In some case, it could be useful to use the Modern Pages into the Help site pages.
The previous generic case proposed was the Wiki Site with Wiki Pages.
Advantage to use the Modern Pages
In SharePoint Online the implementation of the modern pages propose many features useful and simplifying the end user navigation:
- Modern Page display
- Modern WebPart component
- Integration of the Modern Pages into the Modern News WebPart
- Aggregation of the Modern Pages into the Communication Hub Site
- Aggregation of the Modern Pages into the SharePoint Application (Web and Mobile)
- Adaptation of the display for any Devices without any development
- ...
It's really a basic to match with the Microsoft Strategy and the Wiki Site/Page is not anymore part of it.
Business Case presentation
This solution is matching with a dedicated requirement I had:
- Associated with a Business CheckList, create one Help Page per check task automatically
- Group the Help page into the Site left menu navigation per topic
- Implement into each page then basic template using one canvas and text basic
- Automatize the page creation and menu item creation
The CSV file need to have only the following entries (columns):
- CHECKID: with a Text format like "1.01", used for the filename "1.01.aspx"
- CHECKNAME: with Text format with the long task name like "Collect data from the business line"
- CHECKTOPIC: with Text format like "01. BASICS TASKS"
A generic picture per topic need to be placed into the current SiteAsset library with the name "$(CHECKTOPIC).JPG".
When the Script is executed the responsible of the Checklist have to edit each page to complete the content into the different parts like:
-------------------------------
Task Title: Collect the Data from the Business
Topic:
- 01. BASIC TASKS
Description:
Get all the data from the business line to be sure the mission is ready to start
Estimated Time:
- Some minutes
Person in charge:
- Task Manager
Starting time:
- When the mission is started
-------------------------------------
PowerShell script:
You can use that script and adapt it to your specific case as you want, it's only a base to use.
$HelpAndQAUrl = "https://[YourTenant].sharepoint.com/sites/SiteCollection/helpsite"
$CSVFilePath = "C:\Business-CheckList.csv"
##Connecting to site - get and save your O365 credentials
[string]$username = "Admin@YourTenant.onmicrosoft.com"
[string]$PwdTXTPath = "C:\SECUREDPWD\ExportedPWD-$($username).txt"
$secureStringPwd = ConvertTo-SecureString -string (Get-Content $PwdTXTPath)
$cred = New-Object System.Management.Automation.PSCredential -ArgumentList $username, $secureStringPwd
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[string]$TextTemplateToPut = ""
[string]$pageFilename = ""
[string]$pageFileTitle = ""
[string]$PageTopic = ""
[string]$PageTitleFull = ""
[string]$pageFilename = ""
[string]$PageTitleToUpdate = ""
[int]$ParentNodeID = 0
[int]$PageNodeID = 0
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#GET CSV File
$AllPagesToCreate = Import-Csv -Path $CSVFilePath
# --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#Loop for each line
foreach ($PageToCreate in $AllPagesToCreate)
{
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Write-host " ==> Page ID", $PageToCreate.CHECKID, "- Name:", $PageToCreate.CHECKNAME , "- Topic:", $PageToCreate.CHECKTOPIC -ForegroundColor Yellow
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$pageFileTitle = $PageToCreate.CHECKID
$PageTopic = $PageToCreate.CHECKTOPIC
$PageTitleFull = $PageToCreate.CHECKNAME
if($PageTitleFull.IndexOf("(") -gt 0)
{
$PageTitleShort = $PageTitleFull.Substring(0, $PageTitleFull.IndexOf("("))
}
else
{
$PageTitleShort = $PageTitleFull
}
$pageFilename = -join($pageFileTitle, ".aspx")
$TextTemplateToPut = "<h2>Task Title: $($PageTitleFull)</h2>"
$TextTemplateToPut += "<h3>Topic:</h3><ul><li>$($PageTopic)</li></ul>"
$TextTemplateToPut += "<h3>Description:</h3><p> </p><p> </p>"
$TextTemplateToPut += "<h3>Estimated Time:</h3><ul><li> </li></ul>"
$TextTemplateToPut += "<h3>Person in charge:</h3><ul><li> </li></ul>"
$TextTemplateToPut += "<h3>Starting time:</h3><ul><li> </li></ul><p> </p>"
$PageTitleToUpdate = -join($pageFileTitle, " - ", $PageTitleShort)
$ParentNodeID = 0
$PageNodeID = 0
Write-host " "
Write-host " -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- " -ForegroundColor green
Write-host " ---- START THE PAGE CREATION:", $pageFileTitle, "-", $pageFilename -ForegroundColor green
Write-host " ---- Page Title Full:", $PageTitleFull -ForegroundColor green
Write-host " ---- Page Title Short:", $PageTitleShort -ForegroundColor green
Write-host " -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- " -ForegroundColor green
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#connect to the web site using the stored credentials
Write-host " "
Write-host " -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- " -ForegroundColor green
Write-host " ---- CONNECT THE SITE --- " -ForegroundColor green
Write-host " CONNECTED SITE:", $HelpAndQAUrl -ForegroundColor Yellow
Connect-PnPOnline -Url $HelpAndQAUrl -Credential $cred
Write-host " -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- " -ForegroundColor green
$checkpage = Get-PnPClientSidePage -Identity $pageFilename -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
if($checkpage -eq $null)
{
Write-Host " >>> Page does not exist or is not modern"
$page = Add-PnPClientSidePage -Name $pageFilename -LayoutType "Article"
}
else
{
Write-Host " >>> We have a modern page present"
$page = $checkpage
}
#Add text webpart to page
Add-PnPClientSideText -Page $page -Text $TextTemplateToPut
Set-PnPClientSidePage -Identity $page -LayoutType "Article" -Title $PageTitleToUpdate
$page = Get-PnPClientSidePage -Identity $pageFilename -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Write-host " ==>> PAGE HEADERS ImageServerRelativeUrl:", $page.PageHeader.ImageServerRelativeUrl -ForegroundColor Green
$ctx = Get-PnPContext
Write-host " ==>> WEB Relative URL:", $ctx.Web.ServerRelativeUrl -ForegroundColor Yellow
$mySiteRelativeURL = $ctx.Web.ServerRelativeUrl
$myPageRelativeURL = -join($mySiteRelativeURL, "/", $page.PagesLibrary, "/", $pageFilename)
Write-host " ==>> PAGE Relative URL:", $myPageRelativeURL -ForegroundColor Yellow
$page.PageHeader.ImageServerRelativeUrl = $mySiteRelativeURL +"/SiteAssets/$($PageTopic).JPG"
$page.Save()
$page.Publish()
Get-PnPConnection
$AllQuicklaunchNodes = Get-PnPNavigationNode
foreach($MyNode in $AllQuicklaunchNodes)
{
if($MyNode.Title -eq $PageTopic)
{
Write-host " ->>>> PARENT - MenuNode Title:", $MyNode.Title, "- ID:", $MyNode.ID -ForegroundColor Yellow
$ParentNodeID = $MyNode.ID
}
else
{
Write-host " - MenuNode Title:", $MyNode.Title, "- ID:", $MyNode.ID -ForegroundColor Green
}
}
if($ParentNodeID -eq 0)
{
Write-host " ===>>>> TOPIC LINK NOT EXIST, Need to create it" -ForegroundColor Red
$AddMyNode = Add-PnPNavigationNode -Title $PageTopic -Url $mySiteRelativeURL -Location "QuickLaunch"
$ParentNodeID = $AddMyNode.Id
}
$Topicnodes = Get-PnPNavigationNode -Id $ParentNodeID
foreach($MyPageNode in $Topicnodes.Children)
{
if($MyPageNode.Title -eq $PageTitleToUpdate)
{
Write-host " ->>>> PAGE NODE EXIST- MenuNode Title:", $MyPageNode.Title, "- ID:", $MyPageNode.ID -ForegroundColor Red
$PageNodeID = $MyPageNode.ID
}
else
{
Write-host " ->>>> PAGE NODE - MenuNode Title:", $MyPageNode.Title, "- ID:", $MyPageNode.ID -ForegroundColor green
}
}
if($PageNodeID -eq 0)
{
$AddMyNode = Add-PnPNavigationNode -Title $PageTitleToUpdate -Url $myPageRelativeURL -Location "QuickLaunch" -Parent $ParentNodeID
}
}
Visual Result:
The home page of the Help Site can be configured with the Modern News WebPart to display the last published help pages:
And for one of the page, you can retrieve the content with that basic display:
Post execution step:
When the site is created and after the task owner enrich the content into the pages, you can use that other script to update the Page Metadata setting the author field and publication date adapted with real information of the Page Owner and not your admin account:
Conclusion
This script was used for many internal sites to create some site with hundreds of pages.
Romelard Fabrice
French version:
