SharePoint 2007 and 2010 Customization for the Site Owner

I discovered Mike Smith's SharePoint blog while searching the 'net for ideas on how to customize the site I manage for a global investment bank. In order to address regulatory concerns, the bank has its SharePoint 2007 farm locked down pretty tightly - development of custom web parts isn't supported (unless the bank's internal SharePoint consulting group builds them for you), and Excel Services aren't available. Mike's blog is one of several sources I found that helps site owners leverage JavaScript and jQuery to access HTML and Domain Object Model (DOM) elements to control a SharePoint web page's look and feel, without the need for "development" in Microsoft's languages via Visual Studio.When I saw that Mike had collected dozens of his customization tricks in book form, I was instantly sold and bought the book. I'm glad I did - it's easily the most worthwhile tech book purchase I've made in years. Mike's techniques are well designed, well explained, and (for the most part) work out of the box without modification. They make my SharePoint sites stand out, and help make them more usable and bullet-proof. In this consultant's opinion, the book more than paid for itself after one day on the job.The book contains chapters on HTML and JavaScript for the uninitiated. You won't become an expert in these languages from Mike's overviews, but you'll learn enough to understand the code examples presented and tweak them where required. Finally, Mike supports his book well via a dedicated (SharePoint-based) Web site and machine-readable versions of all his code. He reads his site, and responds to emails.Again ... SharePoint site owners, buy this book. You'll use it again and again.

SharePoint experts and power users probably don't need this book. But if you are a SharePoint site owner who wants to do more than just use the out-of-the-box lists and libraries provided by Microsoft, this book gives you a big boost on your way to becoming a power user.One reviewer mentioned that you can find all the information in this book by simply Googling. This is true. The problem I've encountered time after time is there are a gazillion hits to every question I post, and most of them require a higher level of access than a site owner has. Finding the one page that has a site-owner accessible answer is like the proverbial needle in the haystack. Even if you find a page that addresses the problem at a site owner level, these pages usually assume a certain background that you might not have (for example, jQuery). This book will save you countless hours of searching for a technique you can actually use as a site owner, as well as provide primers on the background skills you need (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, and how these all relate to SharePoint).

I have had the opportunity to take several SharePoint classes from Mike Smith at the place where he is a technical trainer. I loved his classes because he always included real world best practices that were worth the price of admission. In my last class he mentioned on a break that he was working on a book. I watched like a hawk for it to come out because I figured it had to be good since it was being based on his wonderful blog. I was not disappointed.Mike provides a great many of those previously mentioned best practices and step-by-step instructions that every site owner should know. I highly recommend all site owners or SharePoint support personnel, like myself, read this book. It is worth every penny. If I had one complaint it was that I couldn't buy it for my kindle. (My preferred method of purchase.) Normally if it doesn't come in e-book format, I do not buy it. I made the exception for Mike's book without a second thought.Great job Mike! Thanks for the effort!!

I've had this book for almost two years (I'm bad about writing reviews), and it really is the one book that we refer to in our office on a regular basis. (I actually bought a second copy - one to keep at home and one at the office). If you have Designer permissions or better on a SharePoint site, this book is perfect. We have the Site Collection Administrator roles in our office, and this book is perfect, because it focuses on those things that we have the ability to do. To top it off, I think the overview on CSS and javascript is excellent. He has about 20 pages dedicated to the basics of javascript, and another 10 pages or so on the basics of CSS. Highly recommended, and sorry for not posting this sooner!

I, too, discovered Mike Smith's blog while searching online for ways to customize my team site, and soon purchased his book. I don't have an IT background, so my understanding of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript is very limited. Even so, Mike's excellent tips and customizations were easy to follow and successfully implement using web parts and SharePoint Designer. I found the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript primers in the opening chapters particularly helpful. My copy is already dog-eared and highlighted throughout. As a bonus, the book's supporting website provides the source code and valuable resource links. This is "must read" for SharePoint 2007 & 2010 site owners and power users -- worth every penny, and more!

Well, almost everything. The author has found many of Sharepoint's annoying quirks and deficiencies, and provides workarounds for them. From customizing survey pages to bringing back the breadcrumb in 2010 to color coding calendars/tasks, the tips and tricks described here will really improve the user experience. I highly recommend it for site owners.

Terrible book (for me)... it is way too basic; there was nothing I couldnt find from just googling for it.

Lots of useful tips to help with SharePoint modifications. If you're looking for a way to get around the limitations still present, buy the book!