RTM’d today: Microsoft SharePoint Designer 2010 Step by Step

We’re very pleased to announce that Penelope Coventry’s book, Microsoft SharePoint Designer 2010 Step by Step has shipped to the printer!

This book teaches you how to build custom sites and solutions with SharePoint Designer 2010. With STEP BY STEP, you set the pace-building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Topics include mastering the tools for building and editing pages visually without code; using master pages and CSS to control how sites look and work; connecting to lists, libraries, XML data, and RSS feeds; adding interactive and collaborative features with Web Parts and controls; creating workflows and other business-process applications; and managing user settings, accessibility, and site maintenance.

Penny’s book will be available via online retailers around December 15. In the meantime, here’s more information about the book:

Contents at a Glance

Chapter 1 Exploring SharePoint Designer 2010……….1

Understanding SharePoint Designer 2010 .……….3

Using SharePoint Designer to Carry Out Common Tasks……….4

Understanding What’s New in SharePoint Designer 2010 ……….6

Creating Sites with SharePoint Designer ……….8

Exploring the SharePoint Designer Shell ……….13

Using SharePoint Designer to Explore a Web Page ……….20

Using Task Panes .……….26

Controlling the Use of SharePoint Designer……….34

Key Points……….35

Chapter 2 Working with SharePoint Sites………37

Changing the Title, Description, and Theme of a Site………38

Managing Site Users and Permissions . . . . . . . . .41

Creating a Site Hierarchy………45

Deleting a SharePoint Site………48

Resetting a Site Template………49

Exploring a SharePoint Site ………52

Navigating a Site’s Component………56

Saving and Using a Site Templat………60

Key Points………64

Chapter 3 Working with Lists and Libraries………67

Creating Lists and Libraries………68

Creating an Issue Tracking List………72

Importing Data into SharePoint………74

Working with List Columns………75

Using Calculated Columns………78

Using Column Validation………79

Creating an XSLT List View Web Part………81

Customizing an XSLT List View Web Part………84

Securing a List or a Library………86

Adding Custom Actions………87

Creating Server Ribbon Custom Actions………91

Creating Site Columns………93

Using Site Columns………95

Creating Content Types………97

Adding a Site Column to a Content Type………99

Adding a Document Template to a Content Type………100

Associating Content Types with Lists and Libraries . . . . . .102

Deleting SharePoint Objects………104

Key Points………105

Chapter 4 Creating and Modifying Web Pages ………109

Inserting Text, ScreenTips, Hyperlinks, and Images 110

Working with Web Parts 114

Changing the Home Page for a Web Site ………119

Modifying a List View Page ………121

Creating List View Pages . ………123

Creating and Modifying a List Form Page……… 125

Creating an ASP.NET Page ………130

Inserting a Web Part Zone ………132

Attaching a Master Page . ………135

Managing Web Pages ………138

Key Points ………141

Chapter 5 Working with Data Views ………145

Creating a Data View ………146

Customizing Data Views ………151

Inline Editing ………155

Applying Conditional Formatting ………158

Showing and Hiding Content . ……… 160

Using XSLT . ………163

Using Formula Columns ………166

Working with XPath Expressions ………169

Deploying Web Parts . ………172

Key Points ………174

Chapter 6 Working with Data Sources……… 177

Using Data Sources ………178

Working with XML Data ………184

Connecting to an RSS Feed XML File ………187

Connecting to an RSS Feed Server-Side Script ………189

Connecting to SOAP Services . ………192

Connecting to REST Services ………194

Connecting to a Database ………196

Using Linked Sources . ………202

Connecting Web Parts . ………207

Key Points ………210

Chapter 7 Using Business Connectivity Services ………213

What Is Business Connectivity Services? . ……… 214

Creating Database External Data Sources ………217

Creating External Content Types ………222

Creating Office Application External Content Types ………228

Creating and Managing External Lists ………231

Working with Office Application External Content Types . ………234

Exporting and Using the BDC Model ………237

Creating a Profile Page ………240

Using Associations ………244

Managing External Content Types ………249

Key Points ………251

Chapter 8 Understanding Workflows ………255

Working with Workflows . ………256

Creating Workflows with SharePoint Designer ………259

Using Actions and Conditions ………264

Modifying a Workflow . ………270

Deploying Workflows . ……… 273

Creating a Multistep Workflow ………279

Creating a Site Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282

Using Visio to Map a Workflow ………284

Importing a Workflow from Visio ………288

Exporting a Workflow to a Visio Drawing ………290

Removing and Deleting Workflows . ……… 291

Key Points 294

Chapter 9 Using Reusable Workflows and Workflow Forms ………297

Creating and Using Reusable Workflows ………298

Creating Association Columns ………301

Using Workflow Templates . ………302

Reusing Globally Reusable Workflows ………303

Creating Globally Reusable Workflows . ………306

Creating Initiation and Association Forms ………309

Retrieving Values from Initiation Forms ………313

Modifying an InfoPath Form ………316

Publishing an InfoPath Form ………321

Modifying Initiation Form Parameters ………324

Modifying an Association Form . ………326

Adding Association Fields to Initiation Forms ………327

Modifying Task Forms ………331

Key Points ………332

Chapter 10 Branding SharePoint Sites ………335

Setting the CSS and Color Coding Page Editor Options ………337

Identifying Styles in Cascading Style Sheets ………341

Identifying Styles on Content Pages . ………346

Creating and Attaching CSS Files . ………348

Creating a Functioning HTML Page . . . . . . . ..352

Creating Styles ………354

Modifying and Deleting Styles . 357

Using the Style Application Group Commands . ………361

Understanding SharePoint’s CSS Inheritance ………364

Using IntelliSense to add CSS . ………367

Using CSS Reports ………370

Key Points ………372

Chapter 11 Working with Master Pages ………375

Understanding Master Pages . ………376

Default Master Pages . ………378

Controls Used on the Master Page ………380

Copying and Saving a Master Page . ………385

Customizing a Master Page ………387

Changing the Default Master Page . ………393

Managing Content Placeholders ………395

Creating a Web Page from a Master Page . ………399

Exporting Master Pages ………403

Resetting a Master Page to the Site Definition ………404

Key Points ………406

Chapter 12 Understanding Usability and Accessibility ………409

Implementing a User-Centered Design Methodology……… 410

Establishing User and Compatibility Requirements . ………412

Designing a Prototype . ……… 416

Defining Accessible Branding . ………419

Testing for Usability ………422

Understanding Accessibility Legislation and Testing ………425

Maintaining Legislation Compliance . ………431

Key Points ………434

Chapter 13 Managing Web Content in the SharePoint Server

Environment……… 437

Creating a Publishing Site . ……… 439

Understanding Web Content Management in SharePoint Server 2010 ………441

Understanding the Page Model . ………446

Creating a Page Layout . ………450

Modifying a Page Layout ………455

Allowing Users to Rate Web Content ………457

Approving a Page Layout ………459

Restore an Earlier Version of a Page Layout ………461

Detaching and Reattaching a Page Layout ………462

Key Points ………464

Chapter 14 Using Controls in Web Pages ………467

Working with the Ribbon and Tag Properties Task Pane . ………468

Using a Standard ASP.NET Server Control ………472

Validating User Data Entry ………474

Using ASP.NET Validation Controls ………476

Using SharePoint Data View Controls . ………480

Testing an ASP.NET Form ………483

Using SharePoint Server Controls ………484

Key Points ………487

Appendix A SharePoint Designer Workflow Conditions and Actions……… 489

Conditions ………489

Core Actions ………491

Document Set Actions . ………493

List Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .493

Relational Actions . ………496

Task Actions . ………496

Task Behavior Actions ………497

Utility Actions ………498

Appendix B Creating a New Approval Process ………501

Appendix C Administrative Tasks Using SharePoint 2010 ………513

Installing SharePoint Foundation 2010 . ………514

Creating a Site Collection ………517

Enabling All Site Templates on a SharePoint Server Site ………518

Restricting the Use of SharePoint Designer 2010 at the Web-Application Level . ……… 519

Configuring Permissions on External Content Types ………520

Configuring the External Content Type Profile Page Host……… 521

Enabling or Disabling User-Defined Workflows ………522

Introduction

SharePoint Designer 2010 is a powerful tool that together with other Microsoft products, such as Microsoft InfoPath 2010 Designer and Microsoft Visio 2010, plays a key role in building solutions with Microsoft SharePoint Foundation and Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010.

SharePoint Foundation is a free download that provides a collection of services that you can use to build sites. It is also a platform from which you can build applications. SharePoint Server is such an application and, therefore, all the features of SharePoint Foundation are available to SharePoint Server, which is available in a number of editions - all of which you can use with SharePoint Designer:

· SharePoint Server 2010 - used for Intranet scenarios where either the Enterprise or Standard client access license editions can be used.

· SharePoint 2010 for Internet Sites - which is available as either Enterprise or Standard editions. These editions can be used to build build extranet Web sites.

· FAST Search Server 2010 for SharePoint - used to design for enterprise search solutions.

· Office 365 - which brings together the 2010 editions of SharePoint Online, Exchange Online, Lync Online and Office desktop software, as a cloud serivce.

Don’t be put off by its name. SharePoint Designer is not aimed at just Web designers. Everyone who’s had some training with SharePoint Designer should be able to use it. Neither is it a tool that should be used by everyone. Some solutions you’ll be able to develop quickly as no-code solutions, whilst others may take time and you may need to modify the underlying client-side code. Therefore, for some users, the experimental and investigative aspects of developing a solution with SharePoint Designer may be new, frustrating, and initially unfriendly compared to other tools they may be used to.

This book gives you a fundamental understanding of how SharePoint Designer works with the SharePoint platform. It helps you understand the consequences of performing tasks with SharePoint Designer. It also provides you with the skills and understanding of how to best build and modify your solutions in order to meet your business requirements.

Note SharePoint Designer 2010 is not a Web authoring tool. If you want to learn how to create Web pages on non-SharePoint Web sites, use a different product such as Microsoft Expression Web.

Buy This Book

This book is for you if:

· You have access to Microsoft SharePoint 2010, either Microsoft SharePoint Foundation 2010, Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010, or both products in your organization.

· You want to create and manage SharePoint sites and perform other tasks, such as creating and modifying Web pages and workflows for SharePoint sites.

· You do not know how to program and have little or no experience using SharePoint Designer.

Do Not Buy This Book

This book is NOT right for you if:

· You use Microsoft FrontPage 2003 to build or amend non-SharePoint sites.

· You’re an instructor and use FrontPage 2003 to teach Web page authoring on non-SharePoint sites.

· You’re looking for a general introduction to SharePoint.

· You do not have access to SharePoint 2010 in your organization, school, etc.

· You use SharePoint Designer 2007 to build sites based on Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 or Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007.

· You want to upgrade to SharePoint Designer 2010 to modify those sites.

Important SharePoint Designer 2010 connects only to SharePoint 2010 sites.