Connect.Collaborate.SharePoint
Feb
27

No doubt many of you have downloaded some of the Fantastic 40 templates and on the surface some seem a bit bland. Nothing more than a normal team site with a few extra lists. Let's start digging a little deeper…

First up I thought we could look at the Contacts Management Template. I'll admit that, based on the name, I thought this would be a mini CRM solution. While it is not a CRM anything, it demonstrates a nice way of filtering contacts based on what it being typed into an input box in real time.

I have loaded in over 100 almost random names so you can try it out http://templates.wssdemo.com/contacts/default.aspx

It uses a Form Web Part for the input box and some client side java script to refresh an iframe using another aspx page that just contains a Data View web part rendering the contacts list with a filter applied which the DVWP gets from the URL parameter specified in the iframe src attribute.

You can see this page on its own here http://templates.wssdemo.com/contacts/Results.aspx?Search=j

This is easily a feature you could incorporate into a bigger site.

 

Categories:

 
Feb
22

Starting with the Bug Database template. You need server access to install these. There is also a common feature that needs to be installed for these server templates to work.

Check out my Application Templates page for more info. http://www.wssdemo.com/application

Categories:SharePoint

 
Feb
16

Want some top quality Intranet content to help you users get the most out of Office 2007 applications?
Microsoft Office Running Start serves as a handy shortcut to vital questions and resources so employees can get the information they need to be their most productive and efficient. After downloading this content to your desktop, just import the web part, from the SharePoint folder, into a Web Part Page. It will provide links through to content on Office Online.
http://www.wssdemo.com/Pages/officetips.aspx

Categories:SharePoint

 
Feb
15
<div class=ExternalClass46687BB08CE6425BA1DB0B6351B6B4C6><p>I'm not 100% sure but I think the problem was related to having reporting services installed and then applying SQL SP1 which doesn't upgrade the Reporting Service Database and then SQL Server reporting an error that it couldn't connect to the reporting db (even though this should have nothing to do with MOSS reports?). As soon as this error was reported in the NT Event log, usage analysis would fail (no data in the graph)
</p><p><img src="/blog/Lists/Photos/021407_2304_Finallygotm1.jpg" alt="">
 </p><p> but the timer job wouldn't indicate a failure. Selecting the properties of the Report db gives you an Upgrade option. Since doing that I haven't had a usage processing gap<span style="font-family:Wingdings">J</span></p></div>
Categories:SharePoint

 
Feb
13

I found a missing step in the setup instructions.

2.4 Database Installation

Add the following steps to complete the cube configuration.

14. Right click on the Data Sources "My Site Account Manager Role", select properties and edit the connection string to use your SQL Server name.

15. Rick click on the Cube "My Site Account Manager Role" and select Process (you should not get any errors)

I'm still having problems with the KPI indicators connecting to the cube. "Unable to connect to the cube. The cube might no longer exist."

Probably a permissions error, not easy to troubleshoot this stuff, will play with options in the odc file. Installing this template is much more than a 10 minute job, you have been warned.

Categories:SharePoint

 
Feb
12

Well, I was about to get some sleep when I saw this post

http://blogs.atlassian.com/news/2007/02/sharepoint_is_s.html

And just had to reply with

"This is so wrong. Unless your are referring to the old version of SharePoint because the current version includes blog's and wiki's and has user editable profiles (My Site) along with colleague tracker and 'how I relate' to someone else based on organization hierarchy and distribution groups we both belong to.

Tagging is a core feature in SharePoint. In fact the lists containing the tag values can be used to tag the wiki's, blog's, documents, web pages, appointments, tasks, issues etc. So when you search (oh yea, it searches not only all the stuff in SharePoint, but almost anything else you point it at).

Yep, it's an integrated platform, not another island!"

Categories:SharePoint

 
Feb
12

Well, I got it installed but it requires the publishing infrastructure to exist in the site collection hosting the template and the parent site needs the publishing feature activated. This might be the default for your MOSS Intranet site but WSSDemo.com was based on the Collaboration only template.

The template also requires the enterprise edition of MOSS because of extensive use of the BDC and Excel Services (this is not mentioned on the download page.

After activating the required features there were some adverse side effects.

  1. Extra Home tab in the navigation (I should be able to delete this)
  2. Tab highlighting for current site not working
  3. DVWP in the master page on the site in which I activated the publishing feature now gives an error http://www.wssdemo.com/template

The only thing I haven't been able to configure in the Sales template is the Excel Service ODC file because you need to create this from Excel which I can't do over the internet at the moment (another problem to fix).

Sales Account Manager SharePoint Template

Time for some sleep...

Categories:SharePoint

 
Feb
12

Well, this is what I want to work on:

  • Change relevance ranking of list items to be higher than web pages and documents because this would be more relevant for http://www.wssdemo.com
  • Install the 2 My Site templates so you can see what they look like
  • Get more screen shots of the 20 application templates already installed
  • Blog about Custom Form Action workflows (these are not bound to a list/item) in SharePoint Designer
  • Blog about using asp.net controls in web part pages using SharePoint designer

And that is just in the evenings. Don't know if I will get the time but I will try… During the day I have a big MOSS WCM POC starting and assisting with enhancements to the largest SPS 2003 Intranet site in NZ.

Categories:SharePoint

 
Feb
10

Do you know what's hot right now, and why? Write a Where's the Fire explanation to spread your wealth of knowledge, so other people can be as in-the-know as you are. Whenever there is a WTF topic for something, it will appear in Technorati's search results and also be available right from top searches.

Lets get a SharePoint WTF'd http://technorati.com/wtf?new&topic=SharePoint

Lawrence may event want to run a competition for the best SharePoint WTF ;-)

Categories:SharePoint

 
Feb
10

Using the Microsoft Office Live Code Sample: Contact Map code, I created a live demo for you…

http://www.wssdemo.com/demo

This sample code creates a map displaying the location of all of your contacts included in the Contacts list in the Business Contact Manager application when you have either an Office Live Essentials or Premium subscription my WSDemo.com SharePoint site. This mashup leverages the Microsoft Virtual Earth APIs and the Web services in Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0. It is a sample of one way that Web services can be used to create Web Parts that enhance Office Live business applications.

The sample includes a nice jscript library for using the SharePoint list web services.

Categories:SharePoint