What's New in Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services

With Windows® SharePoint™ Services, you can find out how easy it is for teams and individuals to create Web sites for information sharing and document collaboration. SharePoint sites allow users to work together on documents, tasks, contacts, events, and other information.

Windows SharePoint Services environment is designed for easy and flexible deployment, administration, and application development. Windows SharePoint Services includes many new and improved features (grouped in the following tables under headings in alphabetical order).

Administration

Feature	Description	Type
Inactive site notification	Site owners are automatically notified if their site has been inactive for a specified period. If multiple notices are sent to the site owner and the site remains inactive, the administrator can specify that the site be automatically deleted.	New
Blocked file extensions support	Administrators can block the upload of specific file types (for example, MP3 or .exe files).	New
Browser and command-line administration tools	Administrators can use the browser or the command line to manage sites and site collections.	Improved
Comprehensive administrative object model	You can write custom management tools to manage Windows SharePoint Services sites.	New
Usage statistics and analysis	Usage information helps you determine how many users visit each site.	Improved
List all sites within a site collection	The list of all sites within a site collection is displayed for simplified management.	Improved
Manage users from SharePoint Central Administration pages	With the SharePoint Central Administration pages, you can manage users on all sites.	New
Move SharePoint Team Services 1.0 sites to Windows SharePoint Services	SharePoint Team Services 1.0 sites can be moved to Windows SharePoint Services sites using a command-line migration tool (Smigrate.exe).	New
Regional settings for each site	Each site can have its own regional settings, such as time zone.	New
Self-service site creation	Users can create sites on demand without involving the IT department.	New
Integration with your organization's address book	You can browse your organizational address book to choose the users to add to a SharePoint site.	New
Windows SharePoint Services administration group	Members of a domain group can perform central administration tasks without having administrator rights to the local server computer.	New
Create site groups	You can create cross-site groups that can be used within all site groups in a site collection.	Improved
Move Windows SharePoint Services sites	With the site migration tool, you can move existing SharePoint sites to another server.	New
Site level back-up and restore	Each site in a server farm can be individually backed up and restored. Use this feature to archive inactive sites prior to their deletion.	New
Site quota administration and notifications	Quotas for Windows SharePoint Services site storage size can be set. Windows SharePoint Services generates automatic notifications for the site owner when a site reaches its size limit.	Improved

Alerts

Feature	Description	Type
Alerts integrated with Microsoft Office Outlook® 2003	Alerts sent from Windows SharePoint Services through e-mail can be managed in one place by using Outlook 2003, which includes enhanced rules for sorting and filing alerts into special folders. (This feature was previously known as subscription notifications.)	New
Alerts on lists and list items	Users can be notified of changes in a list, including all additions, edits, and deletions.	Improved
Alert results change information	Alert results now include information on items in a SharePoint list that have changed and the user who made the change.	Improved
Alert results e-mail	Users can receive immediate, daily, or weekly alert results summaries for lists and list items on a SharePoint site.	Improved

Browser-based Customization

Feature	Description	Type
All lists in Windows SharePoint Services sites are Web Parts	Each list in a site is a Web Part that allows easy customization and personalization using the browser.	New
Apply a theme from the browser	Users can apply a theme to their SharePoint site. Microsoft Office FrontPage® 2003 can be used for more advanced types of themes.	Improved
Browser-based tool pane	The Web Parts tool pane enables users to customize Web Parts or drag and drop new Web Parts onto a page.	New
Change logo of site	Users can easily change the site logo on the home page using the Web Part tool pane.	New
Create Web Part page	New blank Web Part pages can be created from the Create page.	New
Home page and site customization	Users can update the home page content and layout using the Web Parts tool pane.	Improved

Customization

Feature	Description	Type
Personal views of Web Part pages	You can personalize views of shared Web Part pages, adding personalized Web Parts and even removing shared Web Parts (if permitted).	New
Calendar view as default for lists	The calendar view can now be set as the default view for lists.	New

Discussion Boards and Web Discussions

Feature	Description	Type
Threaded View	Users can expand and collapse discussions and view conversations in a threaded layout.	New
Inline discussions	Users can participate in discussions inline with Microsoft Office Excel 2003, Microsoft Office PowerPoint® 2003, and Microsoft Office Word 2003 document content. Discussion comments are stored in the Windows SharePoint Services server.	Improved

Document Libraries

Feature	Description	Type
Block unsafe file types	Suspicious file types can be blocked so that they cannot be uploaded to the server.	New
Check-in/check-out files	Users can lock a file while editing to prevent others from inadvertently overwriting or editing the file.	New
View all documents within a document library	Users can view all documents within a document library, including subfolders.	New
Create folders in a document library	You can create a folder to organize content in a document library.	New
Support for Web folders using Hypertext Transfer Protocol Distributed Authoring and Versioning (HTTP DAV)	Users and applications can now interact with SharePoint document libraries just as they would any other file share.	New
HTML views of Microsoft Office 2003 documents	Users browsing SharePoint sites can access Microsoft Office 2003 documents and data even if programs in the Microsoft Office System are not installed on the client computer.	New
Version history	You can ceate a backup copy of picture and document files whenever saving to the SharePoint library. This feature is helpful for maintaining a version history of files, or restoring files that have been inadvertently deleted.	New

Document Workspace Sites

Feature	Description	Type
Create a Document workspace site from within a Word 2003 document or a SharePoint document library	To allow users to collaborate on a document, you can use Word 2003 to create a document workspace site on a Windows SharePoint Services server. Document workspace sites can also be created using the browser from within a SharePoint document library.	New
Add tasks to a document workspace site	You can add tasks to a document workspace site from within a Word 2003 task pane.	New

Extensibility

Feature	Description	Type
.NET Framework	Developers can use the .NET Framework built into Windows Server 2003 to extend SharePoint sites.	New
Document library events	Events in document libraries can be used to build custom actions.	New
Document libraries integrated with e-mail	A document can be sent to a library using e-mail.	New
Object model	Developers can use the object model to create custom solutions on the SharePoint platform.	New
Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) layer	Developers gain remote programmability by using SOAP to access the object model.	New
.NET Web Parts	Site owners and individual users can add Web Parts and Web Part pages to SharePoint sites. Web Parts are ASP.NET server controls designed for SharePoint sites.	New

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Meeting Workspace Sites

Feature	Description	Type
Create meeting workspace sites from Outlook 2003 or a SharePoint Event list	You can use Outlook 2003 to create a meeting workspace, where meetings and their attendees can be managed as well as agendas, documents, decisions, and action items. Attendee tracking is updated on the SharePoint site automatically. You can also create meeting workspace sites from Event lists.	New
Work with meeting workspace sites	You can use a Web browser to contribute to meeting workspace sites.	New

Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003 Integration

Feature	Description	Type
Customize and enhance SharePoint sites in FrontPage 2003	New page design and layout features enable users to customize SharePoint sites exactly as they need to. Full support for Web Parts and Web Part pages means that you can add, edit, and customize Web Parts, Web Part zones, and Web Part pages. A new Extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL) data view Web Part brings data from external sources, such as databases and Web services, into SharePoint sites.	New
FrontPage 2003 solution packages	Sites can be packaged for deployment in every location in an organization using FrontPage 2003 solution packages. Web log, news and reviews, and issue solution packages are also available.	New
Browse and search Web Part galleries	Developers can browse and search Web Part galleries to locate Web Parts for use in a Web Part page.	New
Manage list views in FrontPage 2003	You can create, edit, and delete SharePoint list views in FrontPage 2003.	Improved
Create templates	Site and list templates can be created from a browser or FrontPage 2003.	New
Create, edit, and save Web Part pages	FrontPage 2003 can be used to create, edit and save Web Part pages to a Windows SharePoint Services site.	New and Improved
Design-time preview of Web Parts	You can preview your Web Parts in FrontPage 2003 before publishing them.	New
Web Part connections	New user interfaces can be built in FrontPage 2003 to create Web Part connections between Web Parts across pages.	New
Back up and restore SharePoint sites	A FrontPage 2003 client can be used to back up and restore a SharePoint site.	New

Microsoft Office InfoPath™ 2003 Integration

Feature	Description	Type
InfoPath 2003 integration with SharePoint form libraries	InfoPath 2003 (formerly known as XDocs) can be used to publish a solution package in a SharePoint form library. Key properties from the InfoPath 2003 documents are promoted into the form library so that they can be sorted and filtered, enabling the creation of custom views and editing through a SharePoint list.	New
Create a SharePoint form library	You can create and use a form library in Windows SharePoint Services for pre-built InfoPath 2003 solution packages, such as a status report Extensible Markup Language (XML) form.	New
Edit a document in InfoPath 2003	SharePoint form libraries can launch InfoPath 2003 to aggregate a number of InfoPath files that are in the SharePoint library and create a single report. For example, you could create a summary status report that combines the information from many individual status reports.	New

International Support

Feature	Description	Type
Additional localized languages	Windows SharePoint Services languages now match supported languages for Microsoft Office System programs.	Improved
Support for multiple language sites	Multiple language sites can be hosted on a single server or server farm running Windows SharePoint Services. Note that site language is independent of server language.	Improved
Per-site regional settings	Support for regional settings such as language, time zone, currency type, international calendar formats, and other locale settings on a per-site basis.	New

Lists

Feature	Description	Type
Issue tracking	Issues lists can be used to maintain a history on a specific issue.	New
Calculated fields	You can create calculated fields for defining field values in lists.	New
Calculated values	The value of a field can be calculated using similar operators to those in Excel 2003. For example, you can calculate an event date plus seven days.	New
Calculated views	A filtered view can be created using a calculated value. For example, you can view items that are marked with today's date plus one day.	New
New field types	New field types for multivalued fields are available, such as calculated fields and rich-text fields.	New
Change field types	Field types can be changed to meet the evolving needs of users in SharePoint lists.	New
Rich datasheet viewing and editing	Lists can be edited in the Datasheet view with Microsoft Office System products. This option offers a client-side editor for lists, with spreadsheet editing functions such as add row, copy and paste, fill-down, and filtering and sorting options.	New
Edit list data using Microsoft Office Access 2003 and Excel 2003	SharePoint lists can be edited, analyzed, and synchronized with data in Access 2003 and Excel 2003.	New
Apply permissions to a list	You can allow only specific users to change a SharePoint list.	New
Rich text in multiline text fields	Users can add rich-text formatting to list items to capture and communicate importance and emphasis.	New
New event calendar views	You can now view information in any SharePoint list that has a date and time column using the calendar Monthly, Weekly, and Daily views.	New
Recurring events	Users can create events with weekly or monthly recurrence.	New
List moderation	SharePoint list owners can now approve or reject items that are submitted to the list, as well as to add comments. Users contributing to the moderated list can see their submitted items and their status. Users browsing a moderated list see only approved items.	New
Fast actions on items	Common tasks can be completed faster in SharePoint lists using context-sensitive actions for list items.	New
Grouping by type	List items can be grouped according to type, making it easier to find the list for which you are looking.	Improved
Single create page for all lists	You can go to the same page to create any SharePoint list, such as discussion lists and document libraries.	Improved
Add and remove attachments to list items	Users can add attachments to list items that may include HTML pages, documents, and images.	New
Picture library	Picture libraries can be used to store photos and graphics, which can be viewed them as thumbnails, filmstrips, or as a standard files list.	New
Auto-generated thumbnail and filmstrip views	Windows SharePoint Services automatically generates thumbnail and filmstrip views for items in image libraries.	New
Aggregation views	An aggregation view totals data in a number field and display the value. Users can choose aggregate calculations for a group, subgroup, or entire view.	New
Column totals	New column totals automatically add numeric values in a column.	New
Create advanced filters	You can add calculations to filtered views.	New
Group-by view	The Group-by view enables compound operations, such as group-by one column and sort-by another column so that sorting is done within each specified group. It also provides a threaded view of the grouping.	New
List paging and item limits	You can set the number of items to be displayed per page.	Improved
Personal list views	Users can create personalized list views that are not visible to other users.	New

Microsoft Office System Integration

Feature	Description	Type
File open and save integration	To open and save files to and from SharePoint sites, programs in the Microsoft Office System can be used, including Excel 2003, FrontPage 2003, InfoPath 2003, Outlook 2003, PowerPoint 2003, and Word 2003.	Improved
Metadata promotion	File properties and metadata from Excel 2003, InfoPath 2003, PowerPoint 2003, and Word 2003 documents can be promoted to documents stored and updated in SharePoint libraries.	Improved
Multiple document upload	Users can simultaneously upload multiple documents to a document library.	New
Events and contacts lists are synchronized with Outlook 2003	Outlook 2003 can be used to view events and contacts lists. You can also drag SharePoint site items onto your personal calendar in Outlook 2003.	New
Shared attachments	Users can send documents as attachments that are hosted in a SharePoint site. Local copies of shared attachments can be updated with the updated copy on the SharePoint site.	New
Microsoft business solutions integration	In organizations with Microsoft Office 2003 deployments, Windows SharePoint Services can be enhanced and extended with Microsoft Great Plains page templates and Web Parts for data, such as Microsoft Office PivotView™ and Web Capture. These extensions are available as part of the Microsoft Office Web Parts and Components download.	New
Document workspace pane	The document workspace pane in Excel 2003, PowerPoint 2003, and Word 2003 can be used to show information about the status of documents stored in SharePoint document libraries. The task pane displays data from the SharePoint site, such as presence of team members, document status and properties, related links, related documents, and tasks.	New

Picture Libraries

Feature	Description	Type
Create a picture library	A collection of digital pictures or graphics can be shared in a picture library.	New
New picture editing tool	Users can view and edit pictures in a SharePoint picture library by using a new image-editing tool in Microsoft Office 2003.	New
View thumbnails	In a picture library, users can choose different views of pictures.	New

Presence

Feature	Description	Type
User presence	User presence can be tracked everywhere a member name appears in a Windows SharePoint Services site. The presence menu integrates with Active Directory® directory service, Microsoft Exchange Server, and Microsoft Windows Messenger to offer information such as free/busy status, office location, and manager. Menu actions include Send E-mail and Schedule Meeting. Presence is also indicated in Microsoft Office 2003 programs wherever a reconcilable name is identified.	New

Search Capabilities

Feature	Description	Type
Full-text indexing per individual sites	SQL full-text indexing can be used to provide site-wide search.	Improved
Search scoped to the site level	Search list items and documents using SQL full-text indexing.	Improved

Security and Authentication

Feature	Description	Type
Domain-group support	Domain groups can be used to control access to your site.	Improved
Rights and site-group enforcement	Custom site groups can be created based on granular rights.	Improved
Authentication support	To help provide secure access, Windows authentication is supported for anonymous, basic, integrated Windows authentication, and certificates authentication (Secure Socket Layers).	New and Improved

Setup and Infrastructure Enhancements

Feature	Description	Type
All documents, metadata, and site data stored in Microsoft SQL™ Server	To take advantage of its backup capabilities, Microsoft SQL Server is used to store all site data, including documents, to enable site backup and restore.	Improved
Shared namespace support	You can install and configure Windows SharePoint Services to enable your server farm to host several sites with the same Internet Protocol (IP) address, supporting multiple site names and separate content.	New
SQL Server storage server-clustering technology	Multiple computers running SQL Server can be added to the server farm to support server-clustering technology.	New
Multiple-site topology support	Top-level Web sites and subsites can be used to divide site content into distinct and separately manageable sites. Top-level Web sites can have multiple levels of subsites. The entire structure of a top-level Web site and its subsites is called a site collection.	New
Select site template	Users can select the site template they want to use for a new site.	New
Load-balanced front-end Web servers	Front-end Web servers can be used to support load balancing against a back-end database server.	New
Server farm with multiple host names	Support is included for server farm configuration, including multiple front-end Web servers and multiple back-end database servers.	New
Run multiple applications on a virtual server	Part of the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) namespace can be excluded on a virtual server so that Windows SharePoint Services does not overwrite data for a Web application. In this way, Windows SharePoint Services can coexist with other applications on a single virtual server.	New

Surveys

Feature	Description	Type
Ratings scale	In a survey, users can respond to questions using a scale.	New
Select All option	Users have the ability to select all answers that apply to a survey question.	New

Templates

Feature	Description	Type
Libraries for Web Parts, list templates, and site templates	Web Parts, list templates, and site templates can be stored in libraries for use by all sites in the site collection.	New
List templates	SharePoint lists can be saved as templates, and then reused or distributed to other sites.	New
Site templates	Sites can be saved as templates to capture best practices or to define a consistent look and feel.	New