Now that the folder is created and ready to receive content, OneNote can be added and the documentation can commence. Open OneNote and, on the File tab, click New (Figure 2-22).
Name the notebook and paste in the URL from the SharePoint Rudder library (since the library is new, it is unlikely to be listed under Recent Locations). Remove the /Forms/AllItems.aspx portion of the URL (see Figure 2-23).
Browse to the OneNote folder and then create the notebook (see Figure 2-24).
If you are not yet familiar with how OneNote works, click Help in the upper left corner of the screen and watch the video to get started; it is quick and surprisingly educational. OneNote can be configured in hundreds of ways, and Figure 2-25 represents the basics I am capturing as I document this build. The search functionality in OneNote is phenomenal, so organizing the notes can really be left up to what makes the most sense to the user. Since OneNote captures URLs with copy and paste, any time there is a question about related documentation from a site, a search on that URL should surface all related items from the OneNote library. Brilliant!
Okay, so now to finish up this library configuration and how that might look as OneNote documentation. The rest of the content types are built into the library in the same manner as the first two. All Rudder content types should go into the SharePoint Rudder group previously created, as it is a handy organizational method (but if you forget, the settings within the content type do allow for editing so that group placement can be corrected). There are three content types left to create: Assets, Scripts, and Site Pix (Figure 2-26).
In our environment, we use SharePoint wikis for eLearning and procedure manuals. To quickly create wiki content, we depend heavily on Microsoft Word’s ability to publish to a SharePoint blog. We then copy the blog post to a wiki page and completely eliminate the need for uploading pictures in the process. This method depends on Word templates for a consistent look and feel. Templates like these are saved in the Assets library.
Additionally, our team site owners use a simple but consistent button approach (see Figure 2-27) by creating buttons in Word, converting them into images (you can use OneNote to capture them from the screen and then save them as images), and applying a hyperlink on the site. When these need to be edited or copied, it is great to have them stored as a site asset as well.
The Assets content type should be used for whatever assets you used to build the site, which could include everything from document templates, InfoPath forms, custom THMX themes, or PSD files for source code graphics.
Figure 2-28 represents the content type settings for Assets, a child of the SharePoint Rudder parent.
The quick guide in Figure 2-3 illustrates the suggested metadata needed. Once created, copy the columns from the Site Content Type Information page and paste them into the notebook, both for reference and to see how cleverly OneNote displays the information (Figure 2-29).
The copy and paste feature in OneNote is the absolute best reason to use it! OneNote automatically captures the “Pasted from” URL so the user never has to consider it. Additionally, when using highlight copy and paste directly from any settings page in SharePoint, OneNote formats it nicely and all the links stay active, so when questions arise or review is needed, OneNote provides a link (or many) directly to that location on the site.
Site Pix is a Picture content type based on the parent Document and uses no additional columns from the default (see Figure 2-30). Some views are disabled when combining Picture with Document content types, so for more robust image needs, a dedicated picture library is a better choice. However, since the bulk of my images are automatically published to the Photos library on the blog site (with a consistent naming convention and reduction in file size), I use this Pix content type to store the pictures used across the entire site collection, images such as the buttons we create in Word. Some scripting solutions are also dependent upon images, so those will be stored here as well. This content type is just for the image—the source code/document behind their creation will be stored in Assets.
Mark’s original post separated the jQuery and SPServices libraries from scripts, but my scripting needs are rather limited, so I have opted to put them all in together. However, the columns employed here are the same as Mark’s (see Figure 2-31). In fact, I use this content type for everything code-related, so I will be storing CSS in here too, since I link absolutely everything through the Content Editor web part (CEWP) using the Content Link field, with references back to this library. That way, if I screw it up in some way, I have a backdoor of sorts to dismantle the mess.
Now, speaking of screwing it up, something should be said here about not enabling versioning on this library. I have had the unfortunate experience of tweaking and using a script I found posted somewhere, then playing with it until it broke, but not realizing it until I had uploaded it over the working version. Of course, I did all that in production too (don’t do that!).
So here is my “Combat Script Stupidity” vow:
I will test all scripts I use on my site outside of the production environment. To the best of my ability, I will make every attempt to understand the code in the script and what it is doing before I test it. There will be documentation surrounding the use of the script, why it is needed, the origins of where I copied it from, and any and all edits I make will be included in this comprehensive documentation. I will educate myself on best practices, attempt to follow them at all times, and share that advice with those in my environment who may use this library. While my goal may be third-tier, I will fully recognize that I probably should stick to client-side manipulation until I have a better development background. I promise to follow the approval process for use of new scripts in my environment as outlined by my SharePoint administrator/architect.
The reality is that if I was doing more development, I would probably move OneNote out of this library and turn on versioning. My script use is pretty minimal, basic variations on the same script at this point, so this setup meets my current needs and probably the needs of most business users. For this reason, I am opting to keep it all in one place even though that means no version control, but clearly I understand those ramifications.
The last thing to do in structuring this library is to get all the content types added to the library and then tucked in under each of the related folders. Go back into the Library Settings and add those last few content types as shown in Figure 2-26 and then restrict the creation of other content inside the designated content folder using the Change New Button Order menu options (see Figure 2-18).
Once all the folders are set, it is possible to further control the available content types under New by going back into the Library Settings with the Change New Button Order and Default Content Type options. As shown in Figure 2-32, set the SharePoint Rudder as the only visible, and therefore default, option so that all new OneNote items are created on this default content type.
The folders are not affected by the default changes made to the entire library; each folder will still allow creation of the specified content. I admit this may be overengineered for the intended advanced user of this library, but using folders provides a powerful guidance mechanism for the end user. Utilizing the ability to create unique document templates for each content type is an excellent way to restrict the creation of new documents to only those meant to reside in the designated folder.
With this set up, the default template of this content type can be used as an instruction guide. Just create a how-to in Word that describes the use of the Rudder and who to contact for more information, save it to the Asset content type in the library, and link it to the SharePoint Rudder’s document template (see Figure 2-33).
Add a note of instruction at the bottom of the how-to to warn users not to save the document to the library; the content type in this situation cannot be set to read-only. This trick combined with the folder technique can be a powerful steering mechanism for End Users in libraries with multiple types of content where specific template needs are required.