Image Rotator Lite: your needs?

March 20, 2010 in Content Editor Web Part, Picture Library, SharePoint 2007 | 3 comments

I am currently working on the next release of the Image Rotator that I plan to release this month. I have already identified a couple improvements that will make their way in the new version.

There are many image rotators available on the Web – I have built a couple myself. The interest of the one I propose is that it takes advantage of SharePoint’s built-in features to improve performance: instead of loading the full image, you can choose to use a thumbnail or a Web-optimized copy.

“Lite” refers to the script being written in plain JavaScript, without the need for additional libraries like jQuery. My other more advanced (and heavier) versions use jQuery and plugins to include transition effects (fade, slide, bounce, etc.).

What I haven’t decided yet is how to add a description for each picture. Should it be displayed below the picture? Should it just show up on mouseover? Well, your ideas are welcome! Just keep in mind that it is a “Lite” version, so don’t expect fancy effects.

Easy Tabs Lite, version 4.0 beta

March 18, 2010 in Easy Tabs, SharePoint 2007, navigation | 1 comment

Today I am releasing a new, beta version of the Easy Tabs:
http://www.pathtosharepoint.com/sharepoint-user-toolkit/Pages/Easy-Tabs-Lite.aspx

For a live demo, go to the Path to SharePoint home page.

Why Lite?

I am maintaining two flavors of the Easy Tabs. This one is public, written in plain JavaScript. There’s another one written with jQuery, which allows to include some additional effects. The jQuery version is made available to the participants of the Easy Tabs online workshop.

Why a copyright?

As I explained in a previous post, original content published on the Web is copyrighted, even if the copyright notice is not displayed. It means that you are not supposed to reuse it without the author’s consent.
By including a license, I explicitly grant you the right to use the script without having to ask me first.

Why beta?

The new version has several new options, and testing all the variations on various browsers is time consuming. A beta version allows me to accelerate the release process and benefit from your input.
To report an issue, leave a comment below, or send an e-mail to Christophe@PathToSharePoint.com.

Will it work in SharePoint 2010?

No, version 4.0 is for SharePoint 2007 only. I am working on a SP 2010 compatible version.

No documentation?

The page is still under construction, and I’ll add more information in the weeks to come. I decided to publish it today to benefit from your feedback as soon as possible, both on the script itself and on the interface.
For information on the options, see the descriptions below and hover over the help icons on the form.

What’s new in v4.0?

Inline script

The script now runs in the flow of the page, instead of waiting for the page to be loaded. This avoids the flashing effect that some users reported.
To make the new script work, you’ll need to place it at the bottom of the Web Part zone.

Web Parts without a title

The previous version triggered an error if the zone contained a Web Part without title. The new version will simply ignore such Web Parts.

Multiple Easy Tabs in a page

The new script is “widgetized”, you can include several Easy Tabs in the same page without having to tweak the code.

Split option

If you check the Split option, the tabs will be distributed across two rows.

Expand all

This option will add to the tabs row an option to make all Web Parts visible.

Web Part headers

Choose to show the Web Part headers if you want to keep the title hyperlink and the Web Part edit menu on the screen.

Autoplay

With this option, the focus will automatically switch to the next tab after a certain amount of time. This can be useful to build a simple slide show for example.

Minified script

For better performance, the new script is compacted. Its size remains similar to the previous version, despite all the added features.

How to get the script?

Go to the Easy Tabs page, fill out the form, and click on the “Save to Disk” button. Once you have your script, you can add it to a SharePoint page via a Content Editor Web Part (preferred solution: upload the text file containing the script to a SharePoint library, then link to it from the CEWP).

Notes:
- if you don’t have Flash 10 installed, you won’t see the “Save to Disk” button. In this case, just copy and paste the code displayed in the text area.
- all the options are included in the script you download. You can later modify the variables directly in the script, without having to come back to the form.
- keep in mind that this is a beta version, for evaluation purposes.

Update: boxed view with one column only

March 17, 2010 in SharePoint 2007, html/scripts | 5 comments

Last year, I published a sample script that changes the layout of boxed views from two columns to a single column.

Several readers reported that it didn’t work for them. Larry Pfaff investigated the issue, and came up with the following update:

<script type="text/javascript">
var boxedview = document.getElementById("WebPartWPQ1").innerHTML;
boxedview = boxedview.replace(/<td width="1.5%">&nbsp;<\/td>/gi,"<\/tr><tr style='font-size:6px\;'><td>&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr>");
boxedview = boxedview.replace(/<td width="1%">&nbsp;<\/td>/gi,"<\/tr><tr style='font-size:6px\;'><td>&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr>");
boxedview = boxedview.replace(/<td>&nbsp;<\/td>/gi,"<\/tr><tr style='font-size:6px\;'><td>&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr>");

document.getElementById("WebPartWPQ1").innerHTML = boxedview;
</script>

To include the script in your page, use a CEWP placed below the boxed view.

The above script is written for wss v3. It identifies the Web Part by its id “WebPartWPQ1″. If you use MOSS, or if the boxed view is on a page along with other Web Parts (typically on the site home page), you’ll need to change the id to “WebPartWPQ2″ or ”WebPartWPQn“. Or you can modify the code to scroll through all the Web Parts on the page and grab the boxed views.

Larry’s update works for all boxed styles, while my initial code only worked against the “Boxed, no labels” style.

Remember that the purpose of this sample script is simplicity (5 lines!). It relies on the innerHTML property.
I am going to publish a more complete (and of course heavier) solution that will allow you to choose the number of columns.

About Larry:
“Larry Pfaff, Sr, Systems Analyst working for Convergys Corp, a global company, based out of Jacksonville Florida delivering training and outsourcing for major corporations. I have been working with SharePoint for almost 7 years and manage many internal projects using SharePoint as the collaboration tool. I enjoy new challenges and automating existing process. I seek out cookie cutter solution and mold them to fit for “Non-Developers” working with SharePoint by developing and providing training for end user and sharing my knowledge with as many as I can.”

Larry is a long time reader of my blog and other power user blogs, like EndUserSharePoint.com and SharePoint JavaScripts. While we were collaborating on a case study, in the past few weeks, Larry decided to take the plunge and start his own blog, SharePoint Hacker.

A workshop to get started with jQuery

March 4, 2010 in SharePoint 2007, Training, Workshop, html/scripts, jQuery | 1 comment

Over the past year, the use of jQuery to enhance the SharePoint interface has exploded. Maybe you were tempted to take the plunge, but as an end user you were intimidated by this technology you know little (or nothing) about?

Well, this coming Monday is your chance to get on the bandwagon. Mark Miller and I will be hosting a new workshop: Get Started with jQuery in SharePoint.

Your goal is of course not to become a jQuery expert. But still, by the end of the workshop:
- You’ll have written - and tested - your first jQuery script
- You’ll know the key domains in which jQuery shines
- You’ll be aware that jQuery is not always the best option, and that you should not grab every script you find on the Internet

As usual we’ll provide concrete examples that you’ll test live in your own sandbox.

For more information and to register:
http://series-jquery.eventbrite.com

Preview: new version of the Easy Tabs Lite

March 4, 2010 in Easy Tabs, SharePoint 2007, navigation | Leave a comment

An update for the Easy Tabs Lite – version 4.0 alpha – should be ready in a week or so.

The new version will handle cases when a Web Part has no title (it will simply ignore it, instead of triggering an error in the current version). Also I have ”widgetized” the script, which means that you won’t need to tweak the code anymore to get two Easy Tabs on a same page.

A couple options come with v4:
- Split (tabs spread across two rows)
- Display all/Expand all (make all the Web Parts visible)
- Autoplay: automatically switch to the next tab after a certain amount of time. This can be useful to build a simple slide show for example.

You can experiment with the Expand all and Autoplay (8 sec/tab) options on my home page:
http://www.pathtosharepoint.com

My scripts and SharePoint 2010 – Where I am at

February 23, 2010 in SharePoint 2010, html/scripts | Leave a comment

Like many other SharePoint consultants, I don’t expect to see a lot of SharePoint 2010 migrations this year. The majority of companies that have invested in an Office 2007 deployment will choose to wait and see. Technical constraints (server requirements, integration with client side applications) will reinforce this behavior.

That said, sticking with SharePoint 2007 for now doesn’t mean that you should not prepare for the future. And I am receiving more and more inquiries from readers worried that my scripts may not work in SharePoint 2010. So here is where I stand today.

First, it is clear that several scripts will need an upgrade to work in the next version. They rely on the standard page layout, which has evolved in SharePoint 2010: HTML tables replaced with div elements, new CSS class names, different calendar structure, etc.

From my first investigations, I am confident that only minor tweaks will be needed for most scripts, like the Easy Tabs. However, I’ll only be able to confirm this when the final release is out. Most of my scripts are at the very end of the page rendering chain, and any upstream modification might affect them. My big handicap is that, as an independent consultant having no direct contact with Microsoft, I don’t have any special privileges like access to information before the public release. I’ll keep you updated as I continue my investigations.

FAQ: Easy Tabs and third party Web Parts

February 23, 2010 in Easy Tabs, SharePoint 2007, html/scripts, navigation | 1 comment

While my Easy Tabs work perfectly in SharePoint 2007 with OOTB Web Parts, I often hear complaints from users that their don’t work with third party Web Parts. Why is that?

The Easy Tabs rely on each Web Part following a standard pattern (see a simplified diagram on this page, “behind the scene” tab). This gives the Easy Tabs a straightforward way to scan a Web Part zone and identify for each Web Part:
- the title (will be converted into a tab)
- the content (will be displayed or hidden depending on the selected tab)

When the Easy Tabs come across a Web Part that doesn’t follow the standard structure, they don’t know how to deal with it.

How can we move forward on this issue? Tweaking my script will only help for a specific third party application. Here is my proposal:
- if your third party Web Parts work with the Easy Tabs,  use the comments section to let everybody know.
- if they don’t work, you could let the vendor know that their Web Parts don’t adhere to the standard structure. It may be an easy step for the vendor to fix it.

Copyright question (and no answer yet)

February 21, 2010 in Uncategorized | 3 comments

In the past two years, more and more SharePoint blogs have started sharing snippets of code. Some feature innovative ideas, and maybe you’ve wanted to apply them on your own sites. But did you first check if you’re allowed to do so?

Original content published on the internet is protected by copyright laws. It means that you cannot reuse it without the author’s consent. To be honest, I didn’t pay too much attention to this when I started a blog in 2008. It occured to me when I started reusing scripts from others, for example jQuery plugins. I was also alerted last year when Paul Grenier at endusersharepoint.com started including copyright notices. I contacted him, and he confirmed that his purpose was to give readers the freedom to reuse his scripts.

What does all of this have to do with you? Well, as it turns out, I have never precised under which conditions the content of my blog can be reused. I am not the only one btw, most of us bloggers are amateur publishers and started writing without being aware of the legal whereabouts. It may not have been an issue in the past, when code was limited to short snippets showing how to hide a button or change a background color. But today some scripts – like the Easy Tabs for example – are full blown solutions.

One of my top priorities today is to take the steps to clarify what readers can do with my content. I plan to include a copyright notice in my original scripts, and I need to choose a license or two under which I’ll make my work available. I have defined a few objectives:
1/ Make sure that end users can freely and legally use in their organizations the scripts I publish, without having to ask me first.
2/ Protect myself, so that I am not liable for any misuse of my scripts.
3/ keep some control on how my content is republished, or reused in other scripts.

How to do this in practice? Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, the best is to leverage an existing license. However, there’s a bunch of them out there, so the choice is not easy. The MIT license is very open, so it seems like the right choice. But I don’t want to rush, and I’ll take the time to make an informed decision.

For the record, here are a few other important concepts associated with copyright.

Derivative work

Copyright extends to derivative work: works based or derived from copyrighted work require permission from the owner of the original work. So for example, my copyright would apply to a method that uses calculated columns to write HTML.

Fair use

The law allows “fair use” of copyrighted work. On the internet, it often means copying a short excerpt and linking to the original work.

I’ll add to this another principle, not derived from copyright but from collaborative systems: keep only one version of the truth. As a consultant, I am a strong defender of this principle – and this is actually one of the strengths of SharePoint: allowing the reuse of the same content in different views.
An issue I have been confronted with, for example, is that some people copied the content of my original post, “using calculated columns to write HTML”. 18 months later, the copies are still around, haven’t been updated and are not helpful anymore.

Obviously all of this is fairly new to me, so advice is welcome!

Additional reading: 10 Big Myths about copyright explained

Categories

I’m on Twitter!