SharePoint 2007 has a Team Discussion Board that is used to initiate discussion and get replies on topics of interest. This article outlines the steps required to setup a discussion board, managing permissions, version control, and also its limitations.

Create Discussion Board

• Select 'Site Actions' > Create
• Select 'Discussion Board' under 'Communications' tab
• Enter 'Name' and 'Description' for the discussion board
• Click whether to 'Display this list on the Quick Launch' - If this option is selected, the link to this list will be available in the Quick Launch
• Specify whether to allow items to be added through e-mail.
• Click the 'Create' button to complete

Adding Items

You have a basic discussion board with standard columns and views. Create additional columns and views ias required (as explained later).

• Click 'Discussion' in the 'New' poplist to create a new discussion topic
• Enter in the 'Subject' and 'Body' fields
• Click 'OK' - a discussion item has been created
• To reply, click the discussion 'item' (under 'Subject')
• Click 'Reply' and complete
• To add a new item, follow the steps again

Adding Columns

You can add to these columns as required. For example, let us assume that an additional column is required to capture the person who is assigned to the item. Steps are as follows:

• Click Settings > Discussion Board Settings
• Click 'Create Column' under 'Columns' region - One can also 'Add from existing columns'
• Enter 'Column Name'
• Select a suitable information type for the column - In this example, 'Person or Group' is checked as we intent to assign the item
• Complete appropriate 'Additional Column Settings' as required
• Click 'OK'

Views

The Discussion Board items can be viewed in 'threaded' or 'flat' view format. Additional views can be created as well. For example, let us assume that you would like to create a view named 'My Feedback' that would list all items created by you:

• Click View > Create View
• Choose a View Format or Start from an existing view
• Enter 'My Feedback' in the View Name field
• Select the 'Columns' that are to be displayed
• In the 'Filter' region, Check 'Show items only when the following is true' radio button
• Select 'Created By' in the 'Show the items when column' poplist
• Select 'is equal to' in the next poplist
• Enter [Me] in the field below - enter exactly as given including the square brackets
• Click 'OK'

Limitations

As it is a discussion board, one would like to report on the status as well. For instance, items that are still 'Open'. This part is easily done by creating a new column, say, 'Status' and having Open and Closed as the choices. The challenge is reporting based on on 'Open' or 'Closed'. The reason is the discussion board has a different Id for each item in the thread (same discussion, different threads!); hence, if you close the last threaded item, it does not cascade to the threaded one's. If anyone has a workaround or pointers, please use the 'Comment' form below and it will benefit the users.

There is no 'Print' function to the list. Wish this had been taken care in SharePoint 2007 - but as of now there is no out of the box solution.

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written by fgfdg , February 09, 2009

cbcvbcvbcvbcvbcv
bnjmbvmbn

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written by wu ly , September 20, 2008

Can you outline the last comment solution[b[ (i.e. the solution is use the 'status' column only in the parent item )

I would like to have this solution in our discussion board

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written by tsc , June 28, 2008

This can be easily done - the solution is use the 'status' column only in the parent item i.e. not at the child level i.e. thread level

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written by site admin , December 12, 2007

The standard Issue tracking list has a decent 'Status' reporting feature i.e. you can track 'open' 'Closed' items without the constraints found in the discussion board. Why not use the 'issue tracking' list as a discussion board?

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written by chandran , December 11, 2007

I have not tried this, and just a thought.

Setting workflows might be a solution. You can create workflows so that it changes the status of the threaded items on certain conditions. You need Sharepoint Designer to do custom workflow

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written by roxson , December 11, 2007

Hi

I am interested in the creating an 'Open' and 'Closed' view for the discussion board and have the same limitation as above.

Willing to pay $$$$ for a solution on that.

thanks

rox

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