CONTENT TYPESUse the building blocks of SharePoint to drive adoption

Thank You to the Sponsors of SharePoint Saturday Bend!

Agenda

1. Introduction2. Defining Content Types3. Example of a Custom Content Type in action4. Second Example, time permitting5. Q&A

Presenter’s Credentials and Contact Details

• Worked with SharePoint since STS (1.0)• Built or rescued dozens of SharePoint 2010 implementations• Principal SharePoint Consultant at Xerox• Specialist for Healthcare vertical market• MCTS – SharePoint, many other certifications• Email: greg.zook@xerox.com• Blog: http://moss-exchange.blogspot.com• Twitter: @gregzook• LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/gregzook• Office 365 and SharePoint Online• Migrated over 855,000 seats – 900 TB• Delivered SharePoint solutions worldwide: 64 cities and 25 countries• Second SharePoint Saturday presentation (2009 in Boston)• Live in Gresham, OR

Common SharePoint Issue #1

Common SharePoint Issue #2

• What is a content type?• A content type is a type of item in SharePoint that

contains predefined characteristics.• Content Types can be available for an entire site

collection or just a subsite or, if published, to an entire farm in 2010.

• What types of things can be predefined?• Metadata (columns/tags) – Managed Properties• Retention• Routing• Workflow• Auditing, barcodes, labels

Other Content Type facts• Hierarchical inheritance• Resist temptation to modify parent types• Folders have no Metadata in SharePoint, but a content

type inheriting from Folder Parent can have whatever you want provided it is static. Use Document Sets in 2010 instead.

• Can create custom content types quite easily in Visual Studio

• External Content Types (ECT) are used with Business Connectivity Services (BCS)

Real World Example Time-Off request• Requirements:

• Used by entire organization• Must have a manager approval – any manager or director• Managers can approve own time off is acceptable• Can be approved after the fact• Must be retained for one year• Maintain small list size for performance• Managed Property for findability of requests• Replace paper processing and storage

• Nice to haves• Link to Outlook• Approve on mobile devices

Step one --- Creating the Content Type

In site settings, select Site Content Types

Step Two – Create the new Content Type

Setting up the Content Type

Calendar Items are Event Content Types

• Name the Content Type• Fill in Description• Find the Content Type

Parent group and type• Decide where to save the

Custom Content Type

Attach a workflow(s) to the Content Type

Note: Nintex 2010 supports Content Type workflows

Adding Columns

Adding Retention

Retention in SharePoint 2010 can be configured by Content Type or list/library.

Retention of One Year

Note: Healthcare experience has taught me to add time to stated retention categories except when dictated by official mandate.

In this example, a one year retention was given to keep SharePoint lean.

Other options: Auditing

Adding a Content Type to a list

Real World Example #2 Public Health Outbreaks

• Requirements: • HIPPA compliance issues – ePHI• Reduce reliance on Access databases

• Link to Access or Excel but maintain HIPPA compliance• Route to Director• Route to Field Nurse (if applicable)• Route to Investigator (if applicable)• Lead, STD, Foodbourne, West Nile

• Nice to haves• Reporting• Link to other tables (partners, landlords, food source, mosquito)