle book on html5

Recommended by Kyle a book to buy if a free book is not enough for you

What to do:

Pure design:

Image generator lorempixel

Text generator lipsum

Design site palette easy

Google Web Fonts

Web coding:

SharePoint blank master page starter

An example of quick jQuery magic - WP Tabify: transform a SharePoint web part zone into tabs

jQueryui - animation, advanced effects and high-level, themeable widgets, built on top of the jQuery JavaScript Library

SPservices - jQuery library which abstracts SharePoint's Web Services and makes them easier to use


Do you want implement slide Image Carousel into your page?
Refer to: jQuery Cycle Plugin

The quick signposts to implement it in SharePoint:
Picture Library -> Content Query WP -> Item Style -> jQuery Script with jQuery Cycle Plugin

P.S. Item style is to change the presentation of the data

P.S.S. Not from Kyle but worth to know: Top 10 Mistakes in SharePoint 2010 Branding and UI Design

SharePoint UX: Styling and Branding. Design strategy

Previous related post:
SharePoint UX: Styling and Branding . Do it right

Kyle Schaeffer presented a nice design strategy that I couldn't resist to share with people who want:

 - prepare SharePoint implementation proposal;

 - present to the clients SharePoint custom design before implementation with less expenses;

 - come up with design solution that suits business needs and feasible to do in SharePoint.

Strategy consists of 4 phases:

1. Discover

Perception vs Expectation.  Kickoff meetings

You goal as an integrator, understand the client. 

Ask the client:

  -  Who are the users?

  -  What are they going to do?

  -  What is your goal?

Check yourself whether you understand the client.

How do you check your understanding?

Use a user persona , journaling. Use these personas for QA, during the whole project life

Example of journaling: 

Joe - a manager- does specific tasks

In QA cycle, ask clients again if "is a Joe satisfied?"

Spend some time on Information architecture 

( 50-100 users for small site -3-4 days for Information architecture)

- gather info about content

 - determine audience, users, personas

 - determine priority of content from the client's perspective

SharePoint UX: Styling and Branding . Do it right

Several weeks ago I have realized that I have been working with SharePoint last 3 years and it never occurred to me that I did nothing regarding User Experience and Design in SharePoint.

I have just accepted the things as they are in SharePoint... and I know for clients sometimes it really hurts to learn where to click to get some work done.

So, I have decided to improve life of business users who work with SharePoint via learning how to make SharePoint experience more user friendly. and I knew only one person who can help me with that - Kyle Schaeffer

This week I have got an opportunity to be in his (Dulles, VA) class SharePoint Designer 2010 Styling and Branding Week. The class is 4 days long, I have decided to take the last part - Level II:

Day 3: Working with Layouts, Styling SharePoint Components (Blogs, Wikis, MySites,Discussion Boards)

Day 4: Enhancing the User Experience with JQuery and other Advanced Techniques

Overall, the class worked for me. I have been confirmed that there are people who can do design SharePoint 2010 in the way that doesn't brake SharePoint. And also it was reaffirming to know that there is an example of successful SharePoint integration company who knows what are the strengths and weaknesses of SharePoint and willing to work with it.

I am fully aware of reservations that clients might have when they hear the word "SharePoint". They heard it's hard to customize and hard to work with.

And I can see why these opinions exist. I believe if SharePoint isn't used right it will do more harm than good not only for clients, but for company who is trying to integrate it.

So, let's do it right! Let's educate ourselves when SharePoint is appropriate and when it's not. And if it's a appropriate for SharePoint, let's integrate it in the right way... and finally let's design the sites in the way it's comfortable to users to use.

 The topic - when SharePoint is appropriate is still an open topic for me... I hope to get more insights in this area. Your suggestions are warmly welcome.

How to integrate in the right way? - I have got some experience in this sphere:
http://sharing-the-experience.blogspot.com/search/label/Best%20Practices

And lastly, how to design SharePoint - this is what next several posts are all about:

SharePoint UX: Styling and Branding. Design strategy

SharePoint UX: Styling and Branding. Design implementation

Other good links to have (for SharePoint html work):
startermasterpage.codeplex.com
http://responsivesharepoint.codeplex.com/