29 March 2021

  1. Search-based workspace metadata:
    • In order to search reliably on more than 500 workspaces, we are now storing workspace metadata in the actual workspaces instead of in MetaShare’s database, where it previously was stored. With this change, the search function in MetaShare’s start page (search for workspaces) now behaves exactly the same way as in the workspaces (search for documents), e.g. making it possible to use Boolean and relationship operators when searching for workspaces.
    • This update does not add other functionality unless you have more than 500 workspaces. With the deployed function’s new method of using search, it will however enable some neat features that are planned to be released within a near future. Here are some examples:
      • Currently, when conducting a document search from MetaShare’s start page or if you search for documents in a workspace and later click on the “Show results from all locations”, the documents are shown in SharePoint’s standard search results page. We will instead present them in MetaShare’s own user interface, with the possibility to filter on workspace as well as all other metadata-fields.
      • We are also planning to add the option to define custom tabs in MetaShare’s start-page, presenting documents across all workspaces of certain types, in a predefined view, for example documents that need to be reviewed.
    • For end-users of MetaShare, these are the changes that you will notice:
      • The workspaces that are shown in the workspace list are not any more sorted alphabetically. Instead, they are sorted by relevance, the workspace that mostly matches what you are searching for, will be shown on the top of the list.
      • Under each and one of the filters, on the left-hand side of MetaShare’s start page:
        • the values that are shown thereunder are not any more sorted alphabetically. Instead, they are sorted by relevance, the value used in most workspaces will be shown on the top of the filter and vice versa.
        • the filter will only show the values that have been used in any of the workspaces that you have access to, and that are shown on the list, so basically you will always see at least one workspace when filtering on each and one of the values.
      • The link to a specific filtering in MetaShare’s start-page will be different from what it used to be prior to this release. So, if you have created shortcuts to different filters in MetaShare’s start-page you will need to change them.
    • For MetaShare administrators, these are the changes that you will notice:
      • Previously, workspace metadata could only be defined as term sets in SharePoint’s term store. Now they can be of any metadata types that MetaShare supports.
      • Workspace fields, per workspace configuration, were previously defined and presented on this sub-page to a workspace configuration:
        Link to MetaShare's workspace fields' page
        Now they are instead defined in a workspace content type on the main page of a workspace configuration in MetaShare settings:
      • As MetaShare’s new start page is search-based, you will need to map crawled properties to managed properties in SharePoint Search and thereafter define the names of the filter/column to use in MetaShare’s start page. This is done from this page in MetaShare settings:
          
      • Workspace columns and filters were previously defined and presented on these two pages in MetaShare settings:

        Now they are instead presented under this new menu under MetaShare settings:

        The procedure to add, remove or reorder workspace columns and filters is however done the same way as before, dragging and dropping columns between the Available and Selected zones.