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Using Folders in a

SharePoint 2010 Library to

Automatically Tag Files

Dean Virag

@techtrainerdean

deanvirag@onlinesquared.com

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Using Folders in a SharePoint 2010 Library to Automatically Tag Files

ContentsAbout the Author .......................................................................................................................................... 2

The Debate .................................................................................................................................................... 2

The Teams ..................................................................................................................................................... 2

The Solution .................................................................................................................................................. 3

The Example .................................................................................................................................................. 3

Step 1: Clean Up the Existing File Share Directory.................................................................................... 4

Step 2: Create Columns and Tags Based on Folder Structure .................................................................. 4

Step 3: Re-Create the folder structure in the SharePoint Library ............................................................. 5

Step 4: Create the default value settings in the SharePoint library. ........................................................ 6

Step 5: Copy or move the files from the file share directories into the SharePoint Library directories. . 7

Summary ....................................................................................................................................................... 7

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Using Folders in a SharePoint 2010 Library to Automatically Tag Files

 About the AuthorDean Virag is a technical trainer and SharePoint champion for ASCD – a nonprofit association for

Educators (www.ascd.org). He loves to attend as many SharePoint events around the Washington DC

area as he can. You can email him at dvirag@ascd.org. He can be linked on Twitter @techtrainerdean.

The DebateThe debate of whether it is better to use metadata or folders to organize your content in a SharePoint

library is a very old and well documented one. NothingbutSharePoint.com contains many articles on the

subject (see: SharePoint Folders vs. Metadata, Folders in doc libraries are metadata cries for help, 

SharePoint: Convert Folder Structures to Metadata, and Folders and Metadata Rehashed). The topic is

also a favorite at SharePoint Saturday events. I recently attended SharePoint Saturday – The Conference

and noticed several sessions related to the subject. I also overheard several conversations about the

debate.

The Teams

I love Folders

All windows users have

been trained to use

folders to organize

content - because that’s

how Windows works. In

my organization, folders

are the only way or organizing content that

many people know and understand. Allowingstaff to use folders was identified as a key end-

user adoption issue.

Below is a list of concerns out end users have

about tagging content in SharePoint:

1.  Users don’t know “what” to tag a file.

2.  Users don’t want to have to take the

time to tag a file or multiple files.

3.  Users might accidentally forget to tag

a file or tag a file incorrectly.

I love Metadata Tagging

SharePoint has the ability to

organize content based on how

a file is tagged. This feature has

helped move many users

beyond the linear shortcomings

of folders and has heralded us

into a new era of “One version of the truth”, where

files can be stored and maintained in one location butdisplayed in many different places based on how they

are tagged.

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Using Folders in a SharePoint 2010 Library to Automatically Tag Files

The SolutionFortunately, SharePoint 2010 has a built-in feature that can satisfy both sides of the conflict. The

Column default value settings in a SharePoint library allow files to be automatically tagged based on

what folder they live in. This out-of-the-box solution allows contributors to store their content in folders

without having to worry about tagging every file individually, while consumers can take advantage of 

tagging to find the content quicker and easier.

The ExampleFor example, let’s say I have a Technical Training documentation directory on a file share that I that I

want to migrate over to SharePoint 2010. The file share directory contains folders and sub-folders on

various Adobe and Microsoft products. My documentation team has been working with this folder

structure for years and we know where all the files belong.

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Using Folders in a SharePoint 2010 Library to Automatically Tag Files

Step 1: Clean Up the Existing File Share Directory

Take the time to eliminate all unnecessary directories and files. You only want to move the most

relevant files.

Step 2: Create Columns and Tags Based on Folder Structure

Use the existing folder structure as the basis for organizing columns and tags in the SharePoint library.

For example, create a custom choice column in the library called Vendor and supply it the values of 

Adobe, Microsoft, etc. Create another choice column called Product Suite and supply it values of 

Acrobat, CS5, Office 2007, Office 2010, etc. Then create final choice column called Application and

supply it values of Acrobat Professional, Acrobat Reader, Flash, Photoshop, Illustrator, Access,

Outlook, etc.

Vendor

Product Suite

Application

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Using Folders in a SharePoint 2010 Library to Automatically Tag Files

Step 3: Re-Create the folder structure in the SharePoint Library

Take the time to re-create the folder structure in the SharePoint library. This will give you the

opportunity to re-organize the folders and correct inconsistencies that existed in the file-share directory

structure.

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Using Folders in a SharePoint 2010 Library to Automatically Tag Files

Step 4: Create the default value settings in the SharePoint library.

(Watch the video)

1.  Open the document library and go to the Library Settings page.

2.  Click the Column default value settings link in the General Settings column.

3.  Click the name of a folder in the Location to configure column, located on the left side of thescreen. (e.g., Microsoft)

4.  Click the column name that corresponds to the selected location. (e.g., Vendor)

5.  Click the Use this default value option and enter the tag value in the default value field.

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Using Folders in a SharePoint 2010 Library to Automatically Tag Files

6.  Click OK.

7.  Repeat for all the columns and sub-columns on the library.

8.  The folders with a default set will display a green icon over the folder and the default value will

be displayed.

Step 5: Copy or move the files from the file share directories into the

SharePoint Library directories.

Use whatever method you prefer to copy or move the files from the file share directories into the

SharePoint directories. The tagging will occur automatically as soon as the file is placed in the directory.

SummaryEnabling automatic tagging in a folder provides the best of both worlds to your users. Content

contributors can quickly and easily store files in a locations that are meaningful to them without having

to worry about tagging their content. Content consumers can utilize the automatically generated tags to

quickly and easily find the files without having to know what specific directory there are stored.

Note: There are 3rd

party products which do the same thing. My goal here was to demonstrate an out-

of-the box solution.