Custom Templates in SharePoint

There are various types of custom lists available readily in SP like Survey, Issue tracking, Links, Contacts List, Task List, Custom List, FDB, Project task and so on. The following is a brief description of these lists.

1. Survey

Survey List

A survey is a way of getting data or feedback from users of your SharePoint sites.

A Survey List Template of SharePoint 2010 allows you to create and maintain a list of questions and define how users can specify their answers.

A Survey List allows you to create multiple types of questions and allows you to select the type of answer to that question, such as a single line of text, multiple lines of text, Choice, Rating Scale, Number, Currency, Date and Time, Lookup, Yes/No, Person or Group, Page Separator (inserts a page break into your survey), External Data and Managed Metadata.

Creating a survey list

1. Creating survey
   
   
   
   1. Provide a name to the survey.
   
   2. Click on the Create button.
   
   
   
   It includes the following details:
   
   
   • Name & Description for the survey.
   • Navigation of the survey, inother words whether it could be accessed using quick launch
   • Survey Options includes whether showing the user's name and allowing users to provide multiple responses.
     
2. Add questions to the survey
   
   On the New Question Page:
   
   
   1. In Question: Type “Your Name”.
      
   2. Type of answer: Select Single line of text.

   The user can define the answer format, like single line of text, multiple lines of text, Number, Lookup, Yes/No and so on.
   
   Indicates that the answer must be in a single line, by default it allows a maximum of 255 characters.
   
   
   
   On the same page, go to the “Additional Question Settings” section.
   
   For “Require a response to this question” select yes (highlighted in Dark Red).
   
   It indicates that when responding to a survey, the user must answer this question. If you want to keep this question optional for your user, select No.
   
   
   
   Click on “Next Question”, to add another question to the survey or “Finish”.
   
   
   
   Thus a survey is created from the preceding procedure.
   

3. Respond to a survey
   
   To respond to this survey:
   
   
   1. On the SharePoint site, select “Training Feedback” survey.
   2. Click on “Respond to this Survey” .
   3. After clicking on “Respond to this Survey”, the questions for this survey will appear.

   
   
   Thus responses are saved from the users.

2. Issue Tracking

The Issue Tracking app can be used for customer service problems, helpdesk incidents, website updates, new tools releases, project management hurdles, or any scenario with a stream of ongoing issues.

Standout features

Like other list apps, the Issue Tracking app comes with a handy set of columns to get you started and you can customize the app to fit your needs. In addition to logging the issue owner, due date and other basic information, there are three features that stand out:

1. Issues have a Comments field for a run ning history: Capture what's been done so far, such as troubleshooting procedure, results, next steps, additional requests and so on. The comments include a timestamp and the person's name. For example, for a website update, Viola Barrios logs an issue about the title font size. Someone updates the font, but then someone would like to increase the font by one more point. The Comments section can capture all the input and actions along the way.
   
   
   
   
2. You can categorize issues: This makes it easier to group, summarize, view and report on issues. The list comes with placeholder categories that you customize and add to if needed.
   
   
3. You can relate issues to each other: Tracking related issues together can help you manage issues efficiently or identify trends.
   
   If we have more complex needs, we can customize the app, such as with a custom column that tracks the number of days an issue is open. We can also add a workflow to automate how issues are handled.

Creating Issue Tracking List

An issue tracking list could be created as we did the preceding for survey.

Add an item



The default columns are:

1. Title: Single line text
2. Assigned to: Person/group
3. Issue Status: Choice
4. Priority: Choice
5. Description: Multiple lines of text
6. Category: Choice
7. Due Date: Date and Time
8. Related Issues: Lookup
9. Comments: Multiple lines of text

3. Links

Creating a link

Links list could be created as we did in the preceding for the survey.

Add a new link



Contains the following two default fields:

1. URL: Hyperlink or Picture.
2. Note: Multiple lines of text.

4. Contacts List

Create



Adding a new contact.



Used to store detail contact information and could be customized to the needs by adding columns.

Contains the following 20 default fields:

Contains 20 default fields
Last Name	Single line of text
Last Name Phonetic	Single line of text
First Name	Single line of text
First Name Phonetic	Single line of text
Full Name	Single line of text
E-mail Address	Single line of text
Company	Single line of text
Company Phonetic	Single line of text
Job Title	Single line of text
Business Phone	Single line of text
Home Phone	Single line of text
Mobile Number	Single line of text
Fax Number	Single line of text
Address	Multiple lines of text
City	Single line of text
State/Province	Single line of text
Zip/Postal Code	Single line of text
Country/Region	Single line of text
Web Page	Hyperlink or Picture
Notes	Multiple lines of text

5. Task List

Creating a task list

A task list can be created as we did in the preceding for the survey. When a new task is created, you have the option of displaying that task on the timeline. When you click the ellipsis next to a task, a pop-up menu gives you the option of adding or removing that item from the timeline.

We can add various web parts to increase the performance of task lists.

Subtasks

When you click the ellipsis next to any task, though, you are presented with a new option to
Create Subtask as in the following:

• You are immediately switched to datasheet view that is now called Quick Edit view.
• A new, empty row is inserted under the item that you'd like to create a subtask.
• This new item is indented and a little arrow is displayed next to its "parent".

SP 2010 doesn't handle sub tasks directly, it has Summary task content type to inherit the parent task.

Adding an Item

 

Column	Type
% Complete	Number
Assigned To	Person or Group
Description	Multiple lines of text
Due Date	Date and Time
Predecessors	Lookup
Priority	Choice
Start Date	Date and Time
Status	Choice
Task Group	Person or Group
Title	Single line of text

6. Custom List in Datasheet view

Custom List in Datasheet view is a blank sheet displayed as a spreadsheet in order, it allows easy data entry. The list is displayed as an Excel spreadsheet that is easy to create and manage the data.

Creation

A custom list could be created as we did in the preceding for the survey.

Add items



No default fields are present.

To view data in external content type.

Unable to analyze because of configuration issue.

7. FDB

Feedback form, nearly a survey form with default fields.

Adding a response



Contains the following default fields:



We can add other details apart from those that come as defaults.

8. Project Task

A project task contains a collection of tasks that are part of a project. After you create a project task list, you can add tasks, assign resources to tasks, update the progress on tasks and view the task information on bars that are displayed along a timeline.

Creating

A project task list could be created as shown above.

Adding an item


Contains the following default fields:



9. Status List

Used to track and display a set of goals. Colored icons are used to indicate the status to which the goal is reached.

We can define the limiting point and current position of the specific entry.

Creation



Contains the following default fields:



Adding a response



We can set a custom list since an indicator value can use the items present in it to define the status of the indicator, the status icon could be set based on the needs. Also the detailed info could be saved in a separate custom list and could be attached here.

10. Announcements

It falls under the category of communications.

Creating

The same as any other custom list.

Adding a new announcement



This screen tells us to add a Title, Body and Expire Date.

In the Title you will need to add the Header of your Announcement.

In the Body, you will need to provide more details about the Announcement.

In Expires, you will need to provide a specific and acceptable Date at which this Announcement will expire.

The announcement will be published until the expiry date.



11. Import Spreadsheet

Create a list that duplicates the columns and data of an existing spreadsheet. Importing a spreadsheet requires Microsoft Excel or another compatible program.

Unable to analyze because of webpage exception occurred while creating.



Thus various custom templates are analyzed.