Work with content in lists and libraries
- 1/31/2017
Create and populate libraries
A library is a location in a site where you can create, collect, update, and manage documents and other files with other team members. Each library displays a list of files and key information about the files, which helps people use the files to work together. In the business world, being able to work with documents quickly and effectively is of paramount importance.
You can use libraries to store your documents and other files on a SharePoint site rather than on your local computer’s hard drive, so that coworkers can find and work with them more easily. Libraries are used to store files, whereas lists are used to store other types of content. Like lists, libraries contain metadata stored in columns that you can use to filter, sort, and group the items.
After you have created a library, you can populate it with files. For example, you can upload existing documents into a document library, or you can create new documents from within the library based on the default document template for the library. After documents are placed in the library, you can search and filter them to make it easier to find what you are looking for, and you can collaborate with others to help develop the final version of a document. You can edit documents in a SharePoint library by using an Office client program such as Word or an Office Online program such as Word Online.
Create libraries
When you create a new SharePoint team site, a generic document library called Documents is created. Because this library lacks a descriptive name, a best practice is to create a new library for a particular business category or subject instead of just using the Documents library for your documents. Make sure that the names of your document libraries are descriptive and that each library has a specific topic, to make it easier to find documents. Storing all documents together in the default Documents library—or any one document library—defeats the purpose of using SharePoint sites to make information easier to locate.
When a library is created, a new tile for this library is added to the Site Contents page with a green “new” icon to the right of the tile. A link to the new library is shown on the Quick Launch, in the Recent section.
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The Site Contents page with a new tile for the newly created Furniture library and a new link to the library in the Recent section on the Quick Launch
The procedure in this section also applies to creating types of libraries other than document libraries.
To create a library
Display the Your Apps page.
Select the tile for the type of library you want to create, such as Document Library. The Adding Library dialog opens.
In the Name box, enter a name for the new library, such as Furniture.
Select Create.
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Upload existing files
There are several ways to add existing files to a library, including the following:
You can use your browser to upload files to the library via the SharePoint interface.
You can use File Explorer to copy or move files into the library, such as by dragging them from your desktop or any other location to SharePoint.
You can use sync to upload files that are stored offline.
This section focuses on the first two methods: using your browser and using File Explorer. The “Work offline” topic later in this chapter covers using sync to add a file to a library.
To add a file to a library by using a browser
Go to a library you want to add a file to.
Do one of the following to open the Add A Document dialog:
In the library, in the body of the page, select Upload.
On the keyboard, press Alt+U.
Select Browse to open the Open dialog, browse to the file you want to upload, select the file, and then select Open.
In the Add a document dialog, select OK to confirm the upload and return to the library.
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You can upload a file of up to 10 gigabytes (GB) in size.
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You can add one file at a time by using this method. To upload multiple files at the same time, use the dragging method or the copy-and-paste methods covered in the next two procedures.
To add files to a library by dragging
In a library you want to add files to, open File Explorer, and navigate to the folder where the files you want to add are located.
Position the File Explorer window next to the browser window displaying the library so that you can drag files from File Explorer to the browser.
In File Explorer, select the files to upload by doing one of the following:
To add one file, select the file.
To add multiple files, press and hold down the Ctrl key when you select the files.
Drag the files to the library in the browser window, to where it says Drag files here to upload.
After the upload, select Dismiss at the top of the documents list to dismiss the confirmation message that an upload has been completed.
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When you drag files into a browser window, the Drop Here box appears, identifying the broader area on the page where you can drop the files.
To add files to a library by using copy and paste
In a library you want to add a file or files to, on the Library tab, in the Connect and Export group, select Open with Explorer.
Open another instance of File Explorer, navigate to the folder where the files you want to add are located, and select the files.
Copy the files by doing one of the following:
In File Explorer, from the shortcut menu, select Copy.
Press Ctrl+C on the keyboard.
Go to the File Explorer window that is displaying the library files, and do one of the following to add the files to the library:
From the document’s shortcut menu, select Paste.
Press Ctrl+V on the keyboard.
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The library content is displayed in File Explorer. Displaying the SharePoint library content in File Explorer is referred to as an Explorer View.
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The Open With Explorer button is typically disabled for an unsupported browser or unsupported operating system. If the button is unavailable, your browser might not be compatible with SharePoint.
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When you cut and paste, you are moving the file. When you copy and paste, or drag from File Explorer to a SharePoint library, you are copying the file.
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In the browser where the library is displayed, refresh the page to verify that the files are listed in the library.
Create documents from a library
You can create new Office documents directly from a SharePoint library. A new document will be based on a default template for the library.
You can create a new document in the Office client program, such as Word, if it is installed on your device. You can also create it in your browser, by using an Office Online program such as Word Online.
To create a document from a library by using an Office Online program such as Word Online
Go to a library in which you want to create a document.
Do one of the following:
In the document library, in the body of the page, select New.
On the keyboard, press Alt+N.
Select the type of document you want to create.
The new document is automatically saved in the library with the default name that is shown in the title bar, such as Document. To rename the document, select its name in the title bar, enter the new name, and then press Enter.
Add the content you want to the new document.
When you’re done, return to the library where the file is saved by doing one of the following:
Select the site link in the title bar, to the left of the file name.
Select the Back button in your browser.
On the library page, select Refresh to confirm that your new document is now listed in the library.
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A new document opens in the Office Online program you selected. For example, selecting Word Document opens Word Online.
Important
At the time of writing, selecting a type of document is available in SharePoint Online. In SharePoint on-premises, selecting the New link displays the Add A Document dialog that you can use to upload a file, as discussed in the previous section, rather than create a new document.
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Depending on your server settings, the new document will open either in your browser in Word Online or in the Word client program, if it is installed on your device. If the new document opens in the Word client, go the next procedure. Otherwise, continue to the next step.
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If you require access to features that are available only in the full Office program, you can switch to the full Office client program. For example, in Word Online, select Open In Word to continue working on the document in Word.
To create a document from a library by using Word
Go to a library in which you want to create a document.
On the Files tab, in the New group, select New Document.
A new document opens in the Word client program. If a warning about allowing this website to open a program on your device appears, select Allow.
If prompted, provide your user name and password for the SharePoint site.
If a Read-Only banner appears at the top of the document, select Edit Document.
Add the content you want to the new document.
When you’re done, go to the File tab and select Save to save the document to the document library.
To name the file, under Current Folder, select the library to open the Save As dialog box. Note that the location points to the document library.
Enter the name of the new document, and then select Save.
In the browser, refresh the library page to confirm that your new document is listed in the library.
The New group on the Files tab
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Depending on your server settings, the new document will open either in the Word client program or in Word Online. If the new document opens in Word Online, select Edit In Word on the title bar.
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New Word documents created from SharePoint are based on the default template for the SharePoint library, which is called template.dotx. If a warning about this template appears, select Yes to confirm that you want to proceed with opening a file.
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The Read-Only banner that appears when a SharePoint document is opened in Word
Edit documents
In SharePoint, you can edit documents in Office client programs such as Word and Excel or in your browser by using Office Online apps that provide online companion web apps to Office client programs, such as Word Online or Excel Online. (For more information, see the “Office Online programs” sidebar earlier in this topic.)
When you’re on the move, it is often very useful to be able to edit your documents within a browser, without the need for the client program to be installed on the device you’re using.
To edit a document in an Office client program from a library
Go to the library that contains the document you want to edit.
Open the document for editing in the Office client program by doing one of the following:
Select the ellipsis to the right of the document’s name, and in the callout that opens, do one of the following:
Select Open.
Select the ellipsis, and then select Open in Word.
Display the document’s shortcut menu, and then select Open in Word.
Select the document by clicking or tapping in its leftmost column, go to the Files tab, and then select Edit Document.
The document opens in the Office client program such as Word. Do the following:
If a warning about allowing this website to open a program on your computer appears, select Allow.
If a warning about the document appears, select Yes to confirm that you want to proceed with opening a file.
If prompted, provide your user name and password for the SharePoint site.
If a Read-Only banner appears at the top of the document, select Edit Document.
In Word, edit the document.
On the File tab, select Save to save the document to the document library.
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The Edit Document button on the Files tab
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Depending on your server settings, you might be able to just click or tap the document you want to edit to open it. The document will open in either the Office Online app in your browser, or in the Office client program, if it is installed on your device. If the document opens in Office Online in your browser, in the title bar, select Edit Document. If the document opens in Office Online for viewing, open the Edit Document menu and select Edit In Word. In either case, you can then continue to the next step.
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You can configure whether your device opens a document within your browser or in the document’s native Office client program. The default option is to open in a browser by using Office Online apps, such as Word Online, so that users can use their browsers to view their documents online. For on-premises deployments, this capability depends on Office Online programs being installed and activated on the server in your organization. For more details, see Chapter 4, “Make lists and libraries work for you.”
To edit a document in Office Online from a library
Go to the library that contains the document you want to edit.
Open the document in its corresponding Office Online app by doing one of the following:
Display the document’s shortcut menu by right-clicking the document name, or on touch devices by pressing and holding the document name, and select Open in Office App Online (for example, Open In Word Online).
Select the ellipsis to the right of the document’s name, and in the callout that opens, select the ellipsis, and then select Open in Office App Online (for example, Open In Word Online).
Click or tap the document you want to edit.
The document opens in Office Online. If the document opens for viewing, select Edit Document and then select Edit in Office App Online (for example, Edit In Word Online).
When you’re done, return to the library where the file is saved by doing one of the following:
Select the site link in the title bar, to the left of the file name.
Select the Back button in your browser.
In the library, select Refresh and confirm that the document has been saved to the library by checking its timestamp.
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When you make your edits, the document is saved automatically.
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If you open a document in Office Online and the Edit Document option is unavailable, it means that Office Online programs have not been activated for editing in your environment.
To rename a file in a library
In the library that contains the file you want to rename, display the file’s shortcut menu, and select Rename.
On the file page, enter a new name in the Name box, and select Save.
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