The SharePoint Shepherd’s Metadata Quick Reference Y e s



The SharePoint Shepherd's Metadata Quick Reference

Folders vs. Metadata

Which Way Should I Go?

The decision of whether to organize data with folders or with

metadata is a classic problem that's been with SharePoint for

years. The problem with this decision is that there are key benefits and limitations to both approaches, some of which require a difference in the way you

think about the problem.

In the past, using metadata for storing information in SharePoint meant that you couldn't open the files in the Office client applications because they only understood the folder hierarchy. With Office 2010+ and SharePoint 2010+, it's possible to see a metadata view of the files ? but only if metadata navigation is turned on in SharePoint.

On the other side, there are key limitations which cause issues with file names, including folders and host names that exceed 260 characters. In those cases, the Office client applications will refuse to open the files directly; they'll have to be saved locally then opened in the Office client application ? and then re-uploaded to SharePoint. Obviously, this isn't the most efficient way to operate. The good news is that SharePoint's features ? and the capability for Office to view metadata navigation when enabled ? make it less difficult to find a balance between the two approaches.

Let Your Users Guide

If none of these criteria apply, then selecting either folders or

metadata based filing should work fine. The bias is that metadata

based navigation is better from an information architecture

perspective ? But continue using folders if that's what your users

are currently doing.

The first deciding factor for whether you need to use folders for organization is whether you're using a method of access to the library app that doesn't support metadata navigation. The most common reasons for this are using the Windows Explorer view of a folder and using Sky Drive Pro to sync files for offline access. This simply doesn't support viewing the files by metadata; it only supports a folder concept. Similarly, if users are often opening files from Office client applications directly, folders may be necessary unless all the locations they navigate to support metadata-based navigation and you can train users how to use that in the Office clients ? some pretty big ifs.

The second key factor that might lead you to folders is the need to have individual security on files. Often documents in a library app have one set of security, but in some cases, it's necessary to have different permissions for different groups of documents. In this case, it's important to create folders. If you have unique permissions on lots of files you may have performance problems. By organizing contents with similar security into folders, the number of unique permissions is minimized. This can be critical for larger libraries.

Organize with Folders or Metadata

Use Explorer View?

No

Open Files From Office

Yes

No

Need Security

No

Yes Use Folders

Yes

Why Not Both?

Sometimes the right answer is to do both. Luckily SharePoint can do both. It can assign metadata

based on the folder through default column values settings. It can also convert metadata into

folder structure through the content organizer

feature. Sometimes the answer isn't to make a decision between the two but is, instead, to do both.

There are two factors that might lead to the decision that metadata is required. The first is that not all users navigate to the data in the same way. For instance, assume you're a clothing manufacturer that makes shirts in different colors and in different sizes and styles. If some of your users navigate first by size and others navigate first by style, you'll need something other than a folder structure to allow them to navigate in ways that they're comfortable with ? and that's metadata based navigation. Similarly, if you have a folder structure that would lead to more than 260 characters in the web address (URL) for the folder, you'll need to use metadata, since several problems happen once path lengths ? including the host name ? exceed 260 characters.

Always Navigate the Same Way

No

Use Metadata

Yes

URL > 260

Yes

Characters?

Either is Acceptable

The SharePoint Shepherd's Metadata Quick Reference 2013

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Leverage Word Quick Parts for Metadata Management in SharePoint

SharePoint has several features that allow you to both implement and leverage your metadata strategy. The main purpose of defining metadata is to improve the storage and retrieval of an organization's most precious resource--information. Utilizing Quick Parts in Word along with SharePoint ensures that users supply required metadata and even helps ensure consistency of the metadata. Few people realize it can be done so simply!

To manage your organization's metadata, take advantage of the deep integration with the Office tools used by most enterprise employees. Follow these steps to connect Word forms to SharePoint metadata:

1. Begin in any existing library that has the columns for the metadata you want, or create a new library and add the columns you want. Click the Library tab.

2. Click Library Settings.

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Why Quick Parts?

Entering metadata is often forgotten and when it's not, it seems redundant. Quick Parts in Word allows you to enter the information in the template where you normally would and

have that information automatically be promoted into

the right fields in SharePoint. The result is a nohassle way of entering metadata

without any additional work. Imagine filling out a vacation request and those values automatically are populated in a SharePoint library so they can be sorted and

filtered.

3. Under General Settings, click Advanced Settings.

4. Under the Template URL field, click Edit Template.

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5. Structure the word document as desired. Place

the cursor where you want to insert a metadata

field, and click the Insert tab.

6. Click Quick Parts, then select Document

Property from the drop down menu.

7. The next drop down menu displays fields which

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correspond to the columns from SharePoint.

Select the field you want. Repeat this step to

add all the fields to your document template.

8. Save and then Close the document.

Use the template by following these steps:

1. Click the Files tab. 2. Then click New Document. 3. Select New Document in the dropdown. 4. You will see the document created in steps 1--8 above. When you enter data in the document

fields it will automatically be populated and saved to SharePoint. 5. Enter all required data. When the document is complete, click Save and then Close.

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Want to achieve even more with

SharePoint?

Get the Wiki! The SharePoint Shepherd's Guide for End Users is the essential tool that enables use of SharePoint. The Guide includes easy-tofollow videocast lessons with clear directions, tested

advice, and helpful screenshots that are proven to help end users increase productivity and efficiency with SharePoint. With step-

by-step guidance for the tasks you do most, you'll never have to worry about remembering how to create a list, add a field, add a user to a group, or how to

use any SharePoint features.

2013

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