Keeping users from seeing documents other than their own in a Document Library

You are sitting here reading this for one of two reasons:

1. You are trying to figure out why in the world you would want to do this, isn't the point of SharePoint to Share information and documents?
   
2. You have come across this and a fix would be oh so sweet…
   

Well, if you are still wondering why one would want to do this let me give you a scenario: Expense Reports within a Form library (a form library is simply a document library to hold InfoPath forms). You currently have a form library where users go to fill out there expense reports and it has a beautiful workflow built in to go through the approval process. The problem is you would prefer users don't see everyone else's expense reports because they might just see someone else is spending more, getting a nicer hotel, etc etc. How do you stop this? In a list you can modify the settings to allow users to only see/edit their own, but in a document library you do not have this option. Well what if you turn on approvals and never approve any of the documents? When you have approval turned on in a document library a user can only see their own until the others are approved. I know not a perfect fix, but it gets you want you want. I have some other fixes for forms libraries in particular, but I will save them for another blogging dayJ

 

 

Creating a Workflow in SharePoint Designer

We have all heard you can create a Workflow in SharePoint designer, but how easy is it? I decided to tackle this challenge, because as you might think, I thought it would be much more involved than it actually was. So let's get started.

In our office we need a workflow for when new customer sites are created. If the customer needs access to the site then and only then does a task need to be assigned to IT to create that account. To set this up I have already set up a custom list in a team site with a custom choice column "Does the customer need access?" with the choices Yes or No. Note: you could use the Yes/No checkbox, but I prefer the choice because I think the checkbox can be confusing since it does spell out yes or no.

For this example we are going to create a workflow that is conditional on the choice in a column a user has selected.

1. Open the site in SharePoint Designer.
   
   1. If unfamiliar with how to do this:
      
      1. Click Fileà Open Siteàand paste the URL in the site name box
         
2. Next click Fileà Newà New workflow
   
3. Now give your workflow a title
   
4. Select the list you would like to attach the workflow to
   

   
   

   
   

5. Determine the start options and click Next.
   
6. Name the first step of the workflow.
   
7. Click on Conditions and select Compare *name of your list* field. Example mine says Compare Customer Site Request Field.
   
   1. Note here are your options for Conditions:
      

      
      

8. Now for field select the column name and the value you want the action tied to.
   

   Note: you can change equals to a different function.
   

9. Click Actions and select Assign a to-do item.
   
   1. Here are your options for Actions:
      

      
      

10. Click a to-do item and then click Next.
    
11. Name your task and provide a description. Click Finish.
    
12. Click these users and select the user and/or group you would like to assign the task to.
    
    1. Note you could also simply provide an email address.
       

       
       

       
       

13. Click Finish.
    
14. This is what the email will look like to the user:
    

    
    

    
    

And that's it, not that daunting after all. It probably only took you 5 minutes. There are plenty more options for you to play with. Next time we will do multiple conditions and multiple steps to get a bit meatier. Congrats and have fun.

Nicola - SharePoint Help

Another SharePoint Blog is born….

Hi, everyone. Get excited because Nicola Young is here with a new SharePoint blog. Over the next few months I will be focusing my blogging on SharePoint Designer and the Information Worker. I will try to be a dedicated blogger, but if I get to slacking feel free to let me know. (It will keep me motivated)

I guess a little bit about me will be a good start. My husband is the one and only SharePoint Farmer, Shane Young. I have been working with SharePoint exclusively for over a year now. I am an owner/consultant for SharePoint911 and a trainer for SharePoint Solutions. Many of you may have met me at any of the previous SharePoint Conferences, i.e Advisor, SharePoint Connections, Tech Ed, and SharePoint Solutions Information Worker Conference, as I am always around the SharePoint Solutions Booth.

With that said, stop by the SharePoint Solutions booth at SharePoint Connections and say Hello. And of course, check back here for more posts.

 

Nicola Young – SharePoint Help