Tutorial: Document Sets | SharePoint Power User Training Tutorial

Welcome to our free SharePoint Power User Training tutorial. This tutorial is based on Webucator's SharePoint 2016 Power User Training course.

SharePoint's Documents Sets are like enhanced versions of folders. As with folders, you primarily use them to group similar documents together. They are enhanced with the ability to have their own metadata, workflows, and home page.

To use Document Sets, the feature must be active at the Site Collection level. Once activated, there will be a new Document Set content type in the Site Collection's content type gallery. To best take advantage of the enhancements offered by Document Sets, you should create custom content types that inherit from the Document Set content type.

Lesson Goals

Learn the advantage of using Document Sets.
Learn how to activate the Document Set feature.
Learn how to create content types that inherit from the Document Set type.
Learn how to add custom columns to an inherited Document Set.
Learn how to modify the Welcome Page of a Document Set.
Learn how to add Document Sets to a library.

Activating the Document Sets Feature

This walk-through will show you how to verify the Document Sets feature is active for the Site Collection. Once activated at the Site Collection level, Document Sets will be available to use in any site in the Site Collection.

Verify the Document Sets feature is active for the site collection.
1. Click Settings menu and then choose Site settings from the options.
2. Click the Site Collection Features link in the Site Collection Administration group of the Site Settings page.
3. Verify the Document Sets feature is active.

Creating a Document Set Content Type

One of the primary benefits of document sets is their ability to store metadata. In order to do that, you need to define columns in a custom content type that inherits from the document set type.

This walk-through will show you how to create a new content type named "Course Documents" that inherits from the Document Set content type. The walk-through will customize the new "Course Documents" content type by adding site columns to it.

Create a new site Content Type that inherits from the Document Set content type.
1. Click the Settings menu and select Site settings from the options.
2. Click the Site content types link in the Web Designer Galleries group of the Site Settings page.
3. Click the Create link at the top of the Site Content Types page.
4. Enter Course Documents in the Name field.
5. Select Document Set Content Types in the Select parent content type from drop-down field and select Document Set in the Parent Content Type drop-down field.
6. Select Document Set Content Types in the Existing group drop-down field and click the OK button to complete creating the new Content Type.
Add a custom field to the new content type to store the number of days that the course runs.
1. Click the Add from new site column link under the Columns area of the Course Documents Content Type settings page.
2. Type Number of Days in the Column name field and choose the Number radio button as the data type.
3. Click the OK button to create the column.
Add the Number of Days column to the Welcome Page of the Course Documents content type.
1. Click the link under the Settings area of the content type settings page.
2. Click the Add button to move the Number of Days from the Available columns list to the Columns shown on the welcome page list.
3. Click the OK button to save the changes.

Adding a Document Set Content Type of a Library

To use a document set in a library, you must first add it to the list of content types supported by the library. Once that is done, you can create document set folders just like you would create regular folders except you will have the ability to add information into any of the columns the document set content type defined.

The following walk-through will show you how to add the new Course Documents content type to the Documents library and create an instance of the document set in the library.

Add the new Course Documents Content Type to the Documents library.
1. Click the Documents link in the site's Quick Launch menu.
2. Click the Library Settings button on the LIBRARY tab toolbar.
3. Click the Advanced settings link under the General Settings group of the Site Settings page.
4. Click the Yes radio button option under the label Allow management of content types.
  The Allow management of content types setting might already be set to Yes from an earlier walk-through.
5. Click the OK button to save the settings.
6. Click the Add from existing site content types link in the Content Types area of the Library Settings page.
7. Select Document Set Content Types in the Select site content types from drop-down menu and click the Add button to add the Course Documents content type to the Content types to add list box.
8. Click the OK button to save the setting.
Create a new Course Documents Document Set in the Documents library.
1. Click the Documents link in the site's Quick Launch menu.
2. Click the FILES tab to open the toolbar.
3. Click the down arrow below the New Document button on the FILES tab and choose Course Documents.
4. Type SharePoint 2016 Power User in the Name field and type 2 in the Number of Days field of the New Document Set dialog.
5. Click the Save button to save the new Document Set.
6. Verify the Welcome Page shows the custom Number of Days column data on it.

Once the steps from the preceding walk-through have been completed, you can then upload various documents that go with the course. For example, PowerPoint slides, setup guide, course manual, course outline, etc. Additionally the Welcome Page can be edited and customized.

Configuring Document Sets Feature

Duration: 10 to 15 minutes.

Navigate to your team site.
Create a new site Content Type that inherits from the Document Set content type and add a custom field.
1. Click the Settings menu and select Site settings from the options.
2. Click the Site content types link in the Web Designer Galleries group of the Site Settings page.
3. Click the Create link at the top of the Site Content Types page.
4. Enter Contoso Doc Set in the Name field.
5. Select Document Set Content Types in the Select parent content type from drop-down field and select Document Set in the Parent Content Type drop-down field.
6. Select Document Set Content Types in the Existing group drop-down field and click the OK button to complete creating the new Content Type.
7. Click the Add from new site column link under the Columns area of the Contoso Doc Set Content Type settings page.
8. Type "Project Name" in the Column name field of the New Site Column page.
9. Leave the rest of the New Site Column settings at their default values and click the OK button.
Add the new Contoso Doc Set Content Type to the Documents library.
1. Click the Documents link in the site's Quick Launch menu.
2. Click the Library Settings button on the LIBRARY tab toolbar.
3. Click the Advanced settings link under the General Settings group of the Site Settings page.
4. Click the Yes radio button option under the label Allow management of content types.
  The Allow management of content types setting might already be set to Yes from an earlier exercise.
5. Click the OK button to save the settings.
6. Click the Add from existing site content types link in the Content Types area of the Library Settings page.
7. Select Document Set Content Types in the Select site content types from drop-down menu and click the Add button to add the Contoso Doc Set content type to the Content types to add list box.
8. Click the OK button to save the setting.
Create a new Contoso Doc Set Document Set in the Documents library with a Project Name of "Project X".
1. Click the Documents link in the site's Quick Launch menu.
2. Click the FILES tab to open the toolbar.
3. Click the down arrow below the New Document button on the FILES tab and choose Contoso Doc Set.
4. Type Contoso Project Files in the Name field and type Project X in the Project Name field of the New Document Set dialog.
5. Click the SAVE button to save the new Document Set.

Once the steps from the preceding exercise have been completed, you can then upload various documents that go with the course. For example, PowerPoint slides, setup guide, course manual, course outline, etc. Additionally the Welcome Page can be edited and customized.