After completing this course, students will be able to:
- Implement SharePoint branding
- Create custom master page templates
- Apply custom look & feel through use of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
- Understand usability issues related to SharePoint
- Customize SharePoint navigation
- Implement "quick and dirty" branding
Applying SharePoint 2007 Core Features, SharePoint 2007 Jumpstart or equivalent experience.
(Note: This Course Outline is subject to minor changes and refinements based on student feedback and instructor experience.)
Module 1: Introduction to SharePoint Customization Technologies
Alphabet soup for the SharePoint designer's soul
The technologies involved in SharePoint branding are fairly basic... HTML and CSS. Other customizations pull in the use of CAML, XSLT, JavaScript. Do you need to be an expert all of these? No. This module will introduce you to the common customization technologies as they apply to both branding and functional customizations such as custom side definitions.
Module 2: Usability and the SharePoint User Interface
You CAN get there from here, you just can't figure out how!
Usability problems will adversely affect not only your users' productivity but user adoption as well. Fortunately, with SharePoint 2007 you have a lot more control over the UI. From design to navigation, we will look at ways to increase your SharePoint sites' usability. We will look at lessons learned from top ranked intranet sites.
Module 3: Before You Start - Requirements Gathering
Or why you should patch the walls before opening the paint can.
Depending on the size of your organization and your role, you may be charged with anything from complete project management to supplying coffee and doughnuts. In this module, we will talk about project requirements and how you will want to account for them in your design, including:
- Site map
- Site hierarchy
- Browser compatibility
- Navigation (persistent and context sensitive)
- Site columns
- Content types
- Custom lists
- Branding requirements
Module 4: SharePoint Designer Overview
FrontPage? No, I've never heard of that.
SharePoint Designer is definitely not your father's FrontPage. Microsoft has developed a powerful tool for customizing SharePoint sites. You can easily change the layout for an entire site through master page and style sheet customizations. If needed, you can also easily revert a site to its original template to undo your changes. With SharePoint Designer you can:
- Create/edit SharePoint master pages
- Create/edit layout pages
- Create/edit cascading style sheets
- Use IntelliSense for both code and style sheets
- Support check out, check in and version control
- Revert site to template (reghost)
- Create custom workflows
- Create XSLT data views
- Author standards compliant code
- Test for compliance (XHTML, WCAG and Section 508)
Module 5: Branding SharePoint Portals & Sites
What Not to Web... Pimp my portal...
What's a SharePoint branding class without an Extreme Makeover? The fun really begins as you get your hands dirty digging in and making some major changes to a SharePoint portal. Learn the tips and tricks of SharePoint branding, including customizing the default.master file and creating a custom cascading style sheet to completely change the look and feel.
Have your own branding requirements? Bring them along and we will look at ways to implement them as time permits.
Module 6: Creating Custom Themes
If needed, could you design an ice skaters costume?
Then you can create themes for Microsoft!
Hey! Where did all those ugly themes go? The new themes are actually pretty good. Themes give you another option for deploying branding, and are a good way to allow your users to choose from approved styles. In this module you will learn how to customize existing themes, create new themes and hide themes from your users.
Module 7: Quick and Dirty SharePoint Branding
Trading portals? Maximum effect in minimum time.
Take one logo, one theme (slightly beaten) and combine for a quick site makeover. Bring your own logo. We'll supply the themes and you too can learn ways to become a SharePoint hero at your office.
Module 8: Creating Custom Site Templates
Semi-clever statement about templates goes here.
What's the difference between a custom site template and a custom site definition? You will learn the answer to this question and learn how and when to use each. SharePoint gives you the ability to create and utilize custom site templates right from the user interface.
Module 9: Creating Custom Site Definitions
CAML? A markup language designed by committee.
In this module you will create a custom site definition and learn what is necessary to get your sites created with v2 site definitions to upgrade to v3.
Module 10: Web Content Management
What should I do if I get MOSS on my SharePoint?
Learn how to create custom site columns, content types and page layout templates. Enforce standards by limiting contributor's ability to format text... (No more Comic Sans!) You'll utilize the page editing features and approval workflows.
Module 11: Features
Got a great new SharePoint feature! Think I'll call it...Feature!
Now you can customize sites the easy way, with features. Learn how to add custom lists, menu items and other functionality to sites.
Features in WSS v3:
- Eliminate the need to copy large chunks of code to change simple functionality
- Reduce versioning and inconsistency issues
- Make it easy for administrators to transform the definition of a site by toggling a particular feature on or off
Module 12: No-Code SharePoint Applications
The key to juggling is to make the easy stuff look hard.
This module teaches you how to do hard things the easy way. You will leverage the power of SharePoint lists, list lookups, and calculated fields. Create custom workflows in SharePoint Designer that automatically update list values and notify team members or assign tasks. Make it pretty using data views and XSLT to create a dashboard view of critical business parameters. It's up to you to make it look hard.
