No-code developer options in Office 365 and SharePoint 2013

The no-code development story for Power Users in Office 365 and

SharePoint 2013

Asif Rehmani

SharePoint MVP and MCT

VisualSP.com

Download my presentations at:http://bit.ly/asifconference

Agenda

2 minutes intro about me and our company

The importance of going no-code

Examples of a few no-code solutions

Lessons learned

Please Help me understand who You are

About me - Asif Rehmani

TrainerFounder and CEOVisualSPChicago, USA

Contact

@asifrehmaniasif@visualsp.comwww.VisualSP.com

Author

Trainer and ConsultantSharePoint MVP, MCTConference Speaker

About our company - VisualSPTwo Solutions

Help System Training Center

Help users when They need it most

Help items for current page and context

List of in-context Help ItemsHelp Tab

VisualSP Help SystemIn-context support through Help tab

SharePoint topics covered

End User SharePoint Site Administration

InfoPath SharePoint Designer

Workflows Branding

Project management Metadata Management

Access and Access Services Records Management

Business Connectivity Services Search

Reporting JavaScript customizations

• Hundreds of SharePoint video tutorials

• Fully narrated by SharePoint experts

VisualSP Training Center

Come visit us at our booth

Giveaways for today’s session

1 Year access to

* Retail value: $199.50

Target audience for this session:

Intranet/Web Content ManagerPortal Solutions ManagerSharePoint Guy/GalSharePoint Guru

Session level:

250 – Intermediate

Session focus

Powerful no-code solutions on the SharePoint platform

What can SharePoint do?

Collaboration

Document management

Internal Social Network

Forms

Process Automation (Workflows)

Business Intelligence

Reporting

Search

Metadata Management

…

Super secret

The next version will even make coffee!

Creating Solutions

Recommended sequence when creating your solutions:

1. Browser based only

2. Use no-code tools

3. Use code tools

OR

3rd party products

“Let’s not write code until we have to write code.”

Power User’s motto:

Let’s look at an example…

Search based solutions

Demo: Search Web Parts

Show pre-configured data on pages using Search web parts

Live pre-defined search results on web pages

Ability for users to refine the results as needed

How do we define ‘no-code’ ?

YesBrowser

Office applications

Desktop application built for SharePoint and related technologies

Scripting technologies (*debatable…)

NoVisual Studio

Managed code

Why go ‘no-code’?

Possibilities of what you can do are Enormous!

Quick learning curve

Easier ongoing management of solution

Delegate responsibility easily

Guess who’s making a comeback..?

Microsoft Access

Access Web Apps

Using Access 2013 to simplify web developmentAccess 2013 –

Used to create the interface of the app

SharePoint 2013 / Office 365 –

Used to host the front end of the app

SQL Server 2012 –

Used as the backend data storage technology for the app

Time for another demo

Demo: Access Web App

Create web applications using Access

Build Access web apps and launch to SharePoint Online

In case you need it..Ability to disable Access apps at the tenant level

SharePoint admin center Settings

Implement Quick Wins

Identify real pain points and focus in on them

CustomizeSharePoint

Out-of-the-Box(sites, docs, lists, social)

SharePointComposites

(Access App, BI,Workflow, BCS)

DeclarativeCapabilities

(Doc Sets, Records, Search)

Managed Code(Apps, CSOM,

Reusable components)

The customization continuum

Process Automation

No-code Workflows

32

Workflow tools

Browser

SharePoint Designer 2013

Visio 2013

Visual Studio 2012/2013

33

SharePoint 2013 - Workflow Manager 1.0

SharePoint 2013 workflow processing moved to Workflow Manager (WM)

Workflow no longer runs in the SharePoint content farm / servers

SharePoint farm & Workflow Manager farm can be on same / different servers

The ‘New Stuff’Stages• New base level concept of

stages

Visual Designer• Direct Visio incorporation• Stage-Level Diagrams

New Task Actions• Quick and easy to create

tasks and approval processes

Web Services• Able to call into Rest/HTTP

web services

Loops!• Able now to loop indirectly

with stages or directly with the new Loop actions

Copy/Cut and Paste• Core copy/cut and paste

abilities now introduced

35

2010 and 2013 style workflowsSharePoint Designer

2010

2013

Are there any differences..?

New Workflow Activities & Actions

New Actions & ActivitiesMicrosoft Project Specific

Actions

Assign a Task Get Property from [Dictionary/DynamicValue]

Create a Project from Current Item

Start a Task Process Count Items in [Dictionary/DynamicValue]

Set the current project stage status to this value

Go to This Stage Trim String Set the status field in the idea list item to this value

Call HTTP Web Service Find Substring in String Wait for Project Event

Start a List Workflow Replace Substring in String Set this field in the project to this value

Start a Site Workflow Translate Document

Build [Dictionary/DynamicValue] Set Workflow Status

Demo: SharePoint Designer 2013 Workflows

Examples of no-code solutions

Human Resource portals

Self-service reporting, financial dashboards

Expense reporting

Review and approve document workflows

New-hire orientation sites

Ideation, feedback, & “suggestion boxes”

Structured documents: contracts, RFPs, & invoices

And now.. The story of InfoPath

Library form Custom SharePoint list form

InfoPath 2010 & 2013

Forms update (from Microsoft)FoSLCanceled / DelayedIndefinitely

FoSL – Forms on SharePoint Lists Canceled / DelayedIndefinitely

Even more ideas for no-code solutions…

Location Mapping

Use Geolocation column for live mapping

Show maps directly within lists and libraries

Dynamic Dashboards

PowerView to visualize data

© DEVintersection. All rights reserved.http://www.DEVintersection.com 48

More DashboardsPerformancePoint Dashboard Designer

© DEVintersection. All rights reserved.http://www.DEVintersection.com 49

And more Dashboards

SQL Server PowerPivot

Project ManagementUtilize Project Server to

manage projects

SharePoint Composites Showcasecreated by Mark Gillis from Microsoft

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/dn594430

How do I practice my ideas and concepts?

Watch free videos at:

http://visualsp.com/video-categories/all-free-videos/

Get a sandbox environment for practicing:

Build your own dev VM

Or

Try the templates available at CloudShare –http://www.cloudshare.com

Or

Office 365 Trial 52

Call to Action

Download my presentations at:

http://bit.ly/asifconference

Watch video tutorials at:

VisualSP.com

Thank You!

@asifrehmani

asif@visualsp.comwww.visualsp.com