SharePoint Tutorial
For Beginners, Developers, Administrators, End User

What is Microsoft SharePoint and how does it work?

Microsoft SharePoint is a collaboration and content management system helping you to work better with teams across the globe.

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For end users it's a website helping you to better work with information or to find a person you need to make better decisions. As an end user, you open your browser to access your personal website showing you news, updates about documents or tasks and your latest work items. You can store personal files and access team sites or project sites to work with someone else. Document management has never been easier.

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For an administrator it's a set of multiple servers hosting the SharePoint environment aka intranet. As an administrator, you are responsible for operating one or more SharePoint Server. You can use a website called Central Administration and PowerShell for application and service management, monitoring, backup and restore or managing security. Usually, a company's SharePoint environment contains multiple SharePoint server. SharePoint data is stored in SQL Server databases.

SharePoint can be hosted on a server inside your company (on-premise) or or via Microsoft's cloud based platform called SharePoint Online.

What is SharePoint used for?

SharePoint is used for storing, managing and retrieving information. It's used to find a person who may have information you need and to access it from anywhere in the world. Microsoft SharePoint not only gets information you need it also prepares, visualizes or sorts it by relevance.

It's all about working smarter.

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Here's an example:

The amount of available information and the rate in which it is created increased and the way people communicate changed. Within an intranet scenario information can be stored at:

• File shares,

• Local hard disks,

• Personal folders,

• Different applications,

• E-Mails or

• In the head of a person you don't know.

People may have problems to make decisions because they have too much information.

They may also have problems because they can't find the information they need.

You can imagine that storage is one of the problems: Files are stored in different folders or sub folders without Meta information or with strange file names.

Information may not be retrieved since people just don’t know that certain information exists.

The access to information can be problematic because of remote or mobile access or due to granular security.

So how should you make a decision if you can’t find or use the information you need? Even if you find all the information how should you make a decision in time if it takes you hours or days to search and rate them?

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SharePoint solves all problems information worker have.

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Start learning SharePoint

Where can I get SharePoint Tutorial for Beginners?

I suggest that beginners should get started with my article 'What is SharePoint? Complete Beginners Guide'.

Next learn about basic SharePoint features, what they are and how they work.

Where can I get SharePoint Tutorial in PDF?

Here are 3 lists with resources including PDF and video tutorials and training for administrators, developers and end user:

• SharePoint Administrator Training resources

• SharePoint Developer Training resources

• SharePoint End User Training resources

You can also download my SharePoint Tutorials in PDF listed in the E-Books & PowerShell section.

However, it's not always the best solution to download a PDF. I highly recommend that you also watch videos.

Of course the advantage of a PDF is that it can be easily kept up-to-date whereas a video needs more work to be updated.

Are these SharePoint Tutorial for Beginners step by step guides or how do they work?

Yes, every tutorial is a detailed step-by-step guide with pictures and text.

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Where can I get the best SharePoint Training?

I recommend videos by SharePoint experts & trainers if you want to learn SharePoint. There are many simple, easy to understand resources if you know the right people:

All links, guides, videos and other stuff has been updated March 2022.

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FAQ

What is a content management system?

A content management system (CMS) is software where users can create, manage, and modify content on a website. It comes with all the features you need to manage content and publish content without any development.

What is a document management system?

A document management system (DMS) is software where users can store, receive, track and manage documents. It's designed to reduce paper work and to make your work easier. Todays document management systems come with all the features you need without development, e.g. permission management and information rights management.

What is a SharePoint List?

SharePoint lists are used to store information and documents. They are highly customizable and come with permission management, sorting, filtering, check-in / check-out, notifications and workflows.

What is a SharePoint site?

A SharePoint site is like any other website allowing you to view and store content and documents.

They can have different templates depending on what you and your team are working on.

SharePoint sites can be arranged in hierarchies called Site Collection. There are different types of web sites:

• A site can be a team site. Each team has lists and libraries to store contact information about team members, documents or events.

• A site can also be a project site where each project has lists and libraries to store information about the project like its current state, presentations and calculations.

• A site can be an Internet facing Website.

SharePoint sites can used with your desktop or a mobile device.

What is a SharePoint Team Site?

A SharePoint Team Site is designed for team collaboration. They are easy to set up and come with document sharing, metadata, approval, check-in / check-out, notifications, workflows and real-time co-authoring.

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Summary

SharePoint on-premise or SharePoint Online are the same: It's a collaboration and content management system allowing you to work with teams world wide. SharePoint makes you more efficient and enhances your work by streamlining your business process.

SharePoint is complex and you need to enhance your SharePoint skills to get along. However, with the right SharePoint Tutorial you'll be able to successfully complete tasks and enjoy your work.

It's important that you understand basic features like SharePoint site, team site, document library, content management system, SharePoint app, SharePoint servers.

The best time to get started with SharePoint is now.

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