Ask Sympraxis Anything: Offsite Edition
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"Ask Sympraxis" is a bi-weekly webinar series, where we discuss an array of topics and answer your submitted questions. Join us by downloading our recurring calendar event. You can also join us directly in the meeting without downloading the event.
See a listing of Ask Sympraxis episodes by topic covered: Topic List, Series List, or a full listing Archive
At Sympraxis, we love hosting our Ask Sympraxis Anything sessions, where we answer questions directly from our audience. These episodes provide an opportunity to dive deep into the challenges, innovations, and nuances of Microsoft 365. Below are some highlights from our recent session!
Can you trigger multiple edit items from PnP Modern Search web parts?
Yes, you can! You can achieve this by using a custom list column. Start by creating a custom HTML anchor tag with a URL that directs users to the edit item view. When users click the link, it opens the item in a new tab for editing. Additionally, you can customize the anchor tag as a query.
For more advanced functionality, if you’re filtering a view in a list (all items must be in the same list or library), you can construct a link in the template that includes the filter criteria within the query string. This will allow users to view and edit only the items matching the specific filter.
What’s your prediction for SharePoint document sets—will they be deprecated or modernized?
It seems that Microsoft has largely forgotten about document sets. While those behind the scenes understand their value, the lack of recent updates and fixes has led to a decline in their usage. We suspect document sets will continue to languish without significant attention. However, there are custom solutions available using SPFx (SharePoint Framework) that can replicate some of the core functions of document sets—tune in to learn more!
Viva Connections vs SharePoint Intranet—Not enough customization available on Viva Connections. What does the future look like?
New branding features are rolling out simultaneously to both Viva Connections and SharePoint. This allows you to create consistent or distinct custom themes and fonts for both platforms. While the brand center in Viva Connections supports customization, it’s currently more limited. Theming capabilities are expanding, but customization within the dashboard remains restricted. Stay tuned as the new theming experience develops further!
Will forcing users to enter required metadata on document upload ever come back?
In the classic version of SharePoint, there were blockers that forced users to input required metadata during document uploads. However, with the introduction of drag-and-drop functionality, this requirement was removed, reducing friction for users. There’s ongoing debate about whether reintroducing mandatory metadata—perhaps limited to a single question or field—could strike the right balance between user convenience and capturing vital data.
SharePoint Branding - Why are custom fonts with Viva Connections not pushing to the mobile client?
Custom fonts in Viva Connections work on the web version but not on mobile. To extend this functionality to mobile, a dedicated application license is required, which can come with a significant yearly expense. For now, mobile customization remains a challenge for many organizations due to this cost barrier.
Delegated vs application permissions in Entra ID app registrations
When you have a Microsoft 365 subscription, it automatically includes an Entra ID domain and directory. This directory is trusted by your Azure subscriptions and serves as the location for app registrations. Whether you’re using PnP PowerShell, Microsoft 365 CLI, or other custom solutions, you’ll need to register apps in Entra ID.
There are two types of permissions you can assign: application permissions and user delegated permissions. The confusion often arises between these two. Julie goes into more detail on this, so make sure to catch the full explanation if you have questions.
Setting default values on SharePoint managed metadata columns
Marc discovered a bug! When navigating through the SharePoint admin center’s content services and switching to the classic settings view to modify a managed metadata column, you’ll find yourself directed to an incorrect editing page showing only a single line of text. The correct column settings for managed metadata won’t appear. The solution is to first click “Site Columns” at the top, then select the column name again. This will bring you to the proper page with all the expected settings for that column.
The questions submitted keep us on our toes and push us to explore new ideas and solutions. If you have new questions, you can continue to submit them to our mailbox! We’re here to help you unlock the full potential of Microsoft 365 and beyond.
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Do you have any questions for us? Continue the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #AskSympraxis and mention @SympraxisC.