Introduction to Lookup Columns in SharePoint

SharePoint has the ability to act as a basic relational database. Thus, you can create one list that if referred to by other lists. This means that you can maintain only a single location for all your information. The most basic method to achieve this is by using Lookup Columns.

This tutorial will show you how to create a lookup column in a new list and then how to work with the information. You’ll see how to add and update information as well as edit the column headings in the new list so they present better.

This video is another in my Intermediate SharePoint series that you can follow through. Of course don’t forget my Getting Started with SharePoint series which you also get via email or download and install on your own SharePoint Team Site. You can subscribe to the free Getting Started with SharePoint lessons by entering your email below.

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OneDrive for Business now available for MAC

Yes all you Office 365 and Mac fan boys and girls, Microsoft has just announced that SkyDrive for Business sync client for MAC is available on iOS! You can read all the good news here and how you can procure it:

http://blogs.office.com/2015/01/28/onedrive-business-comes-mac-ios-devices/

There is also an Office Mechanics video that shows you all the features.

Demonstrates how OneDrive for Business is really a great cross platform tool for sharing and syncing files.

Connect SharePoint to MS Access

You can consider SharePoint as an extension of the Office applications you have on your desktop. One of these that provides a huge amount of power but gets used infrequently is Microsoft Access.

Many don’t appreciate that you can easily connect a SharePoint list to Microsoft Access on the desktop. Doing so allows you to use SharePoint as the data repository and Access as the analytical front end, allowing to create complex structures and queries as well as producing mind blowing reports and data analysis quickly and easily.

This tutorial will show you the basic steps of connecting SharePoint to your desktop version of Access. You see how that when you do it establishes an bi-directional link that means data is updated no matter where it is changed.

This is only the beginning of what is possible when you combine Access and SharePoint, however it is a very good place to start. Watch out for more content on this topic very soon.

Advanced List editing in SharePoint Online

Getting large amounts of data quickly into SharePoint lists can be cumbersome unless you use the Quick Edit mode of SharePoint. This tutorial will show you how to place a list into Quick Edit mode and then make changes just like you do using a spreadsheet by navigating the cells.

The tutorial will also show you how to copy and paste from an appropriately formatted spreadsheet in Excel on your desktop directly into a SharePoint list.

Using Quick Edit mode is the best way to work quickly with SharePoint lists and this tutorial will get you started.

Simple controls in SharePoint Online missing

Out of the box a SharePoint Online Document Library displays what is known as simple controls just below the Document Library name as highlighted above. These button are typically new, upload, sync, edit, manage and share.

However, you may see a situation where they are no longer displayed as shown above.

If you want them back, here’s what you need to do.

The reason they are no displaying is because the current view of the document library is not based on the default view style.

You’ll need the rights to change the Document Library, but if you can select the Library tab at the top of the page to reveal the Ribbon Menu.

On the Ribbon Menu locate the Manage Views section, on the left hand side. Then select Modify View as shown above.

Scroll down to the bottom of the page that is displayed and open the Style option.

As you can see above, the current style is set to Shaded.

Change this to Default and Save the changes.

You should once again see the simple controls as shown above. Unfortunately, you may also lose some of the functionality that you desired with the previous style. At this point in time you can have one or the other option but not both.

Introduction to Views in SharePoint Online

Views are a way in SharePoint that you can display information in a different layout. You can have as many views as you want for most items in SharePoint, making it a very flexible way to focus on what is important and avoid distraction.

This tutorial video will show you how to create new views as well as make them the default. You’ll see how to configure views to display different fields and automatically sort, filter and group information.

Views are available in most elements in SharePoint, from Document Libraries to Lists to Calendars and more. They are a key way to ensure that people focus on the right information.

Introduction to Email Alerts in SharePoint

Setting email alerts in SharePoint is a great way to receive notification when something changes. This video will show you how to configure and use such alerts for a Document Library on both the complete Library as well as an individual item.

Email notifications need to used in moderation as it is very easy to become quickly swamped but the frequency of alerts SharePoint send by default. This video will also show you how to customise this frequency to ensure you only get the information you need, when you need it.

Although the video only show the alert configuration process on a Document Library it is possible to configure most elements in SharePoint for email alerts in the same manner.

Used appropriately, email alerts in SharePoint provide an important way to be kept up to date about information you are collaborating on within a team.