MetaVis Cloud Classifier is a graphical component embedded into SharePoint 2010 GUI. It provides several metadata management functions that extend out of the box functionality of SharePoint lists and libraries. The common part for all these functions is the ability to update, transform or copy many items or documents at once. Similar to a native SharePoint 2010 ability to delete many selected items in a list Cloud Classifier enables more creative operations with items like updating their fields, changing field types or even changing items location – all in bulk for many selected documents and items. These functions make Cloud Classifier a powerful tool that helps to organize SharePoint content to make it more searchable, findable, accessible and secure.
Below are examples of some business cases that make Cloud Classifier unique and important addition to any SharePoint deployment.
· Assign value to fields of selected items. Navigate to a list, select several items, documents or folders with items, click Classify button in the ribbon toolbar, put some values into fields on the wizard page and Cloud Classifier will update all selected items including items in folders with the values defined in the wizard. Think about tagging as the function similar to native edit properties function that does not have a limitation to process one item at a time.
· Copy values between fields of selected items. Tag list items or documents like we described it above but this time do not select or type a value to some field but rather tell where to get this value from – map it to the other field. Cloud Classifier will copy value from one field to the other one for all selected items. The real power of this function is realized when these are field of different field types. Replace old style lookup or choice fields with taxonomy-based managed metadata field, merge two or more managed metadata fields together into the same taxonomy, split large taxonomies to several fields, convert strings to choices so that users would select a value from the list rather than type it into the field – the applications of this function are limitless.
· The function to assign values for fields works best in combination with native key filters and key navigation functionality to enhance metadata in case some metadata already exist. Filter list by certain criteria and tag some items that appear on the screen. Filter the same list by some other criteria and tag again. At the end the items in the list will have rich metadata structure that could be used by key navigation and key filter controls as well as by search and element grouping in list views. Filter all documents by North America and assign some of them to Mexico, some to USA and some to Canada. Filter then by Mexico and Canada and assign the result to several products. Then filter by one product and assign documents to several sale channels. All of a sudden the key navigation filters on the right list margin start to look like clickable aggregation reports acting like search facets.
· Change Content Type for selected or all items in a list. This is a good starting point for content organization in case when all documents in a list have content type Document and full text search returns pretty much everything in response to any query. When some documents become Contracts, some other documents become Product Reviews and documents from even another group become Standard Operating Procedures it is sometimes possible to find the right reference even without search but rather by drilling down to it using artificial Content Type to Year to Author path wired into simple “group by” criteria of the list view. Creating other custom columns and assigning them some meaningful (en-masse with Cloud Classifier) values provide even more flexible ways to drill down to the right document.
· Copy or move some items or documents to other folder… or even list, site or site collection of the same server farm. This function, scheduled for release around the end of February 2011, will provide a true metadata-aware copy of SharePoint items and documents in bulk. Native “Send To…” SharePoint function allows copying a document to another location. It does it only with one document at a time but this is not its biggest deficiency. When a document of content type Contract is sent to a library that does not have content type Contract this document remains with content type Contract even in this new location. This alien document breaks brutally all navigation structures carefully crafted in the destination library to simplify library navigation. Cloud Classifier allows to copy many documents at once from one location to the other location changing content type to fit the new environment but still preserving its current field values through mapping – all using SharePoint WEB GUI. In addition to that copied items could be tagged during copy enhancing their existing metadata.
· Bulk import of files from file system to SharePoint library. This is another function scheduled for release soon will extend out of the box multiple file upload functionality. Unlike native multiple files upload function Cloud Classifier lets to assign content type and field values to the uploaded documents thus making them immediately available for search and navigation functions of the destination library. In addition to that Cloud Classifier resolves the issue with the uploaded files become checked out because some of the fields in the library are required. Just give the value to the required fields during the upload process and files will be automatically checked in. And this is not all. Bulk upload function of Cloud Classifier allows to take folders from the file system and uploading them to SharePoint library together with subfolders and documents in them. It also allows to take folders names, file owners, created and modified date properties and use them as metadata values for the uploaded documents. Also remember that this functionality will be available for any SharePoint user who has right permissions to use it through the native SharePoint ribbon interface.