SharePoint2010 Content Types

SharePoint2010 Content Types

SharePoint takes the concept of site columns a step further, allowing you to create groups of site columns called Content Types. Content Types are defined for a site and can then be applied to lists. This allows for an even more manageable and reusable structure than leveraging site columns alone. Multiple content types can be associated with a single list to store items with multiple formats in a central location. For instance, Domestic Contact and Foreign Contact content types can be created with slightly different columns needed for address information. Both can be associated with a single list to store and manage your corporate contacts together. Newly created sites contain predefined site content types for contact, event, document, task, issue, and other information.

Creating Site Content Types

Site content types are managed in the Site Content Type Gallery found in the site settings of a site. Like site columns, content types are available for user on the site where they are created and all related subsites. If you want a content type to be available for an entire site collection it must be created at the top-level site of the site collection.

To create a site content type, perform the following steps:

1. On the site’s home page, click the Site Settings link in the Site Actions menu.

2. On the Site Settings screen, click the Site Content Types link in the Galleries section.

3. On the Site Content Type Gallery screen, click the Create link on the toolbar.

4. On the New Site Content Type screen, enter a short descriptive name and an optional longer description for the column.

5. Choose the parent content type to use as a template. Your new content type will initially be created using the columns and settings of the parent content type. For lists, selecting the List Content Types: Item as the parent provides the simplest template consisting of a single Title column.

6. In the Group section, select an existing group to help organize your site content type for easy management.

7. Click the OK button.

Tip To customize the organization of your site content types, select the New Group option, and enter a group name when creating a new site content type. Then reuse this group when creating additional, related, site content types. After you perform the previous steps, the Site Content Type page is displayed allowing you to further manage your newly created content type.

Managing Site Content Types

Site content types are managed within the Site Content Type Gallery. The gallery is available from the Site Content Type Gallery link on the Site Settings page. The Site Content Type Gallery screen displays the content types available in the current site along with their parent type and the site where they were created. The names of content types created on the current site will be links that take you to Site Content Type management screen.

The Site Content Type management screen, enables you to manage the settings and columns of the selected site content type as well as delete the content type from its site.

Tip A site content type that has been added to a list cannot be deleted. Clicking the OK button on the deletion confirmation window will result in a message stating that the content type is in use. To delete the content type, it must first be removed from every list that it has been added to.