Introduction To SharePoint Designer

Introduction

SharePoint Designer is a tool provided by Microsoft for designing, customizing, and creating a SharePoint solution without writing a lot of code. It's easy to use for both, SharePoint developers and administrators. SharePoint Designer provides lists, libraries, and functionality to create a site and edit pages.

The framework is capable of designing and building highly customized business solution sites.

Opening SharePoint Designer 2013

SharePoint Designer is like a friend of SharePoint Server. Once you download the SharePoint Designer, you can save it anywhere in your computer and install it.

Go to Start Menu -> Search SharePoint Designer -> Open.

Click on Open Site >> copy your site collection URL and paste over here. Then, click OK. It will ask for Login ID and Password.

Next, it will be asking for User ID and Password for accessing your site.

It will check your credentials and after logging in, you will be redirected to the Homepage of SharePoint Designer.

Webpart Page

You can now create a Webpart using SharePoint Designer. Also, you can set the Webpart Zone.

SharePoint Lists

Create a SharePoint list in SharePoint Designer, same as in SharePoint. Microsoft has already provided many out-of-box list templates to work with. You can click on any of that to create your own lists.

SharePoint Document Libraries

You can create SharePoint libraries also in SharePoint Designer, similar as in SharePoint. You can click any of the company provided libraries to create your own library.

WorkFlows

There are three types of workflows in SharePoint Designer.

List Workflow
Reusable Workflow
Site Workflow

List Workflow

You can attach a list workflow in a list or library in SharePoint. It's commonly used for business processes, such as collecting feedback or approval information for, a document or list item is best created by list workflow.

SharePoint Designer

Reusable Workflow

You can create reusable workflow in top level site in site collection. Additionally, you can reuse the same template in other site collections too. This workflow can associate with the list, library, and content type in the site collection.

SharePoint Designer

Site Workflow

Site workflow can associate with Site not list, library, or Content Type in SharePoint.

SharePoint Designer

Site Pages

In SharePoint Designer, you can create site pages, such as HTML and ASPX page.

Content Type

In SharePoint Designer, you can create a content type and can add it in a list.

Site Column

You can create site column in SharePoint Designer.

Data Source

Connecting to the external source through data source in SharePoint Designer is very easy.

Master Page

You can add, edit, and manage the master page inside SharePoint Designer.

Site Groups

You can create, edit, and delete the group in SharePoint Designer.

Sub sites

You can create subsites in SharePoint Designer.

I think SharePoint Designer is a good tool and you can do a lot of out-of-the-box stuff, without writing even a hundred lines of code. It’s easy, it’s fast, and if you know what you are doing, I would say, it is the best.