Content Types Practical Applications

Now that metadata has been reviewed in detail, the initially confusing concept of content types should make more sense. Just as site columns were accessed from the Site Settings page, Site Column link, Content Types are accessed from the Site Content Types link. Each content type can contain the following settings and components:

• Name, description, and group.

• Advanced settings, including the URL of an existing document template or a new document template that can be uploaded. The option to set the content type as read only is provided, and the option to update all content types inheriting from this content type is provided.

• Workflow settings allow the addition of a workflow to the content type. Workflows available in SharePoint Server 2010 will be affected by site collection features enabled, but can include Disposition Approval, Three-State, Approval, Collect Signatures, Publishing Approval, and Collect Feedback.

• Document Information panel settings. These setting allow the administrator to use the existing template, point to an existing .xsn template to use (which can be created in InfoPath), or upload a new .xsn template. In addition, the Document Information panel can be set to always show on document open and initial save.

• Information management policy settings provide options including the following: policy statement that displays when the item is opened, enabling retention and definition of retention stage, enabling auditing of interactions between end users and the documents, enabling barcodes, and enabling labels.

• Columns can be added from existing site columns, or created for the content type.

• When creating a new content type, a parent content type can be defined to which additions or changes are made.

As with site columns, there are a large number of content types already in place to include the following groupings:

• Business Intelligence

• Content Organizer Content Types

• Digital Asset Content Types

• Document Content Types

• Folder Content Types

• Group Work Content Types

• List Content Types

• Page Layout Content Types

• Publishing Content Types

• Report Server Content Types

• Special Content Types

This list may vary based on the version of SharePoint 2010 in place and the site collection features enabled.

These content types can be associated with lists or libraries, and when this has taken place the content type will be available for selection from the New menu. If a content type is added after content already exists in the list or library, it can then be assigned to items.

Follow these steps to add the site column created in the previous section to an existing content type:

1. Navigate to the Site Content Types page by accessing Site Settings for the top-level site of the site collection as a site collection administrator and clicking Site Content Types.
2. Click Create.
3. Enter a name for the content type (in this example, Company ABC Task), select List Content Types from the Select Parent Content Type drop-down, and select Task from the Parent Content Type drop-down menu.
4. Select Custom Content Types from the Put This Site Content Type into the Existing Group drop-down menu, as shown in Figure 22.21. Click OK to save.

   Figure 22.21. Creating a new content type based on a parent content type.

   

5. The ManageContentType.aspx page will then open for the new content type. This page shows the settings inherited from the parent and allows the administrator to make changes that will only affect this new content type and future content types that inherit from it. In this example, the administrator wants to add the site column Project Name created previously.
6. Click Add from Existing Site Columns under the Columns list. The Add Columns to Content Type page opens.
7. In the Select Columns From drop-down, select Company ABC Columns, and then select Project Name from the Available Columns pane, and click the Add button. Click OK to save.
8. As shown in Figure 22.22, the ManageContentType.aspx page will now show the new column in the Columns table, and unlike the other columns, it will have no listing under Source, indicating that it was added to this content type.

   Figure 22.22. New Content Type Management page showing added site column.

   

9. To validate that this content type is functional, create a new Tasks list titled New Tasks List.
10. From the new Tasks list, access List Settings for the list and click Add from Existing Site Content Types in the Content Types section.

    Tip

    If there is no Content Types section, click the Advanced Settings link, and then select Yes in the Content Types section under Allow Management of Content Types, and then click OK to save the changes.

11. Select Custom Content Types from the drop-down menu under Select Site Content Types From, and then click Company ABC Task in the Available Site Content Types section and click the Add button. Now the Company ABC Task content type should appear in Content Types list.
12. Return to the list by clicking the list name in the breadcrumb. Click the New Item drop-down list form the Items tab and click Company ABC Task.
13. Give the item a title such as Task Testing New Content Type and scroll down to the Project Name field and verify that the expected choices from the site column are shown (in this example, Project ABC, Project DEF, and Project GHI), as shown in Figure 22.23. Select one of these values and click OK.

    Figure 22.23. Adding a new item to a Tasks list that uses the new content type.

    

14. The Project Name column isn’t shown, so click the List tab and then the Modify View button.
15. From the Edit View page, find the Project Name entry in the Columns section, and check the box in the Display column. Click OK, and now the Project Name column should display.