As its name goes, SharePoint List Collection enables users to roll up SharePoint lists from different sites into a single view where users can manipulate data, for instance perform sort, filter and export operations. This web part not only makes aggregating SharePoint data from different sites possible, but also makes it a breeze.
Let’s take a close look at this tool.
SharePoint List Collection was released three years ago and now has upgraded to version 3.0. The current version is faster and more stable than previous versions when it comes to aggregate a large number of data. Now we can confidently say this web part is poised to serve all kinds of organizations.
SharePoint List Collection has simple yet critical features. I think it’s worthy to dissect them one by one to discover its true value as we get more from this tool.
SharePoint List Collection creates standard view, calendar view and Gantt view
The way data is presented makes a big difference for data users. Imagine we have lots of data, a heap of data crammed in a gigantic list without any form, and we simply let users pull value out of it. Making sense from such a mess may drive most of us crazy. On the other hand, if data is organized in a human friendly way, we can easily pull some value out of it and expound the value we get from it. This is the purpose of a view.
Now that we have made clear the significance of a view, it is easier to see the importance of this feature, especially when you roll up a big set of data together.
Amazingly faster and more stable performance
Presumably, the bigger an organization becomes, the larger data grows. That is why SharePoint List Collection web part is quite popular among bigger organizations. However, handling such big sets of data may take more time and sometimes can break down the system. This kind of consequences are called performance issues in IT industry.
SharePoint List Collection 3.0 has improved its performance magnificently. Our developers have spent a whole lot of time working on performance, and it is now much more efficient at crunching data.
After exhaustive load tests by our QA team, it is safe to say that the SharePoint List Collection web part is ready to handle very big chunks of data. QA team has provided statistic data to support this claim.
According to the tests, for 100 lists with 200 items from different SharePoint sites, it takes 19.61s – 20.65s to load the page. That is the time interval between the request and the point where all content of the list collection is displayed. As you may know, the number of lists as well as the number of items in the lists are the two major factors affecting page load time.
I have to say this is impressive, especially considering the complexity of SharePoint.
Filter data by web parts
SharePoint List Collection supports two types of filter web parts: choice and text.
Pulling data together is the first step; our ultimate goal is to manipulate them according to our purpose. SharePoint List Collection is designed with various features like filtering, sorting and exporting. Upgraded version even supports two sorts of filtering: choice and text, making your filtering even more powerful.
Export finalized data into Excel
Having pulled data together from different lists and after manipulating them, some of us may want to save data for further reference or other operations. SharePoint List Collection offers features that allow users to export data into different formats, like Excel, very easily.
Designed for every SharePoint users
Last but not least, SharePoint List Collection is very easy to use; our product management team has given lots of thoughts on it. Since this product is designed for end users, user experience is as important as its features. From data consolidation to view creation, users do not need to spend much time on how to use it. With the new version, you can really put data consolidation in the end users’ hands.
Like all of products from BoostSolutions, SharePoint List Collection supports SharePoint 2010 and 2007. You are welcome to download it and put it on trial.