Category Archives: navigation

FAQ: How to Remove “Show All”, “Hide All” and “Full Screen” in the SPELL Tabs Gratis Version

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TabsSections

 

 

Haven’t tried out the gratis version of the SPELL Tabs yet? Fill out the contact form with your company information, and you’ll receive the solution within 48 hours.

The SPELL Tabs interface includes 3 sections:

  • tabs for inline content (bound to Web Parts, similar to the Easy Tabs)
  • tabs for links (navigate to other pages)
  • controls

When I started sharing samples from the SPELL program, last year, the most frequent question I got was: “How can I remove the link to Path to SharePoint from the tabs?”. That’s right, one of the tabs was a link to this blog (cf. above screenshot), a friendly reminder that I brought the solution to your home.

Not so friendly as it turned out, as seeing that tab systematically in any tabbed interface was more than a user can bear. Lesson learned, when I released the gratis version 1.1 earlier this year, I made sure the Path to SharePoint link was removed.

To date, more than 200 companies have adopted or are evaluating v1.1, and I am not getting questions about links anymore… here’s what I get now: “I don’t need the Show All (+), Hide All (-) and Full Screen ([ ]) controls, how can I remove them?”.

 

Why these controls?

First, let me explain the main reason why I added these controls in the first place: printing. Users sometimes like or need paper or pdf copies of the zone content. In such cases, they usually need to make all the Web Parts visible, and sometimes hide the rest of the page. In some cases, I have implemented custom interfaces where the user can pick which Web Parts he/she wants to print. Such implementations are usually combined with stylesheets that include media types.

So think about it before deciding to remove the controls!

 

How to modify or remove the controls?

In the full version, you can manage the controls via the Tabs editor. In the gratis version however, you need to do it manually:

1. Follow the general instructions in the documentation. You’ll end up with a URL that looks like this:

SPELL1.1.0TabsGratisVersion.aspx

SPELL1.1.0TabsGratisVersion.aspx#css.activeBackground=Orange

2. Append the custom control settings

SPELL1.1.0TabsGratisVersion.aspx#controls.viewAll=;controls.hideAll=;controls.fullScreen=

SPELL1.1.0TabsGratisVersion.aspx#css.activeBackground=Orange;controls.viewAll=;controls.hideAll=;controls.fullScreen=

 

Instead of removing the controls, you can also change their look, for example:

SPELL1.1.0TabsGratisVersion.aspx#controls.viewAll=Expand;controls.hideAll=Collapse

 

Quick Demo: Process Navigation for SharePoint Forms

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ProcessSteps

This month I am releasing version 1.1 of the SPELL library, with two major module rewrites. One of them is the SPELL Form module, which allows to enhance the out of the box SharePoint forms, and now includes features such as cascading selections and inline navigation. I’ll have more code to share next month, but for now let me just share a quick demo.

When we refer to inline navigation, we usually think tabs, like what we’ve been accustomed to with the Easy Tabs. The SPELL Nav and SPELL Form modules will render tabs by default, but beyond that they also have the ability to integrate other designs. For today’s demo, I have chosen a type of navigation often found in forms, and usually referred to as “process navigation” or “process steps”, where each “tab” is displayed as an arrow.

Click here for the live demo. Note that such designs rely on css properties that might not work in older browsers.

For the record, I had to fake the form, as you cannot display the out of the box forms on an Office 365 public site (!).

SPELL Nav, the successor of the Easy Tabs

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The SPELL library is reaching version 0.8 this month. My main achievement in this release is the completion of the “Inline Navigation” module.

SPELL supports SharePoint 2007, 2010, 2013 and Office 365, and to demonstrate it I have updated all my sites:

All pages run the same version of SPELL, and the look of each menu is controlled via options. The idea is the same as with the original Easy Tabs – reuse the Web Part titles to automatically generate the navigation – but the code has been completely refactored. It is now more solid, for example when it comes to synchronization with the rest of the page, styling, print preview, and inclusion in wiki pages. It also offers more features:

  • Option to have more than one Web Part per tab
  • Compatible with display forms (this is especially useful if like me you are a fan of the “Related Items” feature)
  • Direct link to activate a specific tab (for example access the SharePoint Hosting section on the UMS home page)
  • Can be implemented in the middle of a zone, not necessarily at the top
  • Can include hyperlinks to external page (see the demos)
  • etc.

If you have subscribed to the SPELL interest list, you’ll receive a code sample by the end of this month.

As I have already mentioned, I consider that the Easy Tabs code is obsolete and I won’t update it. Also, it has become more and more time consuming to support such UI widgets because of the increasing number of SharePoint versions, browsers and supported devices (for example tablets and mobile), so I am more careful than before when it comes to releasing such tools.

That said, I understand that not everybody is willing to subscribe to the SPELL program. To allow end users to enjoy a smooth upgrade to SP 2013, in the next couple months I’ll publish in the SharePoint User Toolkit a lightweight version of the SPELL Nav that will cover most of the features offered by the current Easy Tabs.

[Update] SPELL Tabs: commercial and free versions now available

A dynamic website built on Office 365

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I mentioned it on twitter a couple weeks ago, Bradshaw & Weil has launched its new public website based on Office 365: http://www.bradshawweil.com

In an article last year, I expressed my frustration with the current Office 365 public sites, for which building dynamic pages requires more effort than it should. Well, it doesn’t mean that it cannot be done, and Bradshaw & Weil is one of these sites that take advantage of both the traditional list management capabilities of SharePoint and the features specific to Office 365.

The site content is managed by the site admins in SharePoint lists. For example, when you open Topics.aspx?Menu=For%20Individuals SharePoint will filter the Topics list to only display the topics tagged “For Individuals”. Topics.aspx?Menu=For%20Individuals&Topic=Motorcycle%20Insurance will only display the information related to motorcycle insurance, and will pull from the Insurance Carriers library only the logos of the carriers that offer this specific service. Thanks to the dynamic behavior and the use of querystrings in the URL (“Menu” and “Topic”), a single page handles all the topics, where with a static site 20 pages would be needed. And if a new topic gets added to the Topics library, this will automatically create a new entry in the menu.

Besides content management, the site gets all the benefits from working with Office 365. The business users have a convenient interface, the Site Design tool, to customize the header, footer and layout of the pages, without having to call a SharePoint consultant for every minor change. And the gadgets allow them to include convenient features like contact forms that would be hard to implement on a regular SharePoint site.

The site also gets help from jQuery. Note in particular:

All these plugins pull content from SharePoint lists and libraries (menu items, images, logos, phone numbers, website links). Here again, no need to call the designer every time a logo gets added or a phone number changes!

For this project, I worked directly with Jared Morgan, vice president. This was a great experience, as the company has been using SharePoint for several years, and Jared knew exactly what to aim for.

As you explore the site, feel free to post your comments or questions below, and Jared and I will be happy to post additional details.

And if your company is interested in a test drive of Office 365, drop me a line and I’ll be happy to send you an invitation for a free trial.

Quick tip: the view selector in SharePoint 2010

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In SharePoint 2007, default list views offer a selector in the top right corner, allowing you to switch between views of a same list:

The view selector is also present in SharePoint 2010, but not as easy to spot as in the previous version. It is actually available in two locations:

– In browse mode: click on the down arrow next to the list/library name

– in the ribbon, under List Tools (or Library Tools)

Hope this helps!

My solutions spotted in the blogosphere

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My solutions for SharePoint end users are regularly relayed on forums, twitter and SharePoint blogs. The past two months have been particularly active, and I have identified 15 posts that mention Path to SharePoint. I am listing them below, some of them are definitely worth a look.

The SharePoint User Toolkit

The SharePoint User Toolkit: a first step toward advanced SharePoint customization
Get the Point is the official blog of the Microsoft SharePoint End-User Content Team. This article written by me describes the main solutions currently available in the Toolkit, and what’ s special about each. Big thanks to Renée Smith for giving me this opportunity to spread the word!

http://sbelskiy.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!BB6AC8CA5EB9828E!4455.entry?wa=wsignin1.0&sa=88791362
In Russian, a review of the solutions available in the Toolkit.

The Easy Tabs

The popular Easy Tabs have seen a new release compatible with SP 2010 this Summer.

Easy Tabs Rock – v5 Beta is looking really good
A very well written post, by SharePoint MVP Sean Wallbridge, with lots of screenshots – definitely worth checking out! Note that v5 beta has since become the official v5.

Use Easy Tabs 5.0 to consolidate lists, Web Parts, and calendars
Obviously Renée Smith thinks that Sean’s explanations are better than mine. Oh well, she is right!

SharePoint filtering with web part connections
The Easy Tabs in context: Kerri Abraham shows how to combine Web Part connections and Easy Tabs to make content more accessible. A very useful post!

Using EasyTabs with Filtered DVWPs to Make Data Manageable
Another example from EndUserSharePoint.com, by Jim Bob Howard, where filtering and Easy Tabs combine for better readability. Note that the post is actually part of a long series on the Data View Web Part.

The HTML Calculated Column

KPI’s without SharePoint Enterprise (on a budget)
A review of KPI options for SharePoint if you don’t have MOSS Enterprise.

How to create a Gantt chart in SharePoint
Two years ago, I showed how to build simple Gantt charts using the HTML Calculated Column. Linda Chapman describes a more complete solution in her post.
This week, Ben Schlaepfer left a comment on my blog about another solution using the same method (Ben, we are looking forward to your article!).

HTML in een berekende kolom
The HTML Calculated Column explained in Dutch by Gene Vangampelaere.

http://vipnetty.wordpress.com/2010/09/03/sharepoint_list_color/
Another translation, this time in Thai (?).

Item id in display and edit form

Showing the records id on the view and edit forms
A jQuery script, by Ryan Wheeler, who only discovered afterwards the JavaScript version I wrote 18 months ago.

Other

SharePoint Kaffeetasse
SharePoint MVP Michael Greth regularly mentions my solutions in his daily SharePoint Kaffeetasse. Last time he did was… today, about my Print Preview bookmarklet.

SharePoint 2010: Recopilatorio de enlaces interesantes
Juan Carlos González Martín regularly publishes compilations of interesting SharePoint links.

http://idubbs.com/blog/?p=241
Gathered by Wes Preston, a list of useful SharePoint links, including the SharePoint User Toolkit.

http://www.janecerdenola.com/?p=86
A mention of my solutions, as workaround when you don’t have server access.

For all SharePoint end users: a Print Preview bookmarklet

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Continuing the series started last week, I am releasing today a Print Preview bookmarklet:
http://sp2010.pathtosharepoint.com/SharePoint-User-Toolkit/Pages/Bookmarklet-Print-Preview-Web-Parts.aspx

The instructions are the same as for the expand/collapse bookmarklet, but instead of +/- buttons you’ll get a Print Preview icon next to each Web Part title. Click on the Print Preview icon , and the Web Part will be displayed alone in the page. Then if you click on the Back icon , you’ll get back to the SharePoint page.

Note that today’s bookmarklet is bigger than the one from last week, and will not work on older browsers like IE 6.

This is work in progress, and I am releasing it as version 0.9. I am interested in your suggestions on how to improve it.

The code is actually derived from the Easy Tabs’ Print Preview tab. I adapted it to work at the Web Part level instead of the Web Part zone level.

For all SharePoint end users: an expand/collapse bookmarklet

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In the past two years, I have published multiple solutions for site owners, allowing them to enhance their SharePoint sites without the need for server side deployments.

These solutions, however, can’t be used by the majority of the SharePoint population: end users who only have read or contribute rights. To remedy this, I am going to release in the next months solutions open to all SharePoint users.

How do these solutions work?

All browsers allow you to save URLs. This feature has different names: favorites in Internet Explorer, bookmarks in other browsers like Firefox and Safari. What is less known is that these Favorites/Bookmarks can also include code. In this case they are called bookmarklets (or favelets).

If you select a bookmark, the browser will load the corresponding page. If you select a bookmarklet, the browser will remain on the current page and run the script. It is as simple as that.

Warning! Bookmarklets can contain malicious code. Only use bookmarklets from trusted sources.

The first bookmarklet I am releasing today allows you to add expand/collapse buttons to the Web Parts present on a SharePoint page. It works in both SharePoint 2007 and 2010. I compacted the code to less than 500 characters, to make it compatible with older browsers.

Try it, now!

First, you need to grab your bookmarklet. Go get it on my SharePoint User’s Toolkit:
http://sp2010.pathtosharepoint.com/SharePoint-User-Toolkit/Pages/Bookmarklet-Expand-Collapse-Web-Parts.aspx

Once you have your bookmarklet, head out to a SharePoint home page and apply it. Again, you only need read access, so you can try it out on the home page of the Chicago User Group (SP 2007), or the San Diego User Group (SP 2010), as I did:

For site owners, I’ll publish a slightly different and more robust version that can be included in the page ( it won’t have the 500 character limit constraint). Actually there’s already one available on my blog, but, as the code is already two years old, it is time for a new release.

Have fun!