(No-Code) Tools of the SharePoint Trade Asif Rehmani, SharePoint MVP VisualSP Download my presentations at:

Agenda 2 minutes intro about me and our company The importance of going no-code and tools you can use Examples of a few no-code solutions Lessons learned

Please Help me understand who You are

About me - Asif Rehmani Trainer Founder and CEO VisualSP Chicago, USA Author Trainer and Consultant SharePoint MVP, MCT

About our company - VisualSP Two Solutions Help SystemTraining Center

Help users when They need it most Help items for current page and context List of in-context Help Items Help Tab VisualSP Help System In-context support through Help tab

SharePoint topics covered End UserSharePoint Site Administration InfoPathSharePoint Designer WorkflowsBranding Project managementMetadata Management Access and Access ServicesRecords Management Business Connectivity ServicesSearch ReportingJavaScript customizations Hundreds of SharePoint video tutorials Fully narrated by SharePoint experts VisualSP Training Center

Come visit us at our booth

Target audience for this session: Intranet/Web Content Manager Portal Solutions Manager SharePoint Guy/Gal SharePoint Guru Session level: 250 – Intermediate

Session focus Tools to use to build on top of the SharePoint platform

What can SharePoint do? Collaboration Document management Internal Social Network Forms Process Automation (Workflows) Business Intelligence Reporting Search Metadata Management … Super secret The next version will even make coffee!

Creating Solutions Recommended sequence when creating your solutions: 1.Browser based only 2.Use no-code tools 3.Use code tools OR 3 rd party products

“Let’s not write code until we have to write code.” Power User’s motto:

Let’s look at an example…

Search based solutions

Demo: Search Web Parts

Show pre-configured data on pages using Search web parts Live pre-defined search results on web pages Ability for users to refine the results as needed

How do we define ‘no-code’ ? Yes Browser Office applications Desktop application built for SharePoint and related technologies Scripting technologies (*debatable…) No Visual Studio Managed code

Why go ‘no-code’? Possibilities of what you can do are Enormous! Quick learning curve Easier ongoing management of solution Delegate responsibility easily

Guess who’s ‘trying to’ make a comeback..? Microsoft Access

Access Web Apps

Using Access 2013 to simplify web development Access 2013 – Used to create the interface of the app SharePoint 2013 / Office 365 – Used to host the front end of the app SQL Server 2012 – Used as the backend data storage technology for the app

Time for another demo

Demo: Access Web App

Create web applications using Access Build Access web apps and launch to SharePoint Online

In case you need it.. Ability to disable Access apps at the tenant level SharePoint admin center  Settings

Implement Quick Wins Identify real pain points and focus in on them

Customize SharePoint Out-of-the-Box (sites, docs, lists, social) SharePoint Composites (Access App, BI, Workflow, BCS) Declarative Capabilities (Doc Sets, Records, Search) Managed Code (Apps, CSOM, Reusable components) The customization continuum

Process Automation

No-code Workflows

31 Workflow tools  Browser  SharePoint Designer 2013  Visio 2013  Visual Studio 2012/2013

32 SharePoint Workflow Manager 1.0 SharePoint 2013 workflow processing moved to Workflow Manager (WM) Workflow no longer runs in the SharePoint content farm / servers SharePoint farm & Workflow Manager farm can be on same / different servers

The ‘New Stuff’ Stages New base level concept of stages Visual Designer Direct Visio incorporation Stage-Level Diagrams New Task Actions Quick and easy to create tasks and approval processes Web Services Able to call into Rest/HTTP web services Loops! Able now to loop indirectly with stages or directly with the new Loop actions Copy/Cut and Paste Core copy/cut and paste abilities now introduced

and 2013 style workflows SharePoint Designer Are there any differences..?

New Workflow Activities & Actions New Actions & Activities Microsoft Project Specific Actions Assign a TaskGet Property from [Dictionary/DynamicValue] Create a Project from Current Item Start a Task ProcessCount Items in [Dictionary/DynamicValue] Set the current project stage status to this value Go to This StageTrim StringSet the status field in the idea list item to this value Call HTTP Web ServiceFind Substring in StringWait for Project Event Start a List WorkflowReplace Substring in StringSet this field in the project to this value Start a Site WorkflowTranslate Document Build [Dictionary/DynamicValue]Set Workflow Status

Demo: SharePoint Designer 2013 Workflows

Examples of no-code solutions Human Resource portals Self-service reporting, financial dashboards Expense reporting Review and approve document workflows New-hire orientation sites Ideation, feedback, & “suggestion boxes” Structured documents: contracts, RFPs, & invoices

And now.. The story of InfoPath

Library form Custom SharePoint list form InfoPath 2010 & 2013

Forms update (from Microsoft) FoSL Canceled / Delayed Indefinitely

FoSL – Forms on SharePoint Lists Canceled / Delayed Indefinitely

Even more ideas for no-code solutions…

Location Mapping

Demo: Geolocation

Use Geolocation column for live mapping Show maps directly within lists and libraries

Dynamic Dashboards PowerView to visualize data

© DEVintersection. All rights reserved More Dashboards PerformancePoint Dashboard Designer

© DEVintersection. All rights reserved And more Dashboards SQL Server PowerPivot

Project Management Utilize Project Server to manage projects

SharePoint Composites Showcase created by Mark Gillis from Microsoft

How do I practice my ideas and concepts? Watch free videos at: Get a sandbox environment for practicing: Build your own dev VM Or Try the templates available at CloudShare – Or Office 365 Trial 51

Call to Action Download my presentations at: Watch video tutorials at: VisualSP.com Thank