Categorize documents in sharepoint - sharepoint

I am switching from Lotus Notes into sharepoint, but I find it hard to access the data that I want easily. I am currently using documents application on sharepoint. The only options it offers are creating or uploading a new file or folder. In my lotus notes I can access files in different ways based on some categorizations such as client, author, date modified and some other categorizations. Moreover I can even categorize them based on data and client at the same time for example. All I need to do is a single click and everything is managed by notes. What are your suggestions?

That's why an "easy" migration so sharepoint never works: Notes is not only a "datastore" but almost every time contains application logic.
To get the same in sharepoint, you need to export the "metadata" of your application including attachments and evertyhing to a structure that you can import in sharepoint.
Then you need an "application" in sharepoint that has the necessary fields for your metadata and different views in sharepoint.
You need development knowledge on side of Lotus Notes to create your export and development knowledge on SharePoint to create the application there and import the data.
Without someone who knows how it works or one of the "magic migration tools" in the market, you will not succeed.
And this is something that nobody who makes an analysis to migrate to outlook / sharepoint takes into account...
And this is the reason, why every company trying to migrate that I know still uses Domino in addition to Outlook / Sharepoint and not even one was able to shutdown the domino servers / get rid of Notes- Client...

Related

Lotus Notes auto export

I am doing trend analysis of data from lotus notes. I need to manually export data from lotus notes and import it into excel. Is there a way to automate this? I can even work with Access. I tried to create an agent and I do not have access to do so.
There are many ways to do this, depending on your skills and your access to the Notes database.
First of all, when you say "I do not have access to [create an agent]", are you saying that you don't have designer access to the database where the data lives?
If that is the case, simply build a separate Notes application, and write your export agent there. Put that application on the same server, and you can set the export to run every night 8or whenever you like).
Another option is to use COM in Access and pull the data over that way. You have all the COM classes documnented in the Domino Designer help, and the code should be very similar to what you would writ in Lotusscript.
A third option, if the database is web enabled, is to use HTTP to pull the data out of views. You can read it using ?ReadViewEntries, either as XML or as JSON. This requires that all the data you need is exposed in the view, though.
I think the first option is the best, though. However, if you have been tasked with creating this export, you should be able to ask for proper access to the database...
I know this is a past posting, but someone may need the latest answers get to Domino Data.
You can export any view in Notes. File -> Export -> Select CSV as the option.
Then there is the IBM ODBC driver. There are two versions. One for 8.5.3 and another for 9.x. Download here http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/lotus/toolkits.html
Instructions on how to install here http://xpagesbeast.com/uxdesign/dont-forget-about-the-notessql-driver/
Using DomSQL which is a true JDBC driver for Notes Domino data. Non Notes environments can execute SQL SELECT queries using this JDBC driver.
http://www.openntf.org/main.nsf/blog.xsp?permaLink=NHEF-8Q7AW3
Using the Domino REST Services. You can access DominoData through a URL and it returns JSON. There are URLs to get all database instances on the server, then you can get all views in the server, and you can then access documents in the views.
http://www-10.lotus.com/ldd/ddwiki.nsf/xpAPIViewer.xsp?lookupName=IBM+Domino+Access+Services+9.0.1#action=openDocument&content=catcontent&ct=api
If you cannot create an agent (no designer access) you can try to install NotesSQL (ODBC driver) besides your Notes Client and access with Excel, MsQuery, etc. with your user id.
You can find more information here: http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/lotus/products/notesdomino/notessql/

Create Dynamic TFS Query in SharePoint Portal

We have recently moved our project over to TFS 2010 for CM control and issue tracking. For the most part we have been happy with the move. However, we have found that we need a way to allow users (notably our help desk) to write dynamic queries against our Product Backlog. The Query Results Web Part works fine for displaying information like Outstanding Work Items and Recent Issues, but our users need the ability to query for specific information that can change from support call to support call. Is there a way to allow a user to create a custom, dynamic query in TFS? If not are there any 3rd party tools that integrate with SharePoint that would allow this?
Thanks.
TFS 2010 has a web based user interface called Web Access. Users can create and view their own queries from there with the queries part of te app; they can also search for work items by words contained in their titles
By default, there is typically a link on the upper-left to it from the SharePoint site that TFS 2010 creates. If the link is not there you can access it directly its (default) URL: [http://address-of-your-TFS-server:8080/tfs/web]
I decided to use the Page Viewer Web Part to embed the actual query form from the Team Web Access to the Project Portal. Everything seems to work great when doing that. The only downside is you get a 'Nag Dialog' whenever you leave the page.

Importing bulk data into sharepoint

I have an issue with a new sharepoint install that we've recently deployed to replace an ageing content management system that I implemented a few years ago.
What I'd really like is to save my colleagues as much effort as possible by transferring the content from my CMS into sharepoint.
I'm not very good with sharepoint yet, and my development platform of choice is PHP MySQL, so basically I'm wondering if sharepoint has any facility to import sites, I can easily built filters to reformat the content in my CMS into whatever (please let it be XML) format sharepoint will accept but I have no idea if sharepoint will even let me do this.
I have limited access to the sharepoint server, although in this case I can probably negotiate more if that's the only way.
Mostly I just need some pointers - does sharepoint have any facility to do this, and where do I start doing it?
Thanks
SharePoint has the ability to import data from an Excel spreadsheet (Site Actions > Create > Import Spreadsheet).
The only problem you may run into with this method is that you don't necessarily have full control over what column types the importer uses for your data--if that's important, then it will take some trial and error.
If you're familiar with .NET and you can get access to run a program on the server, you can write a program to import data into existing lists using the SharePoint object model.
the fastest way to bulk import data into SharePoint is through the batchdata method
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/microsoft.sharepoint.spweb.processbatchdata.aspx
it is aimed ad importing list data, but it seems there are some workarounds to make it work with publishing pages
http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/sharepoint/en-US/f8fe190d-c1ed-4e15-bda2-7792211973cc/bulk-publishing-page-creation-using-processbatchdata?forum=sharepointdevelopmentlegacy

Sharepoint - Showing calendar events in multiple calendars in diff't sub-sites

I am trying to show events from a calendar in the main site to a calendar in a sub-site of the main site (or vice-versa)...I can't alter any server files or use custom-built web parts...is there anyway to do this w/ OOTB moss 2007?
Altering Server files is a big no-no anyway, so that's good :-D. YOu could try using SharePoint designer to create a so-called aggregation webpart, pulling data from all sites in the site collection (which of course get security trimmed by sharepoint, so people see only what they are allowed to see).
YOu can create use a DataFormWebPart in SharePoint designer to build an aggregation webpart. This is still ootb, but allows you to configure the datasource: i.e. have the datasource query the entire site collection for calendar items, then display them in a list. Disdplay them in a "new" calendar will be a lot of work though.
There is no way to "copy" or deisgnate specific calendar items to be visible in specific other calendars, this will take custom code.
Not strictly OOTB MOSS 2007, but I recenlty wrote an article about syncing any list using a simple workflow. As a Calendar is just a list it works for that as well and it maintains the Calendar look and feel.
Check it out here, it works great and deals with attachments as well. As it is part of a workflow you can add your own logic easily, e.g. Only sync calendar events that have field 'x' set to 'y'.
I wanted to point out that RSSBus Web Part can handle a task like this with minimal code. This, although not ootb is quite simple and does not require use of SharePoint Designer.
<rsb:import lib="RSSBus.SpsOps"/>
<rsb:set attr="url" value="http://mysharepointsite/subSite/"/>
<rsb:set attr="list" value="Calendar"/>
<rsb:set attr="user" value="someuser"/>
<rsb:set attr="password" value="theirpassword"/>
<rsb:call op="spsListItems">
[[sp:name]]</br>
</rsb:call>
The code above can be placed within the RSSBus Web Part on the main site and through the use of "SpsOps" have access to all lists/items on all sites/subsites.
-S

What kinds of problems have there been using Access databases with SharePoint?

Just curious what the experience has been in uploading MS Access tables to SharePoint 2007 list. We've been planning on doing so, but I seem to recall issues with SharePoint mangling Access tables in the resulting lists and generally the migrations not going so well. Your experiences? Best practices and recommendations? I'm particularly concerned on its ability to migrate forms and reports as well if it can do so. Thanks!
In response to a question from UK SharePoint User Group I wrote a blog post on Using Access 2007 with SharePoint lists which you might find interesting (some interesting comments too).
There is no facility to migrate forms or reports in Access 2007/SharePoint 2007, only tables. Lots of new stuff in Access 2010/SharePoint 2010 which will allow you to create Access Web databases for SharePoint.
Derek
As mentioned, the big news for Access 2010 is we can build web sites and publish applications to the web. Here is a video of me running ms-access in a browser (the 1st part is in the client, but you clearly see me switch to the browser version of the application about ½ into the video):
www.members.shaw.ca/MrTurtle/2010d1/w1.html
For access 2010 the tables (or so called lists) are going to have things like cascade deletes, cascade delete restrict. There also again a whole bunch of performance improvements that will allow much larger list sizes to perform well.
Note that the new table triggers (data macros) will also go up to SharePoint when you publish the database.
For access 2007, there is not really any particular special problems, but there is just more limitations compared to the next version of access that is coming out. So for example if you need to link up a whole bunch of related tables you have in 2007, when you push the tables up to sharepoint, you don’t have any cascade deletes or any RI options like you’ll have in access 2010.
So I don’t recommend pushing up an application with a whole bunch of interrelated tables. It just not going to work. However, if you have a simple customer list or contact list of a few thousand names that you need to share, then access 2007 should work just fine for you.
So, keep in mind if you have a list or table you need to share, then fine. However, you not going to have any luck or success if you have a whole bunch of tables that are interrelated, and you need to run the application in that fashion.

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