Reviewing the Column Choices in SharePoint 2010
A powerful feature of SharePoint 2010 lists and libraries is the ability for an administrator to customize the list or library in many ways, one of which is to add columns, similar to the process of adding a column in Excel. This is accomplished from the Document Library Settings page, which is reached by entering the document library, clicking the Library tab on the Ribbon, and then clicking the Library Settings icon on the right side of the toolbar. Only users with the manage lists permission will be able to click the Library Settings icon; it is grayed out for other users. By default, members of the Owners, Designers, and Hierarchy Managers groups have manage lists permissions.
After on the Document Library Settings page, the Columns section is found midway down the page, and provides the options of Create Column, Add from Existing Site Columns, Column Ordering, and Indexed Columns. If Create Column is clicked, the administrator will have a selection of columns to choose from, which will vary slightly based on the version of SharePoint 2010 in use because SharePoint Foundation 2010 will not offer the Managed Metadata option. Descriptions of these columns are as follows:
• Single line of text— Has the following options: Description (text), Require That This Column Contains Information (Yes or No), Enforce Unique Values (Yes or No), Maximum Number of Characters, Default Value (Text or Calculated Value), Add to All Content Types, and Add to Default View.
• Multiple lines of text— Has the following options: Description (text), Require That This Column Contains Information (Yes or No), Allow Unlimited Length in Document Libraries (Yes or No), Number of Lines for Editing (Integer), Add to All Content Types (Yes or No), and Add to Default View (Yes or No).
• Choice (menu to choose from)— Has the following options: Description (text), Require That This Column Contains Information (Yes or No), Enforce Unique Values (Yes or No), Type Each Choice on a Separate Line, Display Choices Using (Drop-Down Menu, Radio Buttons, Checkboxes [Allow Multiple Selections]), Allow Fill-in Choices (Yes or No), Default Value (Text or Calculated Value), Add to All Content Types (Yes or No), and Add to Default View (Yes or No).
• Number— Has the following options: Description (text), Require That This Column Contains Information (Yes or No), Enforce Unique Values (Yes or No), Specify a Minimum and Maximum Allowed Value (Two Integers), Number of Decimal Places (Integer), Default Value (Number or Calculated Value), Show as a Percentage (for example, 50%), Add to All Content Types (Yes or No), and Add to Default View (Yes or No).
• Currency— Has the following options: Description (text), Require That This Column Contains Information (Yes or No), Enforce Unique Values (Yes or No), Specify a Minimum and Maximum Allowed Value (Two Integers), Number of Decimal Places (Integer), Default Value (Currency or Calculated Value), Currency Format (for example, United States), Add to All Content Types (Yes or No), and Add to Default View (Yes or No).
• Date and Time— Has the following options: Description (text), Require That This Column Contains Information (Yes or No), Enforce Unique Values (Yes or No), Date and Time Format (Date Only, Date & Time), Default Value (None, Today’s Date, Date in M/D/YYYY format) or Calculated Value), Add to All Content Types (Yes or No), and Add to Default View (Yes or No).
• Lookup (information already on this site)— Has the following options: Description (text), Require That This Column Contains Information (Yes or No), Enforce Unique Values (Yes or No), Get Information From (drop-down menu to select list or library), In This Column (drop-down menu to select the column), Allow Multiple Values (Yes, No), Allow Unlimited Length in Document Libraries (Yes, No), Add a Column to Show Each of These Additional Fields (Title, Expires, ID, Modified, Created, Version, Title [linked to item[), Add to All Content Types (Yes or No), Add to Default View (Yes or No), and Enforce Relationship Behavior (Restrict Delete, Cascade Delete).
• Yes/No (check box)— Has the following options: Description (text), Default Value (Yes or No), Add to All Content Types (Yes or No), and Add to Default View (Yes or No).
• Person or Group— Has the following options: Description (text), Default Value (Yes or No), Require That This Column Contains Information (Yes or No), Allow Multiple Selections (Yes or No), Allow Selection Of (People Only, People, and Groups), Choose From (All Users, SharePoint Group), Show Field (ID, Name, Modified, Created, Account, Email, Mobile Number, SIP Address, Department, Job Title, Name [with Presence], Name [with Picture], Name [with Picture and Details], Content Type), Add to All Content Types (Yes or No), and Add to Default View (Yes or No).
• Hyperlink or Picture— Has the following options: Description (text), Require That This Column Contains Information (Yes or No), Format URL As (Hyperlink, Picture), Add to All Content Types (Yes or No), and Add to Default View (Yes or No).
• Calculated (calculation based on other columns)— Has the following options: Description (text), Formula, Insert Column (shows valid columns to add to the formula), The Data Returned from This Formula Is (Single Line of Text, Number, Currency, Date and Time, Yes/No), Add to All Content Types (Yes or No), and Add to Default View (Yes or No).
• External Data— Has the following options: Description (text), Require That This Column Contains Information (Yes or No), External Content Type, Select the Field to Be Shown on This Column, Display the Actions Menu (Yes or No), Link This Column to the Default Action of the External Content Type (Yes or No), Add to All Content Types (Yes or No), and Add to Default View (Yes or No).
Note
External data is discussed in Chapter 31, “Business Intelligence in SharePoint 2010 with Business Connectivity Services,” and an example is given of creating an External Content type to connect to an AdventureWorks database using SharePoint Designer 2010 as well as using the External Data column type. After the External Content type is created, it can be selected from the External Data column settings. Note that a number of steps are required that are also discussed in Chapter 31, including installing the AdventureWorks database. The main difference between an external list and a regular SharePoint list is that the actual contents of the external list live outside of SharePoint lists or libraries.
• Managed Metadata— Has the following options: Description (text), Require That This Column Contains Information (Yes or No), Enforce Unique Values (Yes or No), Add to All Content Types (Yes or No), Add to Default View (Yes or No), Allow Multiple Values (Yes or No), Display Value (Display Term Label in the Field or Display the Entire Path to the Term in the Field), Use a Managed Term Set (Find and Reset buttons) or Customize Your Term Set, Allow Fill-in Choices (Yes or No), and Default Value (Browse button). Managed Metadata is covered later in this chapter in more depth.
With this wide range of choices, it should be obvious that an incredible number of combinations can be created to meet business needs. This chapter provides examples of several different column types, but an administrator should become familiar with the capabilities of the different columns through experience and trial and error and by taking the effort to meet specific end-user and business requirements through lists and libraries.
Caution
Keep in mind that some restraint should be used when creating more complex lists and libraries that involve dozens or even hundreds of columns. Microsoft offers a white paper titled “DesigningLargeListsMaximizingListPerformance.docx” that provides information about topics such as row wrapping, lookup columns, and indexes that should be reviewed for more complex designs. For example, it is not unusual for an organization to want to move away from a very complex Excel spreadsheet and leverage a SharePoint 2010 list instead. Some spreadsheets have hundreds of columns in one worksheet, and although a SharePoint 2010 list can replicate this design, this can result in the SQL database requiring multiple rows to store the data. For example, if there are more than eight date and time columns in a list, each item will use two SQL Server database table rows. If there are more than 16 date columns, each item uses 3 rows. According to the Microsoft document, the performance impact in larger lists is in the range of 35 percent per additional row. So, this document is recommended reading for SharePoint architects and administrators who are tasked with more daunting list designs involving a large number of columns.