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

    Creating survey

    1. Provide a name to the survey.

    2. Click on the Create button.

    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.

    Indicates that answer

    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.

    question

    Click on “Next Question”, to add another question to the survey or “Finish”.

    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.

    responses

    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.

    Comments

  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

tracking

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

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

Create

Adding a new contact.

Summary task

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

Custom list table

 

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

Custom List in Datasheet view


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

Adding a response

Contains the following default fields:

Contains 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

Adding an item
Contains the following default fields:

Contains

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

Creation

Contains the following default fields:

default fields

Adding a response

custom list

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

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.

Expires

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.

analyze

Thus various custom templates are analyzed.

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