Jul 1, 2012

Prevent Outlook from Sending Emails with a Blank Subject

Objective:
In the IT Industry, Outlook is most popularly used as the Email client. The subject line is a very important part of any email. Many times has it happened to you that you have sent an email through Outlook without a subject line? After clicking the Send button, you realize that you have made a mistake (What if it is a case you have sent a mail without Subject to a Client or a Manager?)
By default, Outlook does not validate a mail with a blank subject and here is the solution.
Steps:
1. Open MS Outlook -> Tools -> Macro -> Visual Basic Editor
2. You will see Visual Basic Editor will be opened 
 3. Click ThisOutlookSession which will open the Code Editor paste the below code in the Editor -> Save it and Close the window.
Private Sub Application_ItemSend(ByVal Item As Object, Cancel As Boolean)
   Dim strSubject As String
   strSubject = Item.Subject
   If Len(Trim(strSubject)) = 0 Then
       Prompt$ = "Subject is Empty. Are you sure you want to send the EMail?"
      If MsgBox(Prompt$, vbYesNo + vbQuestion + _
            vbMsgBoxSetForeground, _
            "Email Subject is Empty") = vbNo Then
        Cancel = True
      End If
  End If
End Sub
4. Now, restart the outlook. You will be prompted with a window where in Click on Enable Macros.
5. Now try sending an email without subject, you will be prompted for entering a Subject in the Email.

Jun 21, 2012

Jun 19, 2012

Versions of SharePoint

Ø  Microsoft Content Management Server (CMS) (Year 2002)
Ø  SharePoint Portal Server (Year 2003)
Ø  Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 (Year 2003) – Free Ware
Ø  Microsoft Office Share Point Server (MOSS) (Year 2007) (Built on .NET 2.0) –    
   Combination of CMS and SharePoint Portal Server
Ø  SharePoint Foundation Server (Year 2010) – Free Ware
Ø  Microsoft SharePoint Server (Year 2010)

Jun 13, 2012

Databases must be empty before they can be used. Delete all of the tables, stored procedures and other objects or use a different database.

Problem:
I got this error when I tried to stop and start the Windows SharePoint Services Search service by the following:
Central Administration ->Operations ->Services on server->Windows SharePoint Services Search->Stop
Central Administration->Operations->Services on server->Windows SharePoint Services Search->Start
The below is the step by step solution to fix this issue.
Solution:
1. We have to delete some log files of database in the SQL Server by following the path:
Stop the SQL Server Express Service: Start -> All Programs -> Administrative Tools -> Services -> SQL Server -> Right click Stop
2. Now delete the following file in the below locations:
WINDIR%\SYSMSI\SSEE\MSSL.2005\MSSQL\DATA\WSS_Search_ Servername.mdf
WINDIR%\SYSMSI\SSEE\MSSL.2005\MSSQL\DATA\WSS_Search_ Servername_log.LDF
Or in this path WINDIR%\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Data\
3. Restart the SQL Server Express Service by following the path:
 Start -> All Programs -> Administrative Tools -> Services -> SQL Server -> Right click Start
4. Now restart the Windows SharePoint Services Search by following the path:
Restart the Windows SharePoint Services Search: Central Administration->Operations->Services on server->Windows SharePoint Services Search->Start
5. In the Configure Windows SharePoint Services Search Service Settings page, in the Search DB section, give a new DB name in the Database Name field. Click Start.
6. If you give the old DB name you will get the error. Hence try giving the new DB name.
Please free to comment and share this post if it helps you!

The specified database has an incorrect collation. Rebuild the database with the Latin1_General_CI_AS_KS_WS collation or create a new database

Problem:
 I have faced this error when I created a DB in the SQL server and then tried to create the Search Server DB name in the Search Server Configuration Page while configuring the Microsoft Search Server Express 2008.
Solution:
1. The problem is the database created has incorrect collation.
2. We have to change the collation to Latin1_General_CI_AS_KS_WS collation which is specified while configuring the web applications or search server DB in SharePoint.
3.  Connect to the SQL server -> Select the Database created.
4. Right Click on the Database -> Properties -> Select Options page -> Change the collation as shown below:
5. Now try to configure the Search or Web Application in SharePoint, it will work as expected.

Jun 9, 2012

Hiding Default Title Column in a list in SharePoint

In this article, we will know about a small tip, How to hide the default title column which is created by default whenever a list is created in a SharePoint list.
Steps:
1. Whenever a list is created, you will see a default column “Title” in the list.
2. In Some cases, we do not need this and needs that to be hidden.
3. Go to Settings -> List Settings -> Advanced Settings (General Settings) -> Change Allow Management of Content Types to YES
4. Now List Settings page -> Click on ITEMS
You will see the list of columns in the list. Now we want to hide the Title Column and hence click on the Title column
There will be option for permanently hiding the column. Select the option “Hidden will not appear in forms” and click OK. 
5. We have hid the column in the form but it will appear in the VIEW. So, we have to hide the column in the view. Click on the View in the List.
In the Columns Deselect the Title and click OK.
6. When you click on New for adding a new item in the list, then you will not see the Title column in the form or when you view the list, you will not see the Title column in the view.

Jun 8, 2012

Internal Column Name in SharePoint List

In this article, we will know how to find the Internal Column Name in a SharePoint list.
Steps:
1. Suppose that we have created a list with a column named “Continent” as shown below:
2. Go to Settings-> List Settings -> Click on the Column listed in the Lists to which you have to find the Internal Name
3. You will be navigated to the Title Edit page which is shown below:
4. Now copy the Browser URL (in my case is something is shown below):
http://sitename/_layouts/FldEdit.aspx?List=%7BE62DB5A7%2D12D4%2D474B%2D8EB8%2DF71DE8A86723%7D&Field=Continent
The Bolded letter is the Internal Name of the Column (In my case Continent is the internal column name for the column Continent)
Note: 
If the column name contains spaces then the Internal Name will contain some other characters. Be careful while taking handling this:
Ex: http://SiteName/_layouts/FldEdit.aspx?List=%7B2EB82952%2D9C0B%2D4650%2DB5E9%2D22788822B1AA%7D&Field=Arrived%5Fx0020%5Fon
Here in this name %5F is a '_'
So the Internal Name would be Arrived_x0020_on. Here the Column name is Arrived On but the Internal Name is different and hence beware of this!
5. You can find the internal name using code also.
Ex: string internalName = item.Fields["Field Display Name"].InternalName;
Here in the below link you will see a list of Content types in SharePoint and the Internal Name for it:
Please free to comment and share this post, if this helps you!

Jun 6, 2012

Remove Blogger Attribution Widget in Blog

Sometimes, you would like to have your custom attribution in your blog. Here is the article to change the default blogger attribution.
Steps:
1. Go to Design -> you will see the default attribution in the blog as shown below:
2. By default, you do not have option to remove this widget like other widgets provided by blogger.
                                        
3. Now go to Design -> Edit HTML -> Check the Expand Widgets Templates option -> Click Ctrl + F to find the following word – Attribution
4. You will find that the widget is locked by the option “locked = True” as shown below:
5. Change the option to False and save the HTML.
6. Now edit the Attribution widget, you will find the remove option is enabled 
and now it is easy to remove the widget and you can insert your custom widget or any text box with your custom words in it.

A sample shown in our blog is as follows:
Happy Blogging!