Using Folders in A SharePoint 2010 Library To Automatically Tag Files

This short paper describes how to set up folders in a SharePoint 2010 library to automatically tag their contents.

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Dean Virag

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Using Folders in A SharePoint 2010 Library To Automatically Tag Files

This short paper describes how to set up folders in a SharePoint 2010 library to automatically tag their contents.

Uploaded by

Dean Virag

Available Formats

Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

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Using Folders in a SharePoint 2010 Library to Automatically Tag Files

Dean Virag @techtrainerdean [email protected]

Using Folders in a SharePoint 2010 Library to Automatically Tag Files Contents

About the Author .......................................................................................................................................... 2 The Debate .................................................................................................................................................... 2 The Teams ..................................................................................................................................................... 2 The Solution .................................................................................................................................................. 3 The Example .................................................................................................................................................. 3 Step 1: Clean Up the Existing File Share Directory.................................................................................... 4 Step 2: Create Columns and Tags Based on Folder Structure .................................................................. 4 Step 3: Re-Create the folder structure in the SharePoint Library............................................................. 5 Step 4: Create the default value settings in the SharePoint library. ........................................................ 6 Step 5: Copy or move the files from the file share directories into the SharePoint Library directories. . 7 Summary ....................................................................................................................................................... 7

Using Folders in a SharePoint 2010 Library to Automatically Tag Files About the Author
Dean Virag is a technical trainer and SharePoint champion for ASCD a nonprofit association for Educators (www.ascd.org). He loves to attend as many SharePoint events around the Washington DC area as he can. You can email him at [email protected]. He can be linked on Twitter @techtrainerdean.

The Debate
The debate of whether it is better to use metadata or folders to organize your content in a SharePoint library is a very old and well documented one. NothingbutSharePoint.com contains many articles on the subject (see: SharePoint Folders vs. Metadata, Folders in doc libraries are metadata cries for help, SharePoint: Convert Folder Structures to Metadata, and Folders and Metadata Rehashed). The topic is also a favorite at SharePoint Saturday events. I recently attended SharePoint Saturday The Conference and noticed several sessions related to the subject. I also overheard several conversations about the debate.

The Teams
I love Folders All windows users have been trained to use folders to organize content - because thats how Windows works. In my organization, folders are the only way or organizing content that many people know and understand. Allowing staff to use folders was identified as a key enduser adoption issue. Below is a list of concerns out end users have about tagging content in SharePoint: 1. Users dont know what to tag a file. 2. Users dont want to have to take the time to tag a file or multiple files. 3. Users might accidentally forget to tag a file or tag a file incorrectly. I love Metadata Tagging SharePoint has the ability to organize content based on how a file is tagged. This feature has helped move many users beyond the linear shortcomings of folders and has heralded us into a new era of One version of the truth, where files can be stored and maintained in one location but displayed in many different places based on how they are tagged.

Using Folders in a SharePoint 2010 Library to Automatically Tag Files The Solution
Fortunately, SharePoint 2010 has a built-in feature that can satisfy both sides of the conflict. The Column default value settings in a SharePoint library allow files to be automatically tagged based on what folder they live in. This out-of-the-box solution allows contributors to store their content in folders without having to worry about tagging every file individually, while consumers can take advantage of tagging to find the content quicker and easier.

The Example
For example, lets say I have a Technical Training documentation directory on a file share that I that I want to migrate over to SharePoint 2010. The file share directory contains folders and sub-folders on various Adobe and Microsoft products. My documentation team has been working with this folder structure for years and we know where all the files belong.

Using Folders in a SharePoint 2010 Library to Automatically Tag Files

Step 1: Clean Up the Existing File Share Directory
Take the time to eliminate all unnecessary directories and files. You only want to move the most relevant files.

Step 2: Create Columns and Tags Based on Folder Structure

Use the existing folder structure as the basis for organizing columns and tags in the SharePoint library. For example, create a custom choice column in the library called Vendor and supply it the values of Adobe, Microsoft, etc. Create another choice column called Product Suite and supply it values of Acrobat, CS5, Office 2007, Office 2010, etc. Then create final choice column called Application and supply it values of Acrobat Professional, Acrobat Reader, Flash, Photoshop, Illustrator, Access, Outlook, etc. Vendor

Product Suite

Application

Using Folders in a SharePoint 2010 Library to Automatically Tag Files

Step 3: Re-Create the folder structure in the SharePoint Library
Take the time to re-create the folder structure in the SharePoint library. This will give you the opportunity to re-organize the folders and correct inconsistencies that existed in the file-share directory structure.

Using Folders in a SharePoint 2010 Library to Automatically Tag Files

Step 4: Create the default value settings in the SharePoint library.
(Watch the video) 1. Open the document library and go to the Library Settings page. 2. Click the Column default value settings link in the General Settings column. 3. Click the name of a folder in the Location to configure column, located on the left side of the screen. (e.g., Microsoft)

4. Click the column name that corresponds to the selected location. (e.g., Vendor)

5. Click the Use this default value option and enter the tag value in the default value field.

Using Folders in a SharePoint 2010 Library to Automatically Tag Files

6. Click OK. 7. Repeat for all the columns and sub-columns on the library. 8. The folders with a default set will display a green icon over the folder and the default value will be displayed.

Step 5: Copy or move the files from the file share directories into the SharePoint Library directories.
Use whatever method you prefer to copy or move the files from the file share directories into the SharePoint directories. The tagging will occur automatically as soon as the file is placed in the directory.

Summary
Enabling automatic tagging in a folder provides the best of both worlds to your users. Content contributors can quickly and easily store files in a locations that are meaningful to them without having to worry about tagging their content. Content consumers can utilize the automatically generated tags to quickly and easily find the files without having to know what specific directory there are stored. Note: There are 3rd party products which do the same thing. My goal here was to demonstrate an outof-the box solution.