How To Configure and Use Document Workspaces in SharePoint 2010

Home > Blogs > SharePoint > How To Correctly Configure and Use Document Workspaces in SharePoint 2010

How To Correctly Configure and Use Document Workspaces in SharePoint 2010

Added by Spike Xavier May 29, 2013

Document Workspaces were very popular in SharePoint 2007. In SharePoint 2010 they are often overlooked. I have found that some of the functionality is a bit weird but with a little tweaking, they can be made very very useful. They are an excellent collaboration solution especially when an organization wants all of the functionality of something like major and minor versioning, but isn't comfortable with the inability to limit the number of minor versions that can be created for each major version. I use them as a collaboration workbench myself. I am using this blog to show how I set up the functionality using Send To Locations as opposed to the Publish to Source Location that comes out-of-the-box.
In this blog post I am using a new site collection using the out of the box Team Site Template for the top level site.

Here are the steps I will take:

I add a Document to the Shared Documents Library
Using the ECB Menu I create a Document Workspace
I try the publish to source location before editing the document and it works.
I edit the document and try to find the publish to source location but it's gone.
I create a send to location from the document library in the document workspace back to the source location.
I test everything to make sure it all works.

Click SharedDocumentsLink

First, I'll get to the Shared Documents Library in the top level site of my new site collection.

Click Add Document

I will upload a document that I will be using for this blog.

Click Browse

I browse to the file location.

Select Document and Click OK

I locate my document and click OK.

Use ECB Select SendTo Create Document Workspace

I mouse over the document and using the ECB menu, I choose Send To> Create Document Workspace.

Note the Text, click OK

I verify the settings and click OK.

On the SubSite, click SharedDocuments

In the new Document Workspace (the sub site), I click the Shared Documents Library Link.

Use ECB SendTo Publish to Source Location

I locate the document, and using the ECB menu, I select Send To>Publish to Source Location. This is awesome functionality, it's basically a relationship that exists between this document and the source document.

Note text, click OK

I validate the settings and click OK.

Click OK

Everything looks great, but wait, I didn't edit the document. Since the Document Workspace is a workbench, I need to edit the document and then publish to source location.

Click Shared Documents Link again

I return to the Shared Documents Library of the Document Workspace (sub site).

Use ECB Observe SendTo Publish to Source Location Still Option, do not click link

Use-ECB-Observe-SendTo-Publish-to-Source-Location-Still-O.png

I use the ECB menu to make sure the Publish to Source Location is still there, I don't use the link I'm just checking that it's still there, I need to edit the document first.

Click Document to open in Word for editing

I click the document to open it.

Click Edit Document

When the document opens in Word, I click Edit Document (this is a newsletter template i got from Office Online). I make a change to one of the headings.

I save my changes. I then close the document (closing the document not shown)

Use ECB SendTo, notice no Publish to Source Location?

I mouse over the document in the Shared Documents Library of the Document Workspace and using the ECB menu, I look for the publish to source location but it's gone! This is where most people go back to versioning but I love's me some Document Workspaces so I press on.

Click Library

I click the Library tab.

Click Library Settings

I click the Library Settings Icon in the Ribbon.

Click Advanced Settings

I click Advanced Settings in the General Settings section of the Library Settings Page.

Fill in Send To Location information

I create a custom send to destination. I use the absolute URL to the shared documents library of the source library and even call my destination SourceLocation. In my case the address is: http://sp360.local/blogs/dw/shared documents

Scroll down, click OK

I validate my settings and click OK

Click SharedDocuments link in breadcrumb

I go back to the Shared Documents Library in the Document Workspace.

Use ECB Send To SourceLocation

I mouse over the document , and using the ECB menu I select Send To>SourceLocation (the one I just made)

I go ahead and click here to test and make sure it works, It does so I check the other settings out but don't change any for now and click OK.

Click OK to copy document

I click OK on the copy progress window.

Verify operation was successful, click Done

I rejoice at the 'The copy operation was successful' message and click OK.

Use Navigate Up to get to Source Site

Using the Navigate up control, I go back to the top level site of the Site Collection.

Click FileName in SharedDocuments in Source Site

I click the filename from the Shared Documents Web Part on the Home Page.

Validate Updates to Document In Source Library

I validate the updates to the document made it safely back to the source location. This is awesome. There are several choices when it comes to managing the relationship between the documents, however, this blog covered the weird parts that might not be so obvious. Document Workspaces Rock!