Make SharePoint Custom List based on View of Shared Doc Library? 2

[FredBrus]

In order to explain the reason for my question, here is what i want to do:

I want to add a Web Part on MySite that produces a dynamic chart (pie chart, line chart, etc) on MySite based on the metadata content (=columns) of documents in a Shared Document Library.

I found a Web Part that does the trick but it starts from a SharePoint List not from a Shared Document Library. Hence my question: >> Can i convert a Document Library into a Custom SharePoint List?

If the latter is not possble can anayone think of another way of producing this dynamic chart on MySite?
Export a Doc Library to Excel works but the link is not "dynamic" as there is no longer "two way sync" possible in Excel. Perhaps Access could do the trick??

Thanks in advance for looking into this!

 

[dinger2121]

You can use a custom list, and just include the associated documents as attachments. that should allow you to utilize the metadata as required.

 

[PatricktheAnalyst]

If you have a SQL Reporting Services Integrated (or not) into SharePoint you can report off document libraries and lists and produce dynamic pie charts using either the Report Webpart viewer or the Page Viewer Web Part.

Patrick

http://sharepointglobal.blogspot.com/

 

[FredBrus]

Thanks dinger2121 for your reply an my apologies for the delay in getting back to you but i was abroad for a week.

I'm a bit puzzeled on how to do what you suggested.
I made a few simple Custom Lists myself before but these were just stand-alone fill-in data forms - not lists linked to/derrived from another data source.

I have 4 specific questions:

- How can i do this, just create new custom list and follow through the wizards or create the Custom List using Designer 2007?

- How can i "link" the Custom List to the Document Library? There seems not any place where to do this is in the dialogue

- I also cannot find the place where you can add the documents as attachments? Can you pinpoint me where this option can be selected?

- Once the new Custom List installed - will that link be "dynamic" meaning will the list change any time new items are added to or deleted from the document library?

Thanks once again for your feedback!

FredBrus

 

[dinger2121]

Hello FredBrus,
Using a custom list, you should not need to have a document library. When you create a new list item, there should be an option to Attach file. It should be right at the top of the New Item dialog.

 

[FredBrus]

Hi dinger2121,

Thanks once again for your help and clarification!

This time I was able to produce the custom list with the documents from the shared document library in attachment

However I got stuck configuring the chart based on the newly created custom list.
(FYI i'm using the freeware "SPChart Web Part" that produces Flash charts derrived from a SharePoint List. Refer to

http://www.spelements.com/spchart/

Note that the web part software works fine when i link it to a basic sharepoint list with hand-filled data)

I seem to connect to the custom list OK (no error msgs when doing that) but when select column name where the chart needs to be based on, the chart area remains empty.
I wonder how the Web Part can get to the metadata which are included in each of the document properties..?
Perhaps I'm doing something wrong in he configuration process... not sure

I have 3 questions here:

1- When i had to hand pick and select each of the documents from the shared doc library to attach it to the custom list it appeared to me that this chart can probably never be "dynamic" meaning that the pie chart changes each time new documents - each with metadata - are added to the library/list.

2- After i produced the custom list and attached the documents as attachments, I actually configured the one column (define existing column) based on which the chart needs to be produced. Should I have done this or just redlyu on the metadata already connected to each of the attached documents?

3- Just to make sure the custom list was produced correctly is there a way i can "produce" a spreadsheet view of the custom list so i can see the metadata included in each of the attached docs?

Thanks,

FredBrus

 

[dinger2121]

I'm not familiar with that particular web part, so I don't know exactly how it works regarding metadata. sorry.

You should be able to either edit in datasheet or Export to Spreadsheet via the actions menu of the list to see the metadata attached to each list item.