Get started with understanding the document management features available in SharePoint 2010 by watching the free videos listed below.

Note: In addition to these videos, there are others available in our subscribers area.

Creating a Document Library

A document library is used to store any type of a document or an artifact in SharePoint. Once the document is stored in the library, you can take actions on it such as checking it out, versioning it, putting a workflow around it and a whole lot more. This video shows the creation process of a document library and also the additional options you have at the time of creation.

Versioning settings in Document Libraries

Document libraries provide the ability to have documents with both major and minor versions. A major version is usually a document that has been published while a minor version is still in draft state and being worked upon. The draft items can be set to be invisible to readers of the site. You will see in this video how to configure versioning settings and the best methods to utilize them.

Utilize Content Types to define and organize your content

Organizations create multiple types of content. For example, in any business, you have expense reports and status reports that need to be filled out by employees. In other organizations, you might have legal contracts, marketing proposals and more. You can get a handle on all this type of content and organize and manage it throughout your organization, utilizing content types in SharePoint.

These videos are available for free until 8/5/2010. They will then be returned to the subscribers only area.

This applies to SharePoint 2007.

Learn how to route a document through the Approval Workflow process. Configure the workflow so that once it is completed successfully, the Content Approval column is automatically marked as Approved.

Watch the video on Content Approval and Publishing with Approval Workflow that explains this functionality.

This video is available for free until Aug 6, 2010.

The Chart web part is shipped with SharePoint Server 2010 – Enterprise. It can be used to visualize your data with a variety of types of charts (bar graphs, pie charts, etc). This video shows how you can use this web part to visualize data in an excel spreadsheet through Excel Services.

Watch the video on Chart Web Part that explains this functionality.

This video is available for free until 7/30/2010.

These videos were posted on July 26, 2010. More videos coming later this week. Check out the list of all new videos on the site.

Working with SharePoint Security Groups

The built in SharePoint security groups are explored in this video – Owners, Members, Visitors and Viewers. It is shown how the user experience changes when you add them to one or more of these groups. Also, some best practice guidance is provided to help you get started with these groups.

Edit List and Library content in Datasheet view

The datasheet view provides an Excel/Access type of spreadsheet view which you can use to modify list or library data. You can use this view to quickly modify items or copy and paste items in the list/library. Also, you can modify this view as you need by resizing or moving around the columns as you would do in Excel/Access.

Modifying the Top Link Bar

The top link bar of a site can be customized to your needs. By default, it shows any subsites that the site has, but you can also customize it to show other SharePoint content or even external content. Watch this video to see a demonstration of all the available options.

Change Links in Quick Launch navigation

The links on the left hand navigation (also referred to as the Quick Launch bar) can be changed in a few different ways. You can link to items internal and external to your site from the Quick Launch bar. This video goes in detail to discuss the different options that you have. Also, the option of seeing your site items in a Tree View control is demonstrated as well.

Our next webinar is set to be held on Thursday, July 29th 3-4pm Eastern. Hope you can join us. Registration link: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/737138753

Creating Workflows with SharePoint Designer 2010, InfoPath and Visio
Skill Level – 200 (Intermediate)

Forms and Workflows are important for automating business processes. Companies usually rely on programmers to create the forms and workflows using code. Not anymore! With InfoPath 2010 and SharePoint Designer 2010, you can create powerful data driven form composite solutions on your SharePoint sites. InfoPath gives you the ability to pull data from databases and lists, and create forms with data validation and conditional formatting. SharePoint Designer’s workflows let you then design powerful multi-step workflows centered around the form collected data, building upon the out-of-the-box reusable workflows and even import workflow designs from Visio!  In this presentation, you will see how these tools come together to design workflows and route forms across your organization for task assignment and approval.

Microsoft’s Senior Program Manager Keith Combs has produced a podcast on SharePoint Workflows and posted on TechNet’s home page. It’s about a 15 minute podcast in which I discuss workflows from scratch and talk about the integration possibilities with Visio and InfoPath as well. Hope it’s beneficial. Here it is: http://technet.microsoft.com

A major new capability in SharePoint 2010 is the ability to create Document Sets. A document set is just what it sounds like – a set or package of documents defined as one entity. For example, a loan mortgage application packet could be considered a document set within which you would have individual documents such as personal information, existing properties you own, loan rate declaration etc. Each of these documents could be of any type, but together they make up the document set. This video shows the process of creating a new document set from scratch.

Watch the video on Creating Document Sets that explains this functionality.

This video is available for free until 7/28/2010.

Blog repost from: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/mvpawardprogram/archive/2010/07/15/live-chats-to-learn-more-about-sharepoint-with-the-mvp-experts.aspx

“Do you have questions about SharePoint? Want to learn more about the recently launched SharePoint 2010?  By popular request, SharePoint MVPs from around the world are participating in a live chat event about SharePoint. These Q&A events are a great opportunity to tap into the vast knowledge of these industry professionals who are regarded as the best in their field.

Please join us on Wednesday July 21st at 9am PDT to chat with MVPs from around the world.”

These videos have been posted today on the SharePoint-Videos.com site.

• Utilize Content Types to define and organize your content

  Organizations create multiple types of content. For example, in any business, you have expense reports and status reports that need to be filled out by employees. In other organizations, you might have legal contracts, marketing proposals and more. You can get a handle on all this type of content and organize and manage it throughout your organization, utilizing content types in SharePoint.

• Utilizing Site Columns

  Site columns are reusable column definitions. They are template of columns which are defined at the site level as opposed to list columns which are created one at a time to be used in a list or library. Watch this video to learn why you would want to use site columns and how exactly to utilize them.

• Enforce Column Relationship in Lookup Columns

  Lookup columns offer the capability to enforce column relationships and referential integrity. Two types of relationship behavior can be set: Restrict Delete or Cascade Delete. Both of these settings and their impacts are demonstrated in this video.

• Configuring Lookup Columns

  Lookup column is a very powerful type of column that can be used in any list or library to get information from another list or library on the site. This functionality can be used to centralize and protect your information (for example list of your Customers) and then do a lookup to it from various lists and libraries. This video goes more in depth to show how you can allow multiple values to be selected or enforce unique values in the lookup column.

• Working with List and Library Columns

  When working with a list or library, you want to first make sure that you have the columns configured properly. There are many types of columns that you can create. This video shows how you can create new list/library columns and use that information to filter the data in a list or library.

If you have not seen our YouTube channel, here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/user/asifrehmani

We try to post up at least one video per month over there. All free of course and your feedback on the videos is most welcomed. Subscribe to it if you would like to get alerted on the new videos we post up there. Here is the latest video posted there:

Exporting a reusable workflow to a different site collection.