sharepoint designer

Hi,

Customization Using SharePoint Designer 
• Overview

• Editing look and feel
– Master pages
– Content pages
– Customized vs. not customized

• Data Views
– Data Source Library
– Formatting in Data Form web parts
– Web part connections

• Configuring workflows
Overview
• In many cases SharePoint Designer (formerly FrontPage) can be a substitute for a server side programmer.

• It allows the user to
– Edit the look and fill of SharePoint sites
– Edit master pages in SharePoint sites
– Pull data from multiple sources
– Sort and filter the data
– Format the data using a WYSIWYG editor
– Configure workflows

Master and Content Pages
• Master Page is a page that servers as a template for content pages and has extension .master. Each site has a master page gallery for master page storage (example: http://<server>/_catalogs/masterpage/).

• Content Page is a page that uses a master page to provide a template and has extension . aspx. Contet pages can be stored anywhere on the site.


Master and Content Pages Illustration
• By using a master page, designers can factor common elements of contents page into a master page template.

Customized vs. Not Customized
• Not a customized page - SharePoint retrieves the page from site definition (Master Template) that is stored on the web server.

• Customized - SharePoint saves and retrieves the page from the content database instead of the site definition. Thus, subsequent changes made to the side definition will not be reflected on that page.

• Revert to template page – means revert to uncustomized page

Data Source Catalog
• Data Source Library organizes all data sources selected by the user for building sites

– SQL databases
– Web services
– SharePoint lists (on any site)
– XML files
– Business Data Catalog
Data Form Web Part
• Data View is a representation of data from a data source

• Designers can format data in data views using:
– Sorting
– Filtering
– Applying styles
– Conditional formatting

• Designers can connect data views using web part connections



Workflow from Designer Perspective
• Designers can configure new workflows beyond the ones that are already available.

• Designers select activities (from predefined set) for the workflow and specify conditions for when activities execute and when activities end.

• A finished workflow is a set of activities connected together.
Designer vs. Developer
• Designer cannot do everything that is available to developers through Visual Studio 2005.

• SharePoint Designer 2007 does not provide:

– InfoPath form integration
– Creation of custom activities
– Workflow modification

 Thanks,

Raja..