SharePoint Content Types Are the Bee’s Knees
A student at USPJ Academy asked this question in a forum thread the other day:
Can someone explain the advantages of using Custom Content Types in a List/Form Library as they pertain to making the rollup of data in a DVWP easier? I am not sure if this is true, but someone here at work mentioned this as being a good general approach.
They can help with DVWP filtering, but they are much, much more important than that.
- Content Types allow you to enforce consistent metadata structures across lists.
- Lists inherit Content Type metadata structure changes.
- You can attach workflows to specific Content Types.
- SharePoint is “Content Type”-aware, and manages the forms for multiple Content Types on a single list automagically for you.
- Content Types are constructed from Site Columns which are centrally maintained, so all Content Types can be updated with new metadata options (Office, Product Line, etc.) instantly.
- Content Types inherit either from base content types (like Document, Item, Event, etc.) or you can set them up to inherit from your own custom Content Types.
- Content Type inheritance is hierarchical.
I’m sure I’m missing some things, but they really are the bee’s knees. Another thing you can quote me on.
What would be helpful is a simple how-to for end users on how to understand build all this.
That would be far longer than a quick blog post, Veronique! Probably a whole book, or at least a 6 week course at USPJA.
M.
Hehe, yeah I know. :) Just thought I’d take a chance. :) It was a nice blog anyway. :)
Maybe in time, Veronique. Only so much time in a day, don’t you know!
M.
What you mean you actually sleep between 2 and 4am? ;-) If we could only learn to expand time hey. :-)