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Hello, it's Matt and welcome to Collaboration Coach.
In this video we're going to look at a brand-new app...
...coming to Office 365 soon called Microsoft Lists.
Microsoft announced this new app at their online Build conference this week
so I thought I'd have a look and try to understand what it is they're doing
and give you my thoughts on it.
So I've gone through the marketing materials, listened to the podcasts,
watched the videos, and I think I understand the idea now.
I think all they're doing is extending what Modern lists in SharePoint can do,
rather than making a brand new product.
Microsoft have called it an "evolution" of SharePoint lists.
So before we get started, if you like these videos then please subscribe and hit the bell
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Just as a recap then - a SharePoint list is essentially a database that you use inside of SharePoint.
The data is stored in columns and rows like an excel spreadsheet
but because it's in SharePoint, you get to use all the SharePoint features - like views,
and they're very easy to share and access.
The big change with Microsoft Lists is the addition of a lot of features that were available in Classic lists
and it brings them into the modern format.
And as well as lists being a feature in SharePoint, it will be its own stand-alone app...
...that you can launch from the app-launcher in your browser.
It will also have an app that you can add to channels in Teams.
So let's have a look at some of these new features that will be included in Lists,
and if you stick around 'til the end, I'll share my thoughts on it.
So first of all - templates.
List templates is a feature of Classic lists that never made it to Modern.
And it's something that a lot of my customers want to use.
Microsoft Lists will include out-of-the-box templates and will be extensible,
so I'm assuming you'll be able to write your own.
"Classic" is a term that Microsoft uses
for the old, or "legacy" look and feel...
...of features in SharePoint that have been around for more than 10 years.
The Modern format came along in 2016
and gradually the best features have been moved over from Classic to Modern.
When you're creating a new list in Microsoft Lists you 'll be given 8 templates to choose from...
that will have pre-formatted columns and properties.
This is just to speed up the process of creating the list
and also to make sure that the list gets created in the same way every time.
So Microsoft have provided some examples of the templates they plan to make available
and they are things like issue trackers, asset trackers and event itineraries.
Also in classic, we used to be able to create lists from an excel spreadsheet.
Well that process was clunky, but it worked for the most part
and it's something I used to use,
and the ability to create lists from spreadsheets will be available in Microsoft Lists...
...which is great.
And finally, you'll be able to base a new list on an existing list
but this feature is available in SharePoint already.
Next - views.
So, a view in SharePoint is just a way of looking at the same data.
For example, you'd have a traditional list view that shows you the data in columns and rows
and then you could customise that to make your own view so you only saw certain columns and rows.
Microsoft Lists will include a new view called the "grid",
which is a refresh of the existing "quick edit" view.
Just like "quick edit", the grid view will allow you to do in-line updates to the data in the list
and it means you won't have to open up the item in a form to update it.
It's going to allow you to do things like copy, paste and then drag for bulk updates like you can do today
so it's not really clear to me at the moment what else this grid view is going to bring to the table...
...that the quick edit view can't already do.
So we'll just have to wait and see.
There will be an updated card view
and you'll be pleased to know that the calendar view is making a comeback as well.
So you'll be able to create a list where the items are displayed on a calendar.
There'll be the addition of a rules feature, which looks very similar to Workflow
but perhaps it's a simplified version.
So when changes are made to the list, like, an item is added or deleted,
you can kick off a workflow with a rule.
So for example, if you wanted to notify someone by email when an item was added to your list,
you could configure a rule to send it automatically.
There will also be integration with Teams,
and it sounds like there will be a dedicated app for Lists.
Microsoft has demonstrated how that will look and feel in Teams.
One of the big benefits I can see here is the ability to have a conversation around an item in a list
in the same way as you can around a document today.
This is a thing that you can't do in SharePoint
and takes advantage of one of the good features of Teams in a good way.
So Microsoft are saying that the Lists app will be coming in the "summer".
Most of these updates have now been added to the roadmap
and they are currently saying they'll be released in June.
And then a mobile app will be released later on.
So far this doesn't feel like a massive change.
It appears to be using the underlying technology that SharePoint has...
...for creating and managing lists,
so if you're familiar with that, you'll be familiar with the way Microsoft Lists is going to work.
The templating is definitely going to make people's lives easier for sure,
and I think the big difference is this Lists app,
so - moving lists up-front to be more like Planner or Forms instead of burying it away in SharePoint.
That said, I can see a use for this new version of Lists in my business,
so I'm looking forward to giving it a try
and I'll keep an eye on the progress and let you know when it's available and how to use it.
Thank you so much for watching,
and remember to subscribe and hit the bell
so you get notified when we post
and I'll see you next time.
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