SharePoint 2010 - Create Site Column Example

In this article we explore the creation of Site Columns inside the SharePoint user interface.

What are Site Columns?

Site Columns provide a central, reusable column definition. A site column can be used across sub sites or lists inside the site collection.

Creating a Lookup Site Column

In this example we are creating a new Site Column of type Lookup. The site columns is needed for capturing the supported state for courier services.

Currently the following countries are supported:

• New Jersey
• New York
• Virginia
• Arkansas
• California
• Texas

As time goes by, more and more states are supported by the courier companys. The site column provides the advantage of making the change in only one place and all the associated lists are reflected with the change.

Step 1: Create a site column

Open the SharePoint site and select Site Actions > Site Settings > Site Columns. In the page that appears, use the Create button to create a new site column:

Step 2: Enter the Column Details

Enter the column details as shown below:

Click the OK button to save the changes.

Step 3: Create a new sub site

Create a new sub-site using Site Actions > New Site. After creating the site, create a new List inside it deriving from Custom List.

After creating the list go to the List Settings screen and select the Add from existing columns option in the Columns section:



Step 4: Add the new site column

In the dialog that appears select the Service State which should be listed:



Click the Add button to add the column to the list. Click the OK button to save the changes. Going back to the list you can try adding a new item.
The Site Column is ready with the values in the add dialog as shown below:

Step 5: Testing the new site column



This concludes our creation of Site Columns and using it across another sub-site list.

Step 6: Adding new value

Imagine that there is about a dozen lists using the above site column. Now the courier service has added support to the state of Colorado. In this case we do not need to change all the lists. Instead modify only the Site Column.

Go to Main Site > Site Actions > Site Settings > Site Columns and select our Site Column for editing. Add the new value Colorado and save the changes.

Back to the list try adding a new item and you should be able to see the new value there.



References

Create Site Column

Summary

In this article we have explored the creation of site columns using SharePoint 2010 and the convenience of changing it. In real-world scenarios Site Columns are a valuable aid for maintaining consistency across sites.