sharepoint as a web cms
DESCRIPTION
An overview of using Microsoft SharePoint as a Web CMS by Adam Cogan at the Sydney Business & Technology User Group (SBTUG) annual CMS Smackdown.TRANSCRIPT
SharePointThe Jonah Lomu of CMS
Adam Cogan
Chief Architect at SSW
Microsoft Regional Director
@AdamCogan
Delivering Awesome Web Applications
Pre-Requisites
Out of Box, or
Platform
Content Editors
Power Users eg.
Developers eg.
Designers
Hosting
Agenda
Why SharePoint?
Why companies want SharePoint’s Web Content Management?
Take a look at the SharePoint Team
Requirements
Alternatives
Chief Architect at SSW
Developing custom solutions for businesses across a range of industries such as Government, banking, insurance
Microsoft Gold Partner
Microsoft Regional Director
VSTS MVP
@AdamCogan
About Adam
Nor are Content Management Systems
There are plenty on the market
The need for web publishing is not new
Doesn’t suck
?
So Why SharePoint?
Scenario: Sprawling company with lots of departments
Businesses make $ ...
Why companies want SharePoint’s Web Content Management
A: Windows (and AD) Integrated
SharePoint – managing groups
B: Already using it on intranet
C: Rich editing experience
Someone has stuff checked out...
D: Presence stuff is awesome
"Hey Joe, can you check in Welcome.aspx"
Help. I introduced a bug
E: Publishing
Remove IT’s workload / crankiness
F: Workflow is greatCreate the workflow in Office SharePoint Designer 2007
F: Workflow is greatWorkflow in Office SharePoint Designer 2010
F: Workflow is great3rd Party: Workflow in Nintex
F: Workflow is great3rd party: Workflow in K2 Blackpearl
Kick it off in SharePoint
G: Customize with .NET
H: Already sold – it’s the future
March 2008 “US$1billion-dollar business with 100 million licenses sold, and growth of more than 50 percent in the second quarter of the current fiscal year”
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2008/mar08/03-02SharePoint.mspx
I: Microsoft’s #1 selling server product
J: All the other things
J: All the other things
So... Let’s look at a SharePoint team
A SharePoint team – introducing the people involved
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A SharePoint team – introducing the people involved
SharePoint Architects
Developers
Designers
Content Editors
Initially (planning and configuration stage)
• Define hierarchy, content types, overall structure
SharePoint Architects
Followed by... (development stage)
• Write additional web parts• Extend existing SharePoint
functionality
Developers
• Design look and feel• Write CSS and master pagesDesigners
... And once it’s up (content stage)
• Enter content• Testing
Content Editors
1. Overall PSDs – “concept mockup” (Wakefield)
2. Slice into HTML and Images - “HTML mockup”
3. Make the CSS files for the HTML – “HTML styling”
4. Give back to the developer
Style Tip: the designer's job must be defined
Working together is important otherwise:
Avoid Designer vs Developer
Designers like it to be perfect, so their designs have the presentation intended
If they are working they are more understanding and you avoid
e.g. It is not perfectly centred e.g. This pixel is out of alignment e.g. Colours are not right... this is 1 shade off due to
compression
...the designer's job must be defined (cont)
Q:\ How do you get our great result
By avoiding dealing with this
At Work ...
(A SharePoint public sites needs focus)
The Result
BEFORE: .psd
AFTER: Live Website
BEFORE: .psd
AFTER: Live Website
an added bonus…
SEO – Nice URL, nice title tag
Clipboard functionality like in Word
Copy-Paste Images
Ribbon bars with easy formatting (h1, h2, h3 etc)
Key Requirements
Nice HTML
No Word-inserted CSS! ...
Key Requirements
Ordering by ‘category’
Not date ...
Key Requirements
Comments
Can group KB article in multiple categories
Publishing/Approval Workflow
Sort by rating and popularity
Image handling
ie. renaming ...
“Nice to have” requirements
Create a standard Team Site in SharePoint Foundation
Create a Wiki Library
This will take you into Rich Text Edit Mode for editing page.
Click icon to add chart
Rich Text Editor - Blog
Click icon to add chart
Rich Text Editor - Wiki
Apply styles to text
Spell check your content (sux)
Insert and format tables
Embed graphics or video
The Rich Text Editor
Spell check not as good as word
Need to manually check it http://www.ssw.com.au/ssw/Standards/Rules/RulesT
oBetterTechnicalDocumentation.aspx#WordSpellingAndGrammarChecker
The Rich Text Editor
But...
Done!
Layout is ugly
RTE (Rich Text Editor) CSS classes
...
Identify CSS classes
format .ms-rteElement
How styles/themes work
If you have no site them applied to a site (default – no theme)
CSS files are resident in the 14 hive (SharePoint 2010)
Once you apply a theme the CSS files are auto-propagated to themes folder of the site and you can modify the CSS form here
How do you customize...
Identify CSS classes
Verdict on Comments
SharePoint 2010 Wiki’s don’t have a commenting system
SharePoint 2010 Blogs have an ordinary commenting system (no threading, no spam detection etc)
Suggestion to Microsoft: built in web part to add one of the main 3rd party commenting systems:
www.Disqus.com www.IntenseDebate.com www.aboutecho.com How could Microsoft solve this... (two ways)
How to Solve the comment problem
Option 1
Option 2
SEO marketers want to stuff different keywords into the:
Page Name, Page Title, URL and Meta Description Problem.
SharePoint 2010 Wiki’s assumes the same text in first 3 and offers no way of editing the ‘Meta Description’ tag.
This is an incorrect assumption and should be fixed in SP1 (if Microsoft wants to get it used in the CMS world). http://www.ssw.com.au/ssw/Standards/BetterSoftwareSuggestions/SharePointTeamServices.aspx#WikiSEO
...
SEO – Page Name, Page Title, URL and Meta Description Problem
Keep these 2 the same Let me change the
URL
Alternatives
?
Alternatives
WordPress
Wiki – Screwturn Wiki
SharePoint Wiki
SharePoint Blog
...
Alternatives
WordPress
WordPressNice URLs
LiveWriter
Wiki (over Blog)
Minimal Customization - Need to add a view (not sorted by date)
PHP
User Experience is consistent with intranet
Rating System
Integrated Authentication
Found using SharePoint search3/9
Wiki – Screwturn Wiki
Screwturn WikiNice URLs
LiveWriter
Wiki (over Blog)
Minimal Customization - Need to add a view (not sorted by date)
.NET
User Experience is consistent with intranet
Rating System
Integrated Authentication
Found using SharePoint search5/9
SharePoint Blog
SharePoint BlogNice URLs
LiveWriter
Wiki (over Blog)
Minimal Customization - Need to add a view (not sorted by date)
.NET
User Experience is consistent with intranet
Rating System
Integrated Authentication
Found using SharePoint search5/9
SharePoint Wiki
SharePoint WikiNice URLs
LiveWriter
Wiki (over Blog)
Minimal Customization - Need to add a view (not sorted by date)
.NET
User Experience is consistent with intranet
Rating System ?
Integrated Authentication
Found using SharePoint search8/9
SharePoint Wiki!
Winner is...
Summary
Why SharePoint?
Why companies want SharePoint’s Web Content Management?
Take a look at the SharePoint Team
Requirements
Alternatives