Using DocDrive365, we can configure different types of Metadata that we want to track for Documents and publish this into our SharePoint Sites.

We can do this using the DocDrive App in Dynamics or Power Apps to specify the Metadata we need and divide by Content Type.

This leverages the standard Content Type and Metadata functionality from SharePoint, however we can bring the integration with Dynamics into the mix by specifying which Metadata Columns we want to present via Dynamics and also which Metadata should be shown for which Entity in Dynamics.

This gives us good options for where and how we put SharePoint Metadata to use within Dynamics.

How do we do it?

In the DocDrive App, we have the list of our Entity Definitions.

In each Entity Definition, we have a list of applicable Content Types – these are the Content Types which will be shown as possible Document Types for Documents connected with this Entity in Dynamics.

We can drill down into any one of these Content Types to see information about the Content Type, and particularly the list of Columns available for that Content Type.

We can further drill down into any of these Columns to investigate the details of the Source Metadata Definition in SharePoint, and how this Column will be presented within Dynamics.

This contains Yes or No options for whether the Column will be shown for in-line edits within Dynamics, or be shown when the Metadata for a Document is shown via a Full-Screen Form.

Changing these options to YES will then configure DocDrive to show this Column as Editable within Dynamics – and so appear within the Documents Panel when viewing SharePoint Documents in Dynamics or Power Apps.

Initially this ability to hide or show a particular Metadata Column by Content Type is a simple Yes or No toggle.

This can be expanded upon by defining Views of Documents rather than simply relying on the Default View of Documents for an Entity and/or Content Type.

So this guide can be thought of as one of stepping stones towards building a Metadata driven approach to Document Management in Dynamics and Power Apps.

We saw earlier how we can define Content Types and their Columns, here we see how we can present these Columns in the Default View, we then build towards defining a variety of Views.