Unable to filter SharePoint Document Library Folders based on Login member

Question

I have a task on a SharePoint document library. I have 3 folders A, B & C. These 3 folders are 3 business packages. The customers might have more than 1 package.

Example

Data Entry Package(Folder A), Form Filling Package(Folder B), Add Posting Package(Folder C).

Here, customers might have more than 1 package. Client uploads all the documents to specific person in each folder (Person or Group Field added to document library). When the customer logs in automatically all the documents that are in these 3 folders should be filtered. I have done this without using folders, but when I use folders I am unable to get filtration as the folders disappear.

Can anyone tell me what is the reason?

Answer 1

If you are using SharePoint 2010, you can use Metadata Navigation and Filtering based filters. You need to enable the feature at the Site level 1st and then in your library you could go to Library Settings, Metadata Navigation settings, and use filters.

Best is to use Content types as you can get excellent benefits from it.

Hope it helps, C:\Marius

Answer 2

Folders make it difficult to view all documents, however they can increase performance and the number of documents that can be stored in the library.

You can create a view which will ignore folders, under Folders -> show all items without folders, then if you have metadata attached to the documents (A, B and C), you can group the documents by package as well.

So assuming you had a column called "Package" and had set the documents in the folders correctly, you could create a view and "show all item without folders", then filter by user and group by Package column.

I know this may sound redundant having a folder and a column, but you would be able to optimise performance while providing more flexible grouping and filtering. It really depends on the situation.