How to Search for People with User Directory

How to Search for People with User Directory

The User Directory Web Part provides two different methods for searching for people within your organization: the Simple Search and the Advanced Search.

Step Action Result
Simple Search
Simply enter the information you want to search and the search results will display.
1. To use the simple search, type in the Last Name or First Name of the person that you are looking for in the Search box.

HW08_Search.jpg
The User Directory Web Part searches for people with Last Name or First Name that contains the search text. For example, a search for “br” returns the two hits as shown here.
HW08_SearchResults.jpg

NOTE: Each search result is grouped under a “Search Result” view in the tree pane. The search results are cleared when you navigate away from the site.

Advanced Search
The Advanced Search allows users to define which fields in the user profile database that can be searched. To define the fields that users can search by, specify the fields in the properties pane. To use the advanced search features, click Advanced Search on the toolbar.
1. Enter your search criteria and click Search. Note that you specify the search operator to be used by the search engine to perform the search.
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In the example above, the Web Part will search for a person whose Full Name contains “John” AND Title contains “Pres” AND Company contains “Bamboo”.

For SharePoint 2007: If you configured User Directory for the SharePoint user database and selected to search using the MOSS Profile Index, you must have already configured your SharePoint installation to use the MOSS Profile Index in order to use this feature with User Directory.

How to Preview and Print User Directory

How to Preview and Print User Directory

Step Action Result
1. Click the Preview button to see what your end result will look like. HW08_PrintPreview.jpg
2. Click the Print button at the bottom right corner of the screen to print. HW08_Print.jpg

How to Manage Users in Active Directory

How to Manage Users in Active Directory

Managing user profiles in the Active Directory database is similar to managing users in the SharePoint profile database. The screen below illustrates an Active Directory view of user profiles.

What AD user information is displayed in User Directory?

HW08_UDWebPart_AD.jpg
Since Active Directory can have different profile information, User Directory relies on a list template to define which fields are to be read and updated. When User Directory is installed, it automatically creates a List in the same site with the name “ActiveDirectoryConfig“. The List will contain the following columns:

NOTE: You must be a SharePoint Web Designer, Designer or Administrator to edit this list.

  • Property Name. The exact name of the property as defined in the Active Directory profile. For example: Last Name.
  • Display Name: The name of the field as it is displayed in the Web Part.
  • Tab Name. The section name where this property will be grouped in the tab section of the User Directory Web Part.
  • Data Type: Describes the type of data that can be stored in this property. The supported data types are: Single Line of Text, Multiple Lines of Text, Single Choice, Multiple Choice, Number, Data and Time, Boolean, Picture, or Person.
  • Default Value: This column is for setting the choice selections of Single Choice and Multiple Choice as well as setting a default value for all of the data types available. When setting choice values separate them with a semi-colon “;” (ex: USA;Vietnam;China;Japan).
  • Public: Private or Public. Set this property to “Yes” to allow all users to view, otherwise only the owner and administrators can view this information.
  • Editable: Set this property to “Yes” to allow users to edit this property while in Edit mode on their profile.
  • Edit Settings: Read or ReadWrite. Setting this property to Read only allows users to view the properties.
  • Sort Order: Leaving this field blank will sort all of these fields in alphabetical order on their respective tabs. Otherwise, you can enter a number to order the fields on each of the tabs.

Organizational View

HW08_AdConfig.jpgThe organizational view in Active Directory mode displays a structure similar to that of the AD console, where each organizational unit is displayed from the top level domain name. User Directory displays the following AD objects:

  • Organization Unit: This is displayed as a folder and is read only.
  • Users: This is displayed as a user and can be edited, with the direct reports listed as children nodes.
  • Contacts: This is displayed as a user and can be edited.

NOTE: User Directory only connects to one domain. If you are using multiple domains in your environment, use multiple Web Parts to connect to each domain.

Highlights of User Directory

Highlights of User Directory

UserDirectory.pngMany companies use Active Directory Services to manage their users. With the addition of SharePoint, another user directory database has been introduced – the User Profile Database. But even with SharePoint features such as Single Sign On, and automatic importing of Active Directory profile information to SharePoint, the bulk of the workload to maintain user information is still on the Administrator. What is lacking is a way to allow the owners of the user information to maintain it themselves, both safely and securely, using either database as their directory service source.

Bamboo’s User Directory provides an easy to use, SharePoint-based, self-service directory that allows users to maintain user information in the SharePoint User Profile Database or Active Directory.

  • View your user organization in a user-friendly tree view by organization chart or alphabetical order by last name.
  • Users can view all profiles but can only edit their own depending on permissions set up for the type of directory service selected.

With the ability to view, search and print user profile information (such as resume or skill set), your directory services now provide value to your users as well as your entire company.

Complementary Products for User Directory

Complementary Products for User Directory

sharepointsolutions.pngYou will find many of our products complement each other quite nicely saving you the time and trouble to write custom code. With Bamboo at the heart of your SharePoint investment, you gain access to a huge catalog of enhancements, components, and accessories that add the critical functionality your business requires.

The same components can be easily used in future applications and they all come from a single, trusted vendor, ensuring an easy purchase process and support you can count on. That’s the Bamboo Way!


Advanced Search Columns for User Directory

Advanced Search Columns for User Directory

Return to User Directory Configuration

AdvancedSearch.jpgThe Search selections display the user profile attributes that can be used in the Advanced Search window. You can select which fields can be used as the search criteria, by adding the fields from the left pane to the right pane. Highlight more than one column on the left Available Columns box and click the > symbol to move them into the Search Columns box on the right. (If you click the double symbol >>, then all the Available Columns move into the Search Columns box.)

AdvSearchBox.jpgIn the example above, we selected five columns which show in the sample image here. Depending on the columns you configure to show, end users will be able to search on those columns in the Advanced Search tool in the web part as displayed here.