Content Types: The Backbone of Your Information Architecture

Content Types:
The Backbone of Your
Information Architecture
Russ Norton (MCT)
Managing Director – 3grow SharePoint Training
SPSHK is brought to you by

www.3grow.com.au | www.3grow.co.nz | www.3grow.asia | @3grow on Twitter
About 3grow…
• Public & private training for:
– SharePoint – from End User to Admin & Dev.
– InfoPath
– Nintex Workflow, Forms, Mobile & Live
– Office 365
– Project Server
• www.3grow.net
• @3grow on Twitter

About me…
• Russ Norton
• Managing Director, 3grow SharePoint Training
• Based in Melbourne, Australia
• Over 13 years of training experience
• russ@3grow.net
• @3growRuss on Twitter

Agenda
• Content Types explained
• Why we should use Content Types
• Creating & managing Content Types
• Using Content Types in lists & libraries
• The Content Type Hub
• Demonstration
• Q&A

First Things First…
• Folders are, typically, not the best method of
categorising files
• Folder structures are rigid, and only suit one
purpose/scenario
• Folders don’t allow the flexibility to view items in
different ways at different times
• Metadata – Columns – Properties
– Whatever you want to call them! Use them for searching,
grouping, filtering etc.

Content Types Explained
• Every item in any list or library is based on a Content
Type
• Content Types are “item templates”, defining:
– Columns/metadata
– Workflows
– File templates (document Content Types only)
– Retention policies

Why We Should Use Content Types
• Scenario… We would like to store all Customer
Documents (Invoices and Quotes) in the same library,
but they require slightly different metadata
• Quote:
– Customer
– Account Manager
– Amount
– Date Raised
• Invoice:
– Customer
– Account Manager
– Amount
– Date Raised
– PO Number

Why We Should Use Content Types (cont.)
• Columns added to the library affect everything in
the library
• If we store them in separate libraries, we can’t
display them in the same view
• They might also require different workflows etc…
• Content Types are the answer!

• Content Types allow us to have multiple types of
item in the same list or library
– E.g. Invoices and Quotes
• Content Types allow us to have the same type of
item in multiple lists or libraries
– E.g. Customer Documents in each regional Sales team
site

• Some features rely on (knowledge of) Content Types
– Content Organiser
– Document Sets
– Document IDs

Creating & Managing Content Types
• Every site has a Content Types Gallery
– Includes out-of-the-box and custom Content Types
• Content Types are inherited from parent sites
• Additional Content Types are created and managed
at the appropriate site level

Adding Content Types to Lists & Libraries
• Content Types are a added to lists and libraries by Site
Owners
• This may require you to “Allow Management of Content
Types” in Advanced list/library settings
• A “local” list or library copy of the Content Type then
exists
• Changes made to site Content Types will automatically
filter down
– Not just for new items, but also existing

Adding Content Types to Lists & Libraries
Invoice
Assigned to and updated within libraries
Invoice
Invoice Invoice
Invoice

The Content Type Hub
• Centralised location in which to manage enterprise-
wide Content Types
• Content Types published from the hub to all
subscribing site collections
• Published content types take their columns with
them – making the columns available enterprise-
wide

The Content Type Hub
http://intranet http://cthub
/
/divisions
/projects /
/sales /finance
Content types & their columns

Summary
• Content Types explained
• Why we should use Content Types
• Creating & managing Content Types
• Using Content Types in lists & libraries
• The Content Type Hub

Demonstration…

Questions…?

Thanks for listening

Content Types: The Backbone of Your Information Architecture

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