Sharepoint User Guide

About SharePoint

SharePoint® is a technology from Microsoft® for creating web sites that enable collaboration and documentation management. SharePoint allows you to create libraries for storing files of many types including Word and Excel documents, PDFs, InfoPath forms, HTML pages, images and wiki pages. You also can store data in lists and display data in customized views. Out-of-the-box lists include events, tasks, contacts, links and announcements.

Understanding SharePoint

A SharePoint site collection consists of one top-level site and all sites below it and the contents of those sites, as shown in the image below. 

You create a site collection to host sites that are going to have something in common.  For example, the sites might share a common branding or shared departmental administrator. 

Using the SharePoint interface top

The balloons in the image below represent the most commonly used areas of the SharePoint interface. If you are new to SharePoint, you may want to familiarize yourself with these areas.

1. Top navigation menu – contains a home tab and, possibly, tabs to other SharePoint pages and sites.
2. Quick Launch - contains links to libraries, lists, discussions and other site content. See About the Quick Launch.
3. Breadcrumbs - for navigating between pages. See image below for an example of a breadcrumb.

   

4.  
5. Site Actions menu - for creating new site items, editing a page, performing administrative functions, and managing site settings.
6. Web parts - for displaying key site content (e.g., calendars, announcements).
7. Edit page - for editing web parts and moving page content items around. See Editing web parts.

About the Quick Launch top

The Quick Launch is the left-side navigation menu containing links to document libraries, lists, links, sites, and other content.

Modifying the Quick Launch menu top

1. Click “Site Settings” in the “Site Actions” menu.

   

2.  
3. Click on the “Quick Launch” link in the “Look and Feel” column.
4.  
5. At the top of the page you have three options available:

• New Link – Add a new link under any heading in the Quick Launch menu.
• New Heading – Add a new heading to the Quick Launch menu.
• Change Order – Change the order of how headings and links appear in the Quick Launch Menu.

Adding a new link
a. Click on “New Link.”
b. Enter the web address and description of the link.
c. Select the heading you want the link to be under from the “Heading” drop-down list box.
d. Click OK.

Adding a new heading
a. Click on “New Heading.”
b. Enter the web address and description of the heading.
c. Click OK.

Changing the order of links and headings
a. Click on “Change Order.”
b. Each heading has an assigned number. Change each heading number according to the order in which you want the headings to appear.
c. Each link has an assigned number. Change each link number according to the order in which you want the links to appear under each heading.
d. Click OK.

About the Top Link Bar top

The Top Link Bar is the top left-side horizontal navigation menu containing links to document libraries, lists, links, sites, and other content.

Modifying the Top Link Bar menu top

1. Click “Site Settings” in the “Site Actions” menu.

   

2.  
3. Click on the “Top Link Bar ” link in the “Look and Feel” column.
4.  
5. At the top of the page you have two options available:

• New Link – Add a new link under any heading in the Quick Launch menu.
• Change Order – Change the order of how headings and links appear in the Quick Launch Menu.

Adding a new link
a. Click on “New Link.”
b. Enter the web address and description of the link.
c. Click OK.

Changing the order of links
a. Click on “Change Order.”
b. Each link has an assigned number. Change each link number according to the order in which you want the links to appear under each heading.
c. Click OK.

About users and groups top

Groups are collections of users. Each group has a specific set of permissions to a web site published on SharePoint. There are three groups you can choose by default: Owners, Visitors, and Members. Groups will be defined for you by the SharePoint administrator.

• Owners - Owners have full control.
• Visitors - Visitors can view your SharePoint site, but with limited access.
• Members - Members have full control of your SharePoint site, but with limited access.

The best practic is to place users into one of the predefined groups.

Adding users to groups top

1. Click “Site Settings” in the “Site Actions” menu.

   

2.  
3. Click on the “People and groups” link in the “Users and Permissions” column.
4.  
5. Click on the “New” drop-down arrow.
6.  
7. Select “Add Users.” Note: You can skip steps 5, 6, and 7 by entering a user’s email address or network ID in the text box.
8.  
9. Click on the “Browse” icon.
10.  
11. Type the name of the user you want to add to the system in the “Find” text box and click on the search icon (the hourglass).
12.  
13. Select the name you want to add and click Add. Note: To select multiple names, hold the Ctrl key down while selecting names.
14.  
15. Click OK.
16.  
17. Select the group you want to add a user to; the user will inherit the group’s permissions.
18.  
19. If you want to send the user a welcome email, click the “Send welcome e-mail to new users” check box.
20.  
21. By default, the system populates the subject: “Welcome to the SharePoint site: USER_YOU_ADDED” Modify the subject according to your specific needs.
22.  
23. Type a message in the “Personal Message” text box.
24.  
25. Click OK.

Document libraries versus lists top

Lists are the primary means of capturing and storing data in SharePoint. A list is simply a collection of columns (data attributes) and rows (values). You might think of lists as data grids. They are similar to, but should not be confused with, database tables, which provide more advanced capabilities. SharePoint includes several out-of-the-box lists (announcements, events, and links). When you need to create lists that do not fit in one of the built-in categories, you can create a custom list to reflect your specific needs.

Libraries

A library is a special type of list that enables you to store files as well as properties associated with those files. There are several types of libraries; the most commonly used include document, form, and picture. Document libraries store Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, and other common document files. Form libraries store InfoPath forms, and picture libraries store image files (GIFs, JPEGs, etc).

Creating a document library top

1. Click “Create” in the “Site Actions” menu.

   

2.  
3. Click on the “Document Library” link in the “Libraries” column.
4.  
5. Fill in the following sections:
   Name and Description
6. Name – Enter the name of your document library.
7. Description – Enter a description for your document library.
     Navigation
8. Display this document library on the Quick Launch – Select Yes or No.
     Document Version History
9. Create a version each time you edit a file in this document library – Select Yes or No.
     Document Template
10. Document Template – Select a template if you want to enable users to create and add documents to the library on the fly via the “New” button; otherwise, select “None.”
11.  
12. Click Create.

Uploading files to a document library top

1. Open the document library where you want to upload files.
2.  
3. Click on the “Upload” drop-down arrow.

   

4.  
5. Select “Upload Document.”

   

6.  
7. Click Browse and locate the file you want to upload.

   Note: If you want to overwrite an existing file with the same name, click on the “Overwrite existing files” check box.

8.  
9. Click OK.

Uploading multiple files to a document library top

1. Open the document library where you want to upload files.
2.  
3. Click on the “Upload” drop-down arrow.

   

4.  
5. Select “Upload Multiple Documents.”

   

6.  
7. Expand the directory tree on the left side of the screen to find a file you want to upload. Click the file’s corresponding check box. Repeat until you have selected all the files you want to upload.

   

   Note: If you want to overwrite an existing file with the same name, click on the “Overwrite existing files” check box.

8.  
9. Click OK.
10.  
11. A pop-up window will appear asking if you want to continue uploading x number of files. Click Yes to complete the upload.

Editing file properties top

1. Open the library where you want to edit a file’s properties.
2.  
3. When the page loads, click on the drop-down arrow next to the name of the file you want to edit.

   

4.  
5. Select “Edit Properties” from the drop-down menu.

   

6.  
7. Modify the file properties according to your specific needs. Some file properties vary based on the type of file being modified.
8.  
9. Click OK.

Removing files from a library top

1. Open the library where you want to delete files.
2.  
3. When the page loads, click on the name of the file you want to delete.
4.  
5. Select “Delete” from the drop-down menu.
6.  
7. A pop-up message will appear asking if you want to delete the item. Click OK. Note: Your files are not permanently deleted from the system. Deleted files are stored in the Recycle Bin. See Restoring deleted files.

Restoring deleted files top

Sometimes you may delete the wrong file or want to restore a file you previously deleted. SharePoint offers a way for your to restore your file from the Recycle Bin:

1. Click on the Recycle Bin link in the Quick Launch Menu. The link is located at the bottom of the menu.

   

2.  
3. Click on the check box next to the file(s) you want to restore.

   

4.  
5. Click “Restore Selection.”

   

6.  
7. A pop-up message will appear asking for confirmation to restore your selected file(s). Click OK.

Using Explorer view to work with library files top

Explorer view is an option that enables you to work with files in a window that looks similar to Windows Explorer. Using this view, which is available only when you access the site using Internet Explorer, you can perform actions such as dragging and dropping files from your local hard drive to the SharePoint library, cutting/copying and pasting files within the library, and right-clicking files and deleting them from the library.

To open Explorer view, complete the following steps:

1. Click on the library link you want to explore.
2.  
3. Select “Explorer View” from the “View” drop-down menu on the right side of your screen.

   

   The files in your library will be shown in a Windows Explorer format. You can also navigate to other areas on your desktop by using the Explorer.

   Caution
   Each library contains a folder called “Forms” that is visible only in Explorer view. Do NOT modify or delete this folder or any files in it. Doing so may make the library unusable.

Creating a list top

1. Click “Create” in the “Site Actions” menu.

   

2.  
3. Select one of the out-of-the-box lists (under Communications or Tracking), or click “Custom List” to create your own list.
4.  
5. Fill in the following sections:

   Name and Description

6. Name – Enter the name of your document library.
7. Description – Enter a description for your document library.

   Navigation

8. Display this document library on the Quick Launch – Select Yes or No.
9.  
10. Click Create.

Adding items to a list top

1. Open the list to which you want to add items.
2.  
3. Click on the “New” drop-down arrow.

   

4.  
5. Select “New Item.”

   

6.  
7. Enter information in at least all of the required fields (indicated by an asterisk).

   Note: You can attach a file to your list and check for spelling.

8.  
9. Click OK.

Editing a list item top

1. Open the list containing the item(s) you want to edit.
2.  
3. Click on the drop-down arrow next to the list item you want to edit.

   

4.  
5. Select “Edit Item” from the drop-down menu.

   

6.  
7. Make any necessary changes to the list item.
8.  
9. Click OK.

Removing items from a list top

1. Open the list from which you want to remove items.
2.  
3. When the page loads, click on the list name that contains the item you want to delete.
4.  
5. Select “Delete Item” from the drop-down menu.
6.  
7. A pop-up message will appear asking if you want to delete the item. Click OK.

Customizing library and list permissions top

All users and groups are assigned site-level permissions that determine what they are able to see and which actions they are able to take. For any library or list, you can override a group’s or user’s site-level permissions with custom permissions. For example, you might want to enable your Viewers group, which has read-only access to the site, to add items to the Shared Documents library. To do so, you would customize the permissions of that library so that the Viewers group has “Contribute” permissions for the library.

Customizing library permissions top

1. Click on the “Documents” link in the Quick Launch menu.
2.  
3. When the page loads, locate the library whose permissions you want to customize and click on the associated library link.
4.  
5. Click on the “Settings” drop-down arrow and select “LIBRARY_TYPE Library Settings.” LIBRARY_TYPE changes according to the type of library you are using to change permissions. For example, if you are changing permissions to your document library, LIBRARY_TYPE will be displayed as “Document.”
6.  
7. Click on the “Permissions for this LIBRARY_TYPE library” link in the “Permissions and Management” column. In our example, we are changing permissions for a document library.

   

8.  
9. Click on the “Actions” drop-down arrow.

   

10.  
11. Select “Edit Permissions” from the list.
12.  
13. A pop-up message will appear. Click OK.

    

14.  
15. Click on the check box next to each group whose permissions you want to change.
16.  
17. Click on the “Actions” drop-down arrow.
18.  
19. Select “Edit User Permissions” from the list.
20.  
21. When the page loads, click on the permission level you want the user(s) or group(s) you selected in step 8 to use.

    

    Note: In most cases, you should select between Contribute (read-write) and Read. Be very careful about assigning a user or group Full Control, as this permission level includes the ability to modify document library settings and to delete the library entirely.

22.  
23. Click OK.

Customizing list permissions top

1. Click on the “Lists” link in the Quick Launch menu.
2.  
3. When the page loads, locate the list whose permissions you want to customize and click its name.
4.  
5. Click on the “Settings” drop-down arrow and select “List Settings.”
6.  
7. Click on the “Permissions for this list” link in the “Permissions and Management” column.

   

8.  
9. Click on the “Actions” drop-down arrow.

   

10.  
11. Select “Edit Permissions” from the list.
12.  
13. A pop-up message will appear. Click OK.
14.  
15. Click on the check box next to each user or group whose permissions you want to change.
16.  
17. Click on the “Actions” drop-down arrow.
18.  
19. Select “Edit User Permissions” from the list.
20.  
21. When the page loads, click on the permission level you want the user(s) or group(s) you selected in step 8 to use.

    

    Note: In most cases, you should select between Contribute and Read.

22.  
23. Click OK.

About views top

Views allow you to create customized displays of library and list data. Each library or list includes at least one view, but usually others. The instructions in this section inform you how to switch views, as well as how to create, modify, and delete views.

Note: Although they may sound similar, SharePoint views and database views are different. Whereas a database view is an organized subset of data from multiple tables that is created to simplify the work of an analyst or programmer, a SharePoint view is essentially a set of filters applied to data stored in a single list or library.

Switching views top

1. Open a library or list.
2.  
3. Select the view you want to use from the “View” drop-down menu:

   

Creating a custom view top

1. Open a library or list.
2.  
3. Click on the “Settings” drop-down arrow.
4.  
5. Click on “Create View.”

   

6.  
7. Click on the view link you want to use to create your custom view – in most cases, this will be the “Standard View.”
8.  
9. Fill out the view settings:

   Name

10. View Name – Type the name of your view.
11. Audience – To make this view available to all site visitors, select Public; to restrict the view to your own use, select Private.
12. Make this the default view – Click on the check box to make this view available to the public by default (applies to public views only).

    Columns

13. Display – Check the box next to the name of each column that you want to appear in your view (see 1 in the image below).
14. Column Name – The name of each column available to you. You must check the “Display” check box next to the name of each column you want to use in your view (see 2 in the image below).
15. Position from left – Select the position you want your column to appear in your view, from left to right, in chronological order (see 3 in the image below).

    

    Sort

16. First sort by the column – Select the name of the column you want to sort by first from the drop-down list box. Then select the ascending option (first one listed) or the (descending) option. Ascending will sort 1,2,3 a,b,c, and descending will sort 3,2,1 c,b,a.
17. Then sort by the column – Select the name of the next column you want to sort by from the drop-down list box. Then select the ascending option (first one listed) or the (descending) option. Ascending will sort 1,2,3 a,b,c, and descending will sort 3,2,1 c,b,a.

    Filter
    You can choose not to apply any filters by selecting “Show all items in this view.” Or you can filter by certain criteria by selecting “Show items only when the following is true.” Select the column name and formula (is equal to, is not equal to, etc.), and enter the value in the corresponding text box.

    

18.  
19. Click OK.

    Your new view will be available in the views menu on your lists and libraries pages. See Switching views for more information.

Modifying views top

1. Open the library or list containing the view you want to modify.
2.  
3. Select the view you want to modify from the “View” drop-down menu on the right side of your screen.
4.  
5. When the view you want to modify loads, select “Modify this View” from the “View” drop-down menu on the right side of your screen.

   

6.  
7. Make any required changes to the view settings.
8.  
9. Click OK.

Deleting views top

1. Open the library or list containing the view you want to delete.
2.  
3. Select the view you want to delete from the “View” drop-down menu on the right side of your screen.
4.  
5. When the view you want to delete loads, select “Modify this View” from the “View” drop-down menu on the right side of your screen.

   

6.  
7. Click Delete. Note: Deleting a view does not delete data. Only the layout of your view will be deleted.
8.  
9. A pop-up window appears asking you to verify the delete. Click OK.

About web parts top

Web parts are content sections you can add to your web site’s home page or any web part page. By default, all document libraries and lists can be inserted as web parts. Depending on your site configuration, several other web parts may be available. The most commonly used web parts include the following:

• Content Editor – Used to insert a block of text on a page.
• Image – Used to insert a logo, photo, or other image on a page.
• Links – Used to list links to various areas on your SharePoint sites and/or links to outside sources.
• Calendar – Used to display meetings and other events on a page.
• Announcements – Used to list news items on a page.

To view a list of available web parts:

1. Click “Site Settings” in the “Site Actions” menu.

   

2.  
3. Click on the “Web Parts” link in the “Galleries” column.

   When the page loads, click on a web part’s title to see how the web part functions and what it will look like when added to your web site.

Adding a web part to a page top

1. Go to the page where you want to add a web part.
2.  
3. Click on “Site Actions.”
4.  
5. Click on “Edit Page.”
6.  
7. Click on the “Add a Web Part” link in the column (commonly referred to as a “zone”) where you want to add a web part.

   

8.  
9. Go through the list and click on the corresponding check boxes for each web part you want to add to your column.

   

10.  
11. Click Add. The page will automatically refresh. You will be in the “Edit Mode” page. See Editing web parts for more information.

Editing web parts top

1. Go to the page where you want to edit a web part.
2.  
3. Click on “Edit Page” in the “Site Actions” menu.

   

4.  
5. Click on the “Edit” link on the web part you want to edit and select “Modify Shared Web Part” from the drop-down menu.
6.  
7. When the page reloads, you will see your corresponding web part options to the right of your page. Each web part has a different set of options depending on the type of web part you are using. Go through the options and make changes accordingly.

   Note: Expand the Appearance, Layout, and Advanced options by clicking on the “+” sign next to each corresponding option.

8.  
9. Click “Apply” to see changes in real-time and continue editing. Click “OK” to make changes and move away from the editing options section.
10.  
11. Exit edit mode by clicking on the “Exit Edit Mode” link on the top-right side of your screen when you are done editing web parts on your page.

Moving web parts top

You can move a web part from area on a page to another area on the same page only. You cannot move web parts from one page to another page. If you need to use the same web part on multiple pages, add the web part to each page.

To move a web part:

1. Go to the page where you want to move a web part.
2.  
3. Click on “Edit Page” in the “Site Actions” menu.

   

4.  
5. When the page loads, click on the web part title bar and hold your mouse button. Drag the web part to your desired location on the same page.

   

   Note: You can only move web parts within the same blue box or to another blue box.

   

6.  
7. Exit edit mode by clicking on the “Exit Edit Mode” link on the top-right side of your screen when you are done editing web parts on your page.

Removing web parts top

1. Go to the page where you want to remove a web part.
2.  
3. Click on “Edit Page” in the “Site Actions” menu.

   

4.  
5. Locate the web part you want to delete. Click on “Delete” in the “Edit” drop-down menu.

   

   Note: Do not select “Close” in the drop-down menu. Do not click on the “x” icon next to “edit.” Closed web parts still run in the background and may affect system performance.

6.  
7. A pop-up message will appear confirming that you want to delete the web part. Click OK.

Getting help top

If you need additional help with SharePoint, contact the BMI help desk by sending an email to help-sites@bmi.cchmc.org. Once you send an email with your request, a ticket will automatically be created. Someone from BMI will contact you as soon as possible.