Steps:

First, you’ll notice an out-of-the-box email references the “Open this task” button, but does not include the link to the SharePoint workflow task. This is fine if the document is a Microsoft Office document and the person approving it is using Office 2010, but there doesn’t work for other circumstances.

To adjust this, we need to open up the site and then workflow in SharePoint Designer. Note that in this case we are modifying the OOTB workflow itself, which will change it for all instances of the site collection. If you want to make a unique instance of this workflow, right click on the workflow and choose “Copy and Modify”.

Click Edit Workflow

Next, click on Approval.

Under “Customization” click Change the behavior of a single task.

 
Under the “When a Task is Pending” section, find the line that says “then Email task notification to Current Task:Assigned To” and click the underlined link.

The Define E-Mail Message window opens. Insert the highlighted text, select the text you wish to make a link, then click the Edit Hyperlink button.

 
In the Address field, click the … button, then click Add or Change Lookup, and choose “Current Task: Approval” as the Data source and “Form_URN” as the Field from source:

Click OK all the way back out of the dialog boxes, then Publish your workflow back to the server.

Start the workflow on a new document and you should get the modified email.

Click the link and it should take you directly to the task page!

It’s important to note that this is not the only location an email is defined. Overdue notices, for example, are defined elsewhere. You may need to make the same modification to multiple places in the workflow.

Microsoft estimates that you the customer will spend a total of $6.2 Billion on services related to SharePoint in 2011… According to Goldman Sachs data more than 50 countries have a GDP (Gross Domestic Product) less than what the world spends on SharePoint.

SharePoint is many things, but cheap it isn’t.  Interesting comparison.

#2 – How To Perform Nearly Any Task From Your Browser’s Address Bar -

By integrating all of your favorite services into your browser’s address bar, you don’t have to spend nearly as much time navigating their webapps. No matter what you want to do—whether it’s add a task to your to-do list, add an event to your calendar, send a quick email, or even get driving directions—all you have to do is hit Ctrl+L and type in a few choice words.

I admit it – I hate the mouse. I am eagerly looking forward to multitouch monitors, but in the meantime some well-constructed keyboard commands are always welcome.

#3 – Show/Hide [SharePoint] Lookup fields with jQuery –

I will show you how to show and hide form fields dependent on the value of a drop-down list field, with a special look at what to do with Lookup fields. I am often given requirements for SharePoint forms that have functionality that isn’t possible with the out-of-the-box controls, this is one such example.

I haven’t had the chance to try this, but our team has had a lot of success in manipulating SharePoint through jQuery.

#4 – Could this be the year we get to ditch the cable box? -

Unlike the attempts we’ve seen in the past, at CES this year there were a number of ways TV manufactures and cable companies figured out to bring HD to the TV without a set-top box. The commonality between the methods was that the provider will create and control the user experience on the TV. This means that no matter what type of TV you buy, the user interface will look the same.

Perhaps some of the most interesting news to come out of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this year is how far along the mainstream cable providers are in being able to uncouple their programming from their physical network.  This would allow, for example, Time Warner to sell their cable TV package over a Comcast-provided broadband connection. Or bundle it with a TV purchase. Or offer their service as an app on your mobile device. We might finally be seeing some real competition in this space, and competition breeds better products for consumers.

#5 – HTML Video Codec Support in Chrome -

…we are changing Chrome’s HTML5 <video> support to make it consistent with the codecs already supported by the open Chromium project. Specifically, we are supporting the WebM (VP8) and Theora video codecs, and will consider adding support for other high-quality open codecs in the future. Though H.264 plays an important role in video, as our goal is to enable open innovation, support for the codec will be removed and our resources directed towards completely open codec technologies.

With the recent rollout of an internal video management solution we’ve been keeping a closer eye on video technology in our department. Just as soon as you think you have a handle on where the road is leading you, something changes. It was widely assumed that H.264 would be the standard codec for HTML5 native video, but this announcement from Google might change that direction quickly.

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That’s all for this week.  Hopefully everyone found at least one article that piqued their interest.  Stay tuned for next week…

In the near future, Ford vehicles may fire back a retort if you get cheesed off enough to yell at the car. According to the details of a patent filing, Ford is working on an Emotive Advisory System (EAS) that simulates emotions when interacting with occupants, and may also use an avatar to express itself.

The EAS also uses sensors to detect the emotional state of occupants and generate responses based on that data. We all tend to forge some kind of bond with our cars, but it’s a little too fantastical and hilarious to imagine rocking down the blacktop in a new Taurus SHO and having the car say “You don’t need to drive like a jerk just because you’re mad at me.”

Personally, I think there is something even more sinister behind this than big brother in your car. Follow this line of thought with me – Ford worked with Microsoft to develop SYNC. Microsoft already rules your home computer and your work computer, so SYNC is Microsoft’s back door into that small portion of your time they don’t own – when you’re in your car. And what will they do once they have their software in front of you 24 hours a day? The unthinkable.

The return… of Clippy.

Be afraid.

Watch Buffalo BarCamp  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

It was a fun event, and while I was initially concerned that my presentation (on Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007) might not be techie enough, it actually ended up being about middle of the pack in geekiness. I had a couple of interested people talk to me about it afterwards.

The presentations from BarCamp Buffalo are available at SlideShare. Looking forward to the next one!

I am pleased to announce that Derek Punaro has been promoted to IT Information Architect, a new job title created for the Sharewaves07 Collaboration Support team. Derek’s strong technical and business analytical skills make him an excellent fit for this position. In this role Derek continues to report to me.

Derek is instrumental in the continued success of our Sharewaves07 application. He is responsible for designing content and document management solutions. He works closely with business clients to gather requirements, design navigation hierarchies, metadata structures and user experience designs. He serves as a champion to promote the use of Praxair’s standard document and content management tools across the enterprise. And he assists in the development and delivery of training classes and self-study materials.

Starting with Praxair’s IT organization in January 2000, Derek began as an original member of Praxair’s first eCommerce project. Since then, he has been involved in many web based IT projects, including Airwaves and QuickPlace. Derek was a key participant in the SharePoint Document Management Project. He has been a member of the Collaboration Support Center since July, 2007.

Derek holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Information Technology from Rochester Institute of Technology. He is an IBM certified Application Developer and has expertise in a multitude of web technologies.

We look forward to Derek’s continued contributions to ITS. Please join me in congratulating Derek on his achievement.

It’s interesting for me, after spending 6 years working with Lotus Notes/Domino to now be involved largely with Microsoft technologies. It really opens your eyes to seeing what’s hype and what’s substance. But that’s a whole series of other blog posts there.

1. Go to “Services on Server”
2. Click “Office SharePoint Server Search”
3. Once on the “Office SharePoint Server Search Service Settings” page, select “Use this server for serving search queries”
4. Try to untie the knot in your tongue