Collaboration is one of the most common scenarios in SharePoint portals. This frequently includes tasks management operations. In comparison to Microsoft Outlook, out-of-the-box, however, there are some features missed. So the due date, task completion or other task properties can be assigned with several steps only. The Enhanced SharePoint User Tasks Menu feature by Layer2 adds this often required features as an extension directly to the SharePoint tasks menu. 

It's a real time-saver and a must-have for everyone, that often has to manage SharePoint tasks.

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Collaboration is one of the most common scenarios in SharePoint portals. This frequently includes tasks management operations. In comparison to Microsoft Outlook, out-of-the-box, however, there are some features missed. So the due date, task completion or other task properties can be assigned with several steps only. The Enhanced SharePoint User Tasks Menu feature by Layer2 adds this often required features as an extension directly to the SharePoint tasks menu. 

It's a real time saver and a must-have for everyone, that often has to manage SharePoint tasks:

• The Enhanced SharePoint User Tasks Menu feature enables users to set the due date and other properties of a tasks item directly with one click using the items menu.
• If marked as completed the progress / completeness is set to 100% automatically.
• The due date of the task can be set to different time frames directly in menu
• Due Date: Today - The due date is set to the current day.
• Due Date: Tomorrow - The due date is set to the current day plus one day.
• Due Date: This Week - The due date is set to the next friday of the current week. If it's saturday or sunday the current date is used.
• Due Date: Next Week - The due date is set to the friday of the next week.
• Due Date: No Due Date - The due date is removed.

Fig.: The Enhanced SharePoint User Tasks Menu feature enables users to set the due date and other properties of a tasks item directly with one click using the items menu.

The menu can be opened as usual by clicking directly on the title field. The feature considerable reduces the number of working steps while assigning due dates to SharePoint tasks.

If you are working with SharePoint tasks more often, you will certainly like this feature. 

The web part comes with an robust installer to allow it to be easily deployed within any SharePoint environment. It is available for SharePoint starting with WSS 3.0 and MOSS 2007.

INSTALLATION

The installation is done using a SharePoint Solution Package. The included wizard distributes all files to a SharePoint farm, if required, and does all necessary configurations. Before installation please make sure,

• that all servers are available online
• backup your current installation approve software on evaluation systems bevor installing in productive system
• use a regular service interval to install the solution The application will not be available for a short time, because the application pool is restarted (IISreset).

Start the installation process by executing the file "Install.Layer2.EnhancedUserTasksMenu.exe" on the server, that hosts the SharePoint Central Administration with appropriate access rights.

First the considerations for the installation are being checked.

Fig.: Checking of considerations for the installation process

If there are any problems, please take a look at our FAQs (General FAQ, Installation). After successful installation please select the desired web applications for deployment of the new feature.

The Enhanced SharePoint User Tasks Menu feature by Layer2 adds this often required features directly to the SharePoint tasks menu. It's a real time saver and a must-have for anyone, that often works with SharePoint tasks. The Enhanced SharePoint User Tasks Menu feature enables users to set the due date and other properties of a tasks item directly with one click using the items menu.

• If marked as completed the status is set and additionally the progress / completeness is set to 100% automatically.
• The due date of the task can be set to different time frames directly in menu
• Due Date: Today - The due date is set to the current day.
• Due Date: Tomorrow - The due date is set to the current day plus one day.
• Due Date: This Week - The due date is set to the next friday of the current week. If it's saturday or sunday the current date is used.
• Due Date: Next Week - The due date is set to the friday of the next week.
• Due Date: No Due Date - The due date is removed.

Fig.:  The Enhanced SharePoint User Tasks Menu feature enables users to set the due date and other properties of a tasks item directly with one click using the items menu

RESTRICTIONS OF THE SHAREWARE VERSION

Fig.: The demo version additionally renders a banner after every menu action, that disappears in the full licensed version.

LANGUAGES

The feature / web part is currently available in German and English language. If used in other language context, the English language is applied by default. Requests for other languages please send to sales@layer2.de.

Remark: If for a given language no resources are found, the status of a task will be set to "Complete" (the english resource) on completion. 

UNINSTALL

To completely uninstall the solution, go these steps to the other direction. Please first deactivate the feature „Layer2 -Enhanced User Tasks Menu Feature“ on site collection level. Then start the installation wizard and choose "Remove". All installed files will be removed.

Fig.: Remove the Enhanced SharePoint User Tasks Menu