Work Smart by Microsoft ITCollaborating by using SharePoint Server 2010Customization note: This document contains guidance and/or step-by-step installation instructions that can be reused, customized, or deleted entirely if they do not apply to your organization’s environment or installation scenarios. The text marked by yellow highlighting indicates either customization guidance or organization-specific variables. All of the highlighted text in this document should either be deleted or replaced prior to distribution.

Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 helps people share files and collaborate. It’s designed to work effectively with other technologies, including the Microsoft Office applications. Use this guide to learn about the features and capabilities of SharePoint Server 2010.

Topics in this guide include:

For more information

Working with content types

Understanding workflows

Managing and extending site content

Creating subsitesWorking with libraries

Working with lists

Creating a new SharePoint site

Understanding permissions

Understanding the parts of a SharePoint site

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Understanding the parts of a SharePoint siteA SharePoint site is a group of related intranet webpages where an organization can work on projects, conduct meetings, and share information. All SharePoint sites have the following elements:

ListsA list is a site component that enables an organization to store, share, and manage information. For example, you can create a task list to track work assignments or team events on a calendar. You can also conduct surveys or host discussions on a discussion board.

LibrariesA library is a special type of list that stores files and information about files. In libraries, you can control how files are viewed, tracked, managed, and created.

Web PartsA Web Part is a modular unit of information that forms a basic building block of most webpages on an intranet site. If you have permission to edit pages on your site, you can use Web Parts to customize your site to display pictures and charts, portions of other webpages, lists of files, customized views of business data, and more.

ViewsA view is a way of looking at information. You can use views to see the items in a list or library that are most important to you, or that best fit a purpose. For example, you can create a view of all the items in a list that apply to a specific department, or to highlight particular files in a library. You can also create multiple views of a list or library that people can select from. And you can use a Web Part to display a view of a list or library on a separate page of your site.

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Understanding permissionsPermissions affect what you see and what options are available to you on a SharePoint site. If you’re assigned the default Full Control permission level, you have the full range of options to manage the site. If you’re assigned the Contribute or Read permission level, your options and access to site content are more limited. Many of the options that this guide discusses are not available to users who are assigned the Read permission level, which allows them to read content but not make changes to it.

To add an item to a list, or to add a file to a library, you must have permission to contribute to the list or library. In addition to adding content to existing lists and libraries, you may have permission to create new lists and libraries. The list and library templates provide structure and settings to give you a head start. Depending on your permission level, you can also create and customize new pages and sites.

Note: Because permissions are designed to be flexible and customizable, your organization may have its own unique settings. For more information about how your organization uses permissions and permission levels, ask your site owner or administrator.

When you add an item or file, other people who have permission to read the list can view the item or file, unless it requires approval. If the item or file requires approval, it’s stored in a pending state in the list or library until someone who has the appropriate permissions approves it. If you’re already viewing the list or library when an item or file is added, you may need to refresh your browser to see the new item or file.

Creating a new SharePoint siteYou can go to the SharePoint Services webpage at URL and follow the appropriate link to create a new SharePoint site.

You can then add items to lists, and add files to libraries, by using a web browser. The buttons that you use to perform the most common actions are located on the ribbon, which is near the top of the page on most site pages.

Buttons on the ribbon may be unavailable for any of the following reasons:

The action is not applicable or is dependent on some other action. For example, you must select the check box for a file to make the Check Out button become available.

You don’t have permission to complete the task. The feature is not enabled for the site. For example, workflows may not be enabled on some

sites.You might consider adding Web Parts pages, which enable you to use Web Parts

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to quickly add dynamic content. A Web Parts page is a special type of webpage that contains one or more Web Parts. A Web Parts page consolidates data (such as lists and charts) and web content (such as text and images) into a dynamic information portal that’s built around a common task.

You can also save files to a library from some client programs that are compatible with SharePoint Server 2010. For example, you can save a Microsoft Word document to a library on a SharePoint Server 2010 site while you’re working in Word.

Lists and libraries can also take advantage of email features, if incoming or outgoing email is enabled on your site. Some lists, such as calendars, announcements, blogs, and discussion boards, can be set up so that people can add content to them by sending email. Other lists, such as tasks and issue tracking, can be set up to send email to people when items are assigned to them.

Working with listsAlthough there are different types of lists, the procedure for adding items to them is similar. This means that you don’t need to learn several new techniques to work with different list types. A list item contains text in a series of columns, but some lists may also allow attachments to be added to the item.

On many sites, some lists are already created for you. These might include a discussion board or a calendar list. If you have permission, you can also create lists from several types of list templates.

To create a list:

1. Tap or click Site Actions, and then tap or click More Options.Note: If you don’t see the Site Actions menu, you may not have permission to create a list.

2. On the Create page, tap or click the type of list that you want to create. For example, if you want to create a list of links, tap or click Links.

3. Type a name for the list, complete any other fields that you want to complete, and then tap or click Create.

To add an item to a list:

1. In the list where you want to add the item, tap or click the Items tab on the ribbon. (It's the Events tab for a calendar.)

2. Tap or click New Item (New Event for a calendar).Tip: You can also quickly add an event to a calendar by pointing to the date on the calendar, tapping or clicking Add, and then completing the fields in the dialog box that appears.

3. Complete the required fields and any others that you want to complete, and then tap or click Save.

To edit or delete an item in a list:

1. Point to an item, and then select the check box that appears next to the

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item.Tip: You can perform actions on multiple items by selecting multiple check boxes.

2. On the Items tab on the ribbon, tap or click either Edit Item or Delete Item, as required.

Working with librariesIn a library, you can create, collect, update, and manage files with other team members. Each library displays a list of files and key information about the files.

When you create many types of sites, a default library called Shared Documents is created for you. Shared Documents is a document library that you can use for storing several types of files. You can create more libraries if you have permission to manage lists, such as a picture library for storing images.

You can add a file to a library by uploading it from your web browser. After you add the file to the library, other people who have the appropriate permission can see the file. (They may need to refresh their browser to see the new file.)

If you’re using a program that’s compatible with SharePoint Server 2010, you can create a new file based on a template, while you’re working in the library.

To create a document library:

1. Tap or click Site Actions, and then tap or click New Document Library.Note: If you don’t see the Site Actions menu, you may not have permission to create a library.

2. Type a name for the library, complete any other fields you want to complete, and then tap or click Create.

Note: To see the other types of libraries that you can create, tap or click Site Actions, and then tap or click More Options. Point to a library option to read a description of that option.

To add a file to a library:

1. In the library where you want to add the file, tap or click the Documents tab on the ribbon.

2. Tap or click Upload Document.3. Browse to the file, and then tap or click OK.Note: If you’re using a program that’s compatible with SharePoint Server 2010, such as Word, you can drag files from the File Explorer/Windows Explorer window to the Upload Document dialog box.

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To edit or delete a file in a library:

1. Point to a file, and then select the check box that appears next to the file.2. On the Documents tab on the ribbon, tap or click either Edit Document or

Delete Document, as required.

Creating subsitesA site can serve a general purpose, such as storing schedules, guidelines, files, and other information that your team frequently refers to. A site can serve a more specific purpose, such as keeping track of a meeting, or hosting a blog where a member of your organization frequently posts news and ideas.

Your organization might divide site content into distinct, separately manageable sites in a collection:

A top-level site is at the top of the hierarchy in a site collection. A site owner or administrator can manage site collection features from there. A top-level site can have multiple subsites.

A subsite is a complete website that’s stored in a named subdirectory of the top-level site. Each subsite can have administration, authoring, and browsing permissions that are independent from the top-level site and other subsites.

For example, a team might have its own site where it stores schedules, files, and procedural information. A team site might be part of a larger organizational portal site, where departments post information and resources for the rest of the organization.

The following screen capture represents a customizable subsite for example purposes. You might choose to replace this image with one that’s specific to your organization.

To create a subsite from a top-level site:

1. Tap or click Site Actions, and then tap or click New Site.Note: If you don’t see the Site Actions menu, you may not have permission to create a site.

2. Type a Title and URL name for the site.3. Under Template Selection, select a site template.4. Choose any other options that you want, and then tap or click Create.

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Managing and extending site contentThere are several ways that you can manage and extend content on a site and in lists and libraries.

Adding navigation elementsOn your site, you can add elements that help people find the content that they need. Two navigation items that you can customize are the Quick Launch and the top link bar.

Quick LaunchBy using the settings pages for each list or library, you can choose which lists and libraries appear on the Quick Launch. You can also change the order of links, add or delete links, and add or delete the sections into which the links are organized.

For example, if you have too many lists in the Lists section, you can add a new section called Tasks, where you can include links to your task lists. You can make all of these changes to the Quick Launch from within a browser that’s compatible with SharePoint Server 2010. You can also add links to pages outside the site.

Top link barThe top link bar displays a row of tabs at the top of every page on the site. It enables users of your site to access other sites in the site collection. When you create a new site, you can choose whether to include your site on the top link bar of the top-level site, and whether to use the top link bar from the top-level site.

If your site is using a unique top link bar, you can customize the links that appear on it. Any subsites that are created within the top-level site can also be displayed on the top link bar, if the subsites are configured to inherit the top link bar of the top-level site. You can also include links to other sites outside your site collection.

Managing access to contentA site owner or administrator can grant permission levels to users, and to SharePoint groups that contain users. The permissions can be applied to a site, the lists and libraries on a site, and the items within the lists and libraries. If you create a site, you can assign permission levels as needed.

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Organizing listsThere are many ways to organize lists, such as using different views or adding new folders to your lists.

Some features help your team create and manage list items efficiently across several lists. For example, you can create a column that provides information about list items, and then share it across other lists.

Organizing librariesHow you organize your files in a library will depend on the needs of your group, and on how you prefer to store and search for your information. For example, if you want to make a file available in multiple libraries, you can easily copy it to other libraries on your site.

You can also use the same features that you use in lists, such as views and folders, to help you manage information in libraries.

Using accessibility featuresSites are designed so that lists, libraries, and other features can be fully accessed through only keystrokes. More Accessible Mode enables users of accessible technologies to more easily interact with menus and various controls. Skip to Main Content links enable keyboard users to skip over repetitive navigation links to the more meaningful content on a page.

The markup of headings is designed to better define the structure and improve navigation for people who use screen readers. Images that are uploaded to the site allow for custom alternative text. For example, you can assign custom alternative text to the image that appears on the home page in the Site Image Web Part, or to a picture that you add to a picture library. For viewing sites, the High Contrast options in the Windows operating system work well for users who have low vision.

Tracking versionsYou can set up your list or library to track versions. When you track versions, SharePoint Server 2010 stores any changes to the items or files and their properties. You can then better manage content as it’s revised, by viewing a history of changes and even restoring a previous version if necessary. Versioning is especially helpful when several people work together on projects, or when information goes through several stages of development and review.

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The following example illustrates how version history works.

1. The current published major version is highlighted, and the version number is a whole number.

2. A new version is created when properties or metadata changes.3. The first version of a file is always minor version number 0.1.

Coauthoring filesWhen a file is stored in SharePoint Server 2010, two or more users can edit the file simultaneously. For example, you can edit one paragraph in a Word document, while a colleague edits another paragraph in the same document and at the same time.

To learn more about file collaboration and coauthoring in SharePoint Server 2010, go to http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint-server-help/document-collaboration-and-co-authoring-HA101812148.aspx.

Staying updated on changesYou can distribute and receive information, including updates to lists and libraries, in a standardized format by using Really Simple Syndication (RSS). The standardized XML file format means that you and other site users can use many different programs to view the information. You can also subscribe to lists and libraries by setting alerts, so that you know when content has changed.

A team can use RSS feeds as a way to customize their content for team members who subscribe to their feeds, and to offer links back to their websites. You can use RSS feeds to track team progress and project updates. Instead of browsing through multiple team websites, you receive the latest news or updates from those sites automatically.

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Understanding workflowsWorkflows implement specific business processes on files and items on a site, to help people collaborate on files and manage project tasks. Workflows help organizations adhere to consistent business processes. Workflows can also improve organizational efficiency and productivity by managing the tasks that are involved in specific business processes. The people who perform these tasks can then concentrate on performing the work, rather than managing the workflow.

Workflows can streamline the cost and time that are required to coordinate common business processes—such as project approval or document review—by managing and tracking the human tasks that are involved with these processes. For example, an organization can use a predefined Approval workflow or create and deploy a custom workflow to manage another business process.

To learn more about workflows and SharePoint Server 2010, go to http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint-server-help/CH010372671.aspx.

Working with content typesYour list or library may support multiple content types. Content types enable organizations to organize, manage, and handle large amounts of content more effectively. If you set up your list or library to allow multiple content types, you can add content types from a list of available options that your organization frequently uses, such as Marketing Presentations or Contracts.

After you add a content type to a list or library, that list or library can contain items of that type. Users can then use the New Item button in that list or library to create new items of that type.

One of the key advantages to content types for lists and libraries is that they enable a single list or library to contain multiple item, file, or document types. Each type may have unique metadata, policies, or behaviors.

To learn more about working with content types, go to http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint-server-help/CH010372670.aspx.

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For more informationBasic tasks in SharePoint Server 2010http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint-server-help/basic-tasks-in-sharepoint-server-2010-HA101839175.aspx

Work Smart by Microsoft IThttp://aka.ms/customerworksmart

Modern IT Experience featuring IT Showcasehttp://microsoft.com/microsoft-IT

This guide is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT. © 2014 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.