Create a custom list
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About lists
A list in your SharePoint team Web site is a collection of information that you share with team members. For example, you could create a sign-up sheet for an event or a list of ideas.
Each list appears on a page that includes commands for adding items, sorting and filtering items, switching to a different view of the list, and changing the design of the list. You can also copy the list to a spreadsheet, and you can subscribe to be notified of changes to the list from this page.
Team Web sites include a set of built-in lists. Except for the Announcements list, these lists are empty when the team Web site is created so that you can immediately fill them with items pertinent to your team. The Announcements list contains a sample announcement to help you get started with your team Web site.
You can use the lists that come with your team Web site as is, you can modify or delete lists that you don't use, and you can create your own lists. When you create your own lists, you can base them on the designs used for the built-in lists, or you can create custom lists from scratch.
If you have a SharePoint Team Services-compatible client program, such as Microsoft Excel 2002 installed, you can create lists that are based on spreadsheets.
SharePoint Team Services enables you to create the following kinds of lists:
Announcements
A place to post information for the team. By default, a view of the Announcements list appears on the home page.
Contacts
Information such as name, telephone number, e-mail address, and street address for people who work with your team. By default, a hyperlink to the Contacts list appears on the Quick Launch bar.
Events
A list of important dates. By default, a view of the Events list appears on the home page.
Tasks
A to-do list for team members. By default, a hyperlink to the Tasks list appears on the Quick Launch bar.
Links
A list of hyperlinks to Web pages of interest to team members. By default, a view of the Links list appears on the home page.
Custom List
A list with a minimum number of predefined columns. When you want to create a list that is unlike any of the built-in lists, create a custom list.
Data imported from a spreadsheet
If you want to start with a list of information in a spreadsheet, you can define a range of cells to use as a list in your team Web site. SharePoint Team Services imports the data from the spreadsheet and displays it the same way it displays the built-in lists: in columns that can be filtered and sorted, and accompanied by commands that enable team members to add, edit, and delete items.
There is no link between the original spreadsheet and the list on the team Web site. If you change the spreadsheet, the list on the team Web site is not updated. Likewise, changes to the list on the Web site are not reflected in the original spreadsheet.
Note To import data from a spreadsheet, you must have a SharePoint Team Services-compatible spreadsheet program, such as Microsoft Excel 2002, and Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 or later installed.
In the top link bar, click Create.
On the Create Page page, click Custom List.
In the Name box, type a name for the list. This field is required.
In the Description box, type text that describes the purpose of the list. This field is optional.
In the Navigation section, if you want a hyperlink to this list to appear on the Quick Launch bar, click Yes.
Click Create.
A page that displays the default view of your new list is added to the team Web site.
Define your own columns for the list. Do the following:
On the page that displays your new list, click Modify settings and columns.
Under Columns, click Add a new column.
In the Column name box, type a name for the column. When team members fill out a form to add items to this list, column names are labels of data entry fields.
Select an option for the type of information you want to display in this column. For example, if you want team members to type only a word or two of text, click Single line of text.
In the Optional Settings for Column section, specify the settings you want.
Types of information and options for each type
The following types of information are available, with options for each type as shown:
Single line of text
Use this information type when you want team members to enter just a few words.
Description :
Type a description of the information you want in this column. When team members fill out a form to add items to a list, column descriptions are displayed below the data entry fields.
Required :
If you want to require team members to enter information in this column, click Yes.
Maximum number of characters :
Type a number to limit the number of characters team members can type.
Default value :
If you want new items to display information in this column automatically, type that information here. Team members can change this value if they want to.
Default view option :
If you want this column to appear in the default view of this list, document library, or discussion board, select this check box.
Multiple lines of text
Use this information type when you want team members to type a sentence or more.
Description :
Type a description of the information you want in this column. When team members fill out a form to add items to a list, column descriptions are displayed below the data entry fields.
Required :
If you want to require team members to enter information in this column, click Yes.
Number of Lines to Display :
Type a number to limit the number of lines team members can type in this column.
Default view option :
If you want this column to appear in the default view of this list, document library, or discussion board, select this check box.
Number
Use this information type when you want team members to type a numerical value.
Description :
Type a description of the information you want in this column. When team members fill out a form to add items to a list, column descriptions are displayed below the data entry fields.
Required :
If you want to require team members to enter information in this column, click Yes.
Minimum and maximum values :
If you want team members to enter values within a certain range, type a value for the lower limit in the Min box and a value for the upper limit in the Max box.
Number of decimal places :
Select the number of decimal places to enable team members to enter decimal values in tenths, hundredths, and so on.
Default value :
If you want new items to display information in this column automatically, type that information here. Team members can change this value if they want to.
Percentage option :
If you want the number to represent a percentage, select this check box.
Default view option :
If you want this column to appear in the default view of this list, document library, or discussion board, select this check box.
Currency
Use this information type when you want team members to type a monetary value.
Description :
Type a description of the information you want in this column. When team members fill out a form to add items to a list, column descriptions are displayed below the data entry fields.
Required :
If you want to require team members to enter information in this column, click Yes.
Minimum and maximum values :
If you want team members to enter values within a certain range, type a value for the lower limit in the Min box and a value for the upper limit in the Max box.
Number of decimal places :
Select the number of decimal places to enable team members to enter decimal values in tenths, hundredths, and so on.
Default value :
If you want new items to display information in this column automatically, type that information here. Team members can change this value if they want to.
Currency format :
Select a currency based on geographic region.
Default view option :
If you want this column to appear in the default view of this list, document library, or discussion board, select this check box.
Date and Time
Use this information type when you want to store calendar or time-of-day information.
Description :
Type a description of the information you want in this column. When team members fill out a form to add items to a list, column descriptions are displayed below the data entry fields.
Required :
If you want to require team members to enter information in this column, click Yes.
Date format :
Select whether you want to display the date or the date and time of day.
Default value :
If you want new items to display the current date in this column automatically, click Today's Date; otherwise, click (None). Team members can change this value if they want to.
Default view option :
If you want this column to appear in the default view of this list, document library, or discussion board, select this check box.
Lookup
Use this information type when you want to make it easy to select information that's already stored in your team Web site.
Description :
Type a description of the information you want in this column. When team members fill out a form to add items to a list, column descriptions are displayed below the data entry fields.
Get information from :
Select a list, document library, discussion board, or survey from your team Web site.
In this column :
Select the column that stores the information you want team members to be able to select.
Default view option :
If you want this column to appear in the default view of this list, document library, or discussion board, select this check box.
Choice
Use this information type when you want team members to choose from a set of selections that you provide.
Description :
Type a description of the information you want in this column. When team members fill out a form to add items to a list, column descriptions are displayed below the data entry fields.
List of choices :
In the Enter each choice on a separate line box, replace the sample text with the selections you want team members to choose from. Type each selection on a separate line. To start a new line, press ENTER.
Display options :
If you want the selections displayed in an expanding box, click Drop-Down Menu. If you want the selections displayed in a list, click Radio Buttons.
Default value :
New items will automatically display the selection you typed first in the List of choices. If you want to use another selection as the default, copy and paste that selection here. Team members can change this value if they want to.
Default view option :
If you want this column to appear in the default view of this list, document library, or discussion board, select this check box.
Yes/No
Use this information type when you want to store true/false information. To indicate a value of "yes," team members select the check box; to indicate a value of "no," team members clear the check box.
Description :
Type a description of the information you want in this column. When team members fill out a form to add items to a list, column descriptions are displayed below the data entry fields.
Default value :
If you want new items to display a value in this column automatically, click Yes or No here. Team members can change this value if they want to.
Default view option :
If you want this column to appear in the default view of this list, document library, or discussion board, select this check box.
Hyperlink or Picture
Use this information type when you want to display a hyperlink to a Web page or display an image from the Web.
Description :
Type a description of the information you want in this column. When team members fill out a form to add items to a list, column descriptions are displayed below the data entry fields.
Required :
If you want to require team members to enter information in this column, click Yes.
URL format :
If you want the hyperlink to be text, click Hyperlink. If you want the hyperlink to display an image, click Picture. To display a picture, team members enter a Web address that is the URL of an image, such as https://example.microsoft.com/image.gif.
Default view option :
If you want this column to appear in the default view of this list, document library, or discussion board, select this check box.
At the bottom of the page, click OK.
