Create a Field In a List in SharePoint 2013 Using CSOM-JavaScript

Introduction

This article explains how to create a field in a list in SharePoint 2013 using CSOM-JavaScript.

Prerequisites

The following are the prerequisites:

1. Ensure you have access to the Office 365 online.
2. Ensure Napa tool is available in your site.

Procedure

The following is the procedure to be followed:

1. Create an app for SharePoint using Office 365 Tools. If you have missed out on how to create an app in SharePoint 2013, then Click here
2. Click on the App.js file.
   
   
   
   
3. Globally declare the content, web and list objects as shown below.
    

     var context = SP.ClientContext.get_current(); //gets the current context

     var web = context.get_web(); //gets the web object

     var list = web.get_lists(); //gets the collection of lists

    

4. Now write the function to create a field in a list as in the following:
    

   function createFieldInList() {

           var targetList = list.getByTitle("MyCustomList");

           field = targetList.get_fields().addFieldAsXml(

   '<Field DisplayName=\'MyCustomField\' Type=\'Text\' />', true, SP.AddFieldOptions.defaultValue);

           context.load(field);

           context.executeQueryAsync(onFieldCreationSuccess, onFieldCreationFail);

       }
    

5. Here in this example we are creating a field in a list.
6. “addFieldAsXML” is one of the methods to create a field.
7. After creating the field object we need to load this object and then the code is executed by calling executeQueryAsync().

    

       function onFieldCreationSuccess() {

           alert("Success");

           $('#message').text = "";

           $('#message').text(field.get_title() + " got created");

       }

       // This function is executed if the above call fails

       function onFieldCreationFail(sender, args) {

           alert('Failed to create a field. Error:' + args.get_message());

       }
    

8. Now call the createFieldInList function inside the createList function.
    

     function createList() {

           listCreation = new SP.ListCreationInformation();

           listCreation.set_title("MyCustomList"); //list title

           listCreation.set_templateType(SP.ListTemplateType.genericList); //list type

           list.add(listCreation)

           context.load(list);

           context.executeQueryAsync(onListCreationSuccess, onListCreationFail);

           createFieldInList(); //after creating the list create the field.

       }

   Note: The list should be created before you create a field in the list. Click here if you want to know how to create a list in SharePoint 2013.
   

9. The final snapshot of the enitre code is as in the following:
   
   
   

Testing

1. Now to run the app click on the "Play" button that is available towards the left-most corner.
   
   
   
   
2. The app is packaged, deployed, and installed on your Office 365 Site.
   
   
   
   
3. Now you will be able to see the message “MyCustomField got created” in the page.
   
   
   
   
4. To see the field that was recently created, just go to the following URL:
   
   Syntax: https://yoursite/Lists/ListName
   Example: https://mysite/Lists/MyCustomList
   
   
   

Summary

Thus in this article you saw how to create a field in a list in SharePoint 2013 using CSOM-JavaScript.