SUMMARY

As stated in the introduction to this chapter and referenced in many places throughout the book, you can create minimal but effective dashboards using SharePoint’s default look and feel. However, you can create even more effective dashboards and data entry screens using advanced techniques.

Use InfoPath to create extensive and complex data entry forms. InfoPath enables you to validate individual fields, change the look and field via its drag-and-drop interface, create repeating sections, and do many other useful things. InfoPath is only available in SharePoint enterprise.

The Data View Web Part should be your first choice for interactive, colorful dashboards. Use SharePoint Designer to edit DVWPs to create snappy dashboards that call the dashboard manager’s attention to extraordinary conditions that require human intervention. Use DVWP in advanced scenarios to pull data from more than one SharePoint list at the same time or even from data sources outside of SharePoint.