Each of the Data View Toolset web parts uses data-sources to connect to query and retrieve data.
The available data-sources are:
- SharePoint List
- SharePoint List Aggregator
- SharePoint Search
- Excel File
- Graph API
- SharePoint User Profiles
- External Data (REST API)
This section describes each of the available data-sources, and its configuration properties.
SharePoint List data source
The SharePoint List data source enables you to connect to a single SharePoint list/library.
It includes the following properties:
| Property | Description |
| SharePoint site url | Site where the list/library that you wish to display is located. |
| SharePoint list | Select the list/library that you want to display. |
| List view | Select the view that you want to display. |
| Max number of items | This property allows you to limit the number of items returned from the data source. |
SharePoint List Aggregator data source
The SharePoint List Aggregator datasource enables you to aggregate items/documents from multiple lists/libraries and from multiple sites and site-collections.
Configuration of this data source is done in 2 steps:
- Configure the aggregating query
This is the query that defines what data columns you wish to retrieve and what filtering conditions should be applied. Configuring this query is done by simply selecting a list view. This list view is used by the data source as a query definition.
- Create aggregation scopes
Aggregation scopes define sites and lists/libraries the aggregating query will run against. You can create multiple aggregation scopes.
The SharePoint List Aggregator data source includes the following properties:
| Property | Description |
"Select list view used as query definition" section
This section includes properties that define a list view which is used as a query to aggregate list/library items from multiple aggregation scopes
|
| SharePoint site url | Site where the list is located. |
| SharePoint list | Select the list. |
| List view | Select the view that you want to use as the aggregating query. |
| Retreive only the view's column (faster) | By default the data source retrieves all the available columns from the target lists. Check this property to have the data source retrieve only the columns that are included in the view, which will make aggregation faster. |
| Maximum number of items | Limit the number of items to display from all sources. If unset, will show the top 15,000 by default. |
| Maximum number of items per list | Limit the number of items per list in data source. |
"Aggregation scopes" section
This section enables adding/updating multiple aggregation scopes on which the selected query (list view) will be executed
|
| Add aggregation scope | Open the "Configure Aggregation Scope" popup,
See details in the next section.
|
| "Configure Aggregation Scope" popup This is where you configure the parameters of an aggregation scope, you ca create multiple scopes. |
| Friendly name | Give the aggregation scope a clear name.
example: "All project milestones" |
| Aggregation scope | Select required scope from the available options: - Entire site collection
- Specific site
- Specific site and sub-sites
- Specific lists
|
| Starting SharePoint site url | Top-level site from where to start the aggregation. |
| List title pattern | Type a name pattern for lists that will be included in the aggregation. You can include asterisk character.
example: "*tasks" defines all lists that their title ends with the string "tasks" |
| Site title pattern | Type a name pattern for sites that will be included in the aggregation. You can include asterisk character.
example: "*project" defines all sites that their title ends with the string "project" |
| List types | Select the list types that should be included in the aggregations cope. |
| Content type | Select the list content types that should be included in the aggregation scope |
| Enabled/Disabled toggle | Enable/disable the aggregation scope. |
SharePoint Search data source
The SharePoint Search data source enables you to use the SharePoint Search service to aggregate data across your entire tenant.
The advantage comparing to the List Aggregator data source is that it is faster and enables querying multiple site-collections and web-application in a single request. On the other hand, the SharePoint Search data source requires your SP admin to properly configure the Search service and configure all relevant list columns as managed properties, so there’s some overhead before you can use this data source (Unlike the List Aggregator data source which can be used immediately).
The SharePoint Search data source includes the following properties:
| Property | Description |
| "Search Settings" section
In this section you configure your search query. |
| Query Text | SharePoint search query. Please make sure columns are mapped correctly before you use them. |
| List types | Select the types of lists that you wish to aggregate. You can select multiple types. |
| Content type | Select if you wish to limit the aggregation to a specific content type. |
| Search documents and list items only | Check to limit the aggregation to list items and documents only, other types will not be searched (such as people for example). |
| Trim similar results | Check to use SharePoint Search's ability to trim similar results. |
| Select columns | Type internal name of columns that you want to be retrieved, separated by comma. |
| Search results source | Select one of the available SharePoint Search result sources. |
| Maximum number of items | Limit the number of items to get from the search. If you do not specify a number, the search default item limit will be used. |
| "Limit search scopes" section
This section enables adding/updating multiple search scopes that can further limit the scope of search.
|
| Add search scope | Click the button to add a new search scope.
Each search scope is limited to a site collection and provides additional filtering properties, identical to the ones described for the "List Aggregator" data source in previous section.
|
Excel File data source
The Excel file datasource enables you to connect to a MS Excel file located in a SharePoint library, by using Excel Services.
It includes the following properties:
| Property | Description |
| Excel file Url | Type the url of an excel file stored in your SharePoint
|
| Excel Object | Select the excel sheet
|
| Sheet Range | Type the cell range that define the data you wish to display |
IMPORTANT:
Connecting to an Excel file is done by using the built-in Excel services.
If Excel services are not available or return no results (may happen with large files), the MS Graph API is used instead. In that case the "site assets" library is not supported by Microsoft Graph, so make sure to store your excel file in another library.
GRAPH API data source
The Graph API datasource enables you to connect via the MS Graph API to many Microsoft Online resources:
So for example, you can get your recent files from OneDrive, display your Outlook meetings and tasks, or display organization hierarchy based on Azure AD.
When you edit the Graph API datasource you'll see 2 settings pages:
1. Connect to Microsoft Graph
2. Configure column info
Connect to Microsoft Graph settings page
This settings page includes all Graph API properties enabling you to connect to any of the MS Graph resources.
| Property | Description |
| Load graph example... | Click this button to load one of the available presets:
When selecting any of these examples, it will update all other properties with the selected example settings: - AD org chart users - connect to Azure AD and get all active users
- Current user profile - connect to Azure AD and get current user's properties
- My contacts - connect to Azure AD and get current user's contacts
- My calendar - connect to Exchange Online and get current user's calendar
- User's shared calendar - connect to Exchange Online and get parameter user's calendar
- Group calendar - Connect to M365 groups and get parameter group's calendar
- My recent files - Connect to OneDrive and get current user's recent files
These are all presets that can be configured, or you can simply type any other valid MS Graph path and other properties to get any available resource from Graph api. |
| Graph Path | This is the path sent to Graph API. For more information about Graph API path syntax and options, checkout the Graph API explorer: https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/graph-explorer |
| Select columns | Type the column names from the retrieved source. |
| Filter statement | A call to MS Graph API can include a filter statement, enabling you to define a query to limit the number of returned items. |
| Advanced filter function | Since the graph API has very limited $filter support, you can provide an optional advanced filter function that returns true for items to keep. Note: this filter is slower than using the $filter parameter. |
| Maximum number of items | Limit the number of items to get from the data source. |
| Microsoft Graph Expanded Properties | You can add additional properties for each item by providing a custom property request. For example, you can add a user's photo as an expanded property.
For more information about Graph API $expand statement syntax and options, checkout Graph API documentation. |
Configure column info settings page
In this settings page you select a set of columns from the ones retrieved from Graph API. For these selected columns you configure:
- The displayed title (which can be different than the column's internal name)
- Field data type - this enable s you to specify how you want a column to be rendered (example: as an image, as a link)
- Show up in a view item page (displayed when user clicks an item)
- Order of the displayed columns in the view item page and in the Table control
SharePoint User Profiles data source
SharePoint User Profiles service allows you to load user profile information from SharePoint.
This data source provides data that is specifically designed to work with Org Chart controls.
It includes the following properties:
| Property | Description |
| Start account login | Choose a user account to start the search from.
If left empty - current user's login will be used as the search starting point. |
| Number of levels to load | Limit the number of hierarchy levels to load. |
'External Data' data source
The External Data feature (part of KWizCom modern apps) enables creating external data sources, which connect to web services.
An external data source encapsulates the data about the connected web service, including the retrieved data columns.
Click here to learn more about the External Data feature.
After you create your external data source, you can use it from the Data View Plus web part, by selecting the "External Data' data source type:
Then you select the exact external data source (in the screenshot above it's "SQL Products", which defines what columns will be retrieved from the external data source.