SharePoint document libraries can be defined as "superfolders". They are very useful for separating your files and folders and always having an impeccable tree structure in a SharePoint site. In this post, we will introduce you to some very useful features of the libraries and tell you why you should use them with Microsoft Development firm. Libraries are not just a way to replace old shared drives or network drives, far from it: they offer major improvements over old file sharing systems.
Here's a helpful little pictorial reminder of what document
libraries are capable of, and we'll give you a little more detail below.
1. Folders
I grant you that at first glance, this is not a very new
function! But it's a featur
e you're used to, and one that makes the experience on
SharePoint quite similar to one you've known for a while if you're still
working on network drives. Organize your files into folders and subfolders so
everything is always in its place. And if that convinces you of the interest of
using SharePoint, that will already be a very good point!
2.
Co-authoring
Have you ever encountered the dreaded error message:
"this file is locked for editing by another user"? Thanks to
co-editing, this is now ancient history. Co-authoring — available in SharePoint
2013, 2016, and online with Office 2013 or 2016 — lets you edit the same file
as your colleagues, at the same time as them. At first, you will sometimes feel
like you are losing control. But this is not the case. Co-authoring greatly
facilitates collaboration and the editing process. And if you're worried about
others changing your files, consider keeping them in OneDrive or limiting permissions until you're ready to share them.
3. Offline
synchronization
If you're using SharePoint 2016 or Online, you can sync
files from a document library to your computer, tablet, or other mobile device
using the OneDrive app . So you can work on shared files even if you don't have
Wi-Fi (on the plane, for example), and OneDrive will automatically switch the
updated file to the cloud the next time you connect.
4. Groups,
Yammer and Teams
If you use Outlook groups, Yammer feeds, or Microsoft Teams,
you know they all have a place to save files. But did you know that those file
folders are on a SharePoint site specifically created for that group, stream,
or team? Well it is! . Although many SharePoint features are not (yet) directly
available in these apps, you can still open the library in SharePoint to find
all the new features discussed in this post.
5. Metadata
You are often required to classify your files according to
various criteria. Sometimes by year, by geographical location or by type of
document, for example. If you use folders, you are "stuck" in this
arbitrary scheme. For example, you may prefer the following path: Geographic
Location > Year > Document Type, while your colleague prefers the path:
Year > Document Type > Geographic Location. It really depends on your way
of thinking and the nature of your job. But thanks to metadata, you can “tag”
files with all these notions, then sort and filter your library to display the
files in the way you prefer. To learn the basics of metadata,
6. Displays
If you're used to big data and like the ability to sort and
filter to show what you want and how you want it, you'll love that SharePoint
gives you the option to save that view configuration. Once you have created a
view, you will no longer need to sort and filter each time you load the
library. To learn more about displays, click
here .
7. Version
history
Have you ever saved a file and immediately regretted it
because you weren't satisfied with the work done? And to tell you “I want to
recover the old version! » On a shared file, you cannot go back. But document
libraries can. Version history lets you restore old versions, delete versions
that are no longer relevant, and even discard changes made by others that you
don't want to keep.
8. Alerts
Did you know you can receive automatic notification emails
if someone changes a file, uploads a new file, or deletes a file from your
library? This feature is very useful when one of your documents is under review
and you want to know when your reviewers have made their comments. To learn more
about alerts, click here .
9. Links
Rather than downloading files, it is sometimes more
interesting to quickly access links that direct you to other websites
(including public sites). SharePoint 2013 document libraries allow you to
activate links quickly and easily ;
SharePoint 2016 and Online libraries include these links on first use. So use
them without moderation!
Conclusion
I hope you enjoy these features as much as I do. I use them
all at least once in a while when dealing with document libraries, and find
them very handy, especially when I think of all the amazing things a simple
document library can do with Al Rafay Consulting. They are also very useful for infographic
presentations, and pleasantly remind you of everything you can do!
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