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About this lesson
Learn how to edit list views, add new columns, delete columns, and modify existing columns.
Exercise files
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3.08 modifying-list-views - Exercise.docx61.5 KB 3.08 modifying-list-views - Exercise solution.docx
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Quick reference
Modifying List Views
Views in SharePoint can be modified. We can change the columns to display, add our own custom columns, or delete columns.
When to use
Modify a list view whenever you want to view the information and records in a different way.
Instructions
Adding a Custom Column to a View
In this example, we are going to add a column to show the Department to the Training Contact list.
- From the Training Contacts list, click Add Column.
To add a new column, we must select a data type for the column. What we select here will be determined by the type of data in the column. To keep lists as error-free as possible and control what information is entered into the column, we can give users a choice of options from a pick-list.
- Select Choice from the menu.
- In the Name field, give the column a name e.g. Dept.
- Add a Description (optional).
- Enter in the choices for the pick-list.
- Click Save.
Modify Existing Records in a View
- Click Edit in grid view from the horizontal menu.
- Click in the Dept column for each record and select an option from the pick-list.
- Once complete, click Exit grid view.
Deleting a Column
- Click the drop-down in the column heading.
- Select Column Settings and Edit.
- Scroll to the bottom and select Delete.
- 00:04 So now I have my new view.
- 00:05 I'm going to switch back to all contacts,
- 00:08 because I want to show you something else you can do.
- 00:11 With any of these lists, if you want to change the columns that you see here,
- 00:17 you can do that and add in your own custom columns.
- 00:20 So for example with my contacts here in my all contacts list,
- 00:24 maybe I want to add a column which tells me what department these people work in.
- 00:28 And you can see right on the end, I have an Add Column drop down.
- 00:32 And when I click it,
- 00:33 we get something that you might think is a little bit unexpected.
- 00:38 What you're seeing in this menu are different data types.
- 00:42 And this really defines the kind of data that you have in this particular column.
- 00:48 So, if I'm adding a column for department is going to be things like marketing,
- 00:52 sales, finance, IT.
- 00:54 Those are text-based items that could be added to the record.
- 00:59 So I want to make sure that I choose the appropriate data type from this list.
- 01:04 Now, there are numerous different options you can choose here.
- 01:06 For example, Single Line of Text that will just allow anybody who's looking at
- 01:11 this list to edit the list and add in a department.
- 01:15 Now I would say with this kind of thing, if you have multiple people who have
- 01:19 the potential to change these records in a list.
- 01:22 You want to make sure that your list is kept as error free as possible.
- 01:27 So sometimes what's good to do here is give them a pick list to choose from.
- 01:34 So what I want instead is if somebody comes to edit this list, instead of just
- 01:38 free typing in marketing and risking a spelling error or something like that,
- 01:43 I want them to click a drop down list and choose the department from the options.
- 01:49 So I'm going to define that the choices.
- 01:51 So what I'm going to select here is choice.
- 01:55 Now this is going to open up a little pane on the side and
- 01:58 I need to give my column a name.
- 02:00 So let's call this Dept.
- 02:03 I could have a description I'm not going to at this stage.
- 02:05 My data type is choice and
- 02:07 I can now add in the choices that I want them to be able to pick from.
- 02:12 So let's just say marketing is the first one.
- 02:15 Sales is the next one, HR.
- 02:18 I'm going to add another choice.
- 02:21 We're going to do IT, and let's add one more.
- 02:23 Let's do finance.
- 02:26 So those are the choices that they're going to have from the drop down list.
- 02:30 I'm not going to allow them to add any values manually.
- 02:33 And do I want a default value displayed in the column?
- 02:36 Well, no, I don't.
- 02:37 I'm just going to click Save.
- 02:39 And now you can see I have a brand new column.
- 02:42 There's something else that we haven't really covered is how you actually
- 02:45 edit these records.
- 02:46 Well, there are a couple of different ways that we can edit.
- 02:48 But the easiest way by far the easiest way that I find is to edit in grid view.
- 02:54 If we take a look at the menu bar running across the top,
- 02:57 we have an edit in grid view toggle.
- 03:00 If we click this, it allows us to go straight in and
- 03:02 make changes to these records.
- 03:04 So if I now want to add the departments to these existing records,
- 03:07 I just click in the field.
- 03:10 And take a look what happens, I get a drop down list so I can choose marketing.
- 03:15 Maybe I want to choose sales for this one, we'll do HR.
- 03:20 Let's do another marketing,
- 03:24 a finance and another finance.
- 03:28 And once I'm happy, I just need to click
- 03:31 exit grid view again at the top to save those entries.
- 03:36 Now, what about if I want to delete a column.
- 03:39 So the home phone number column isn't really doing a great deal here.
- 03:42 Well, I can click the drop down I can go to column settings and into Edit.
- 03:49 Again, the pane opens on the right hand side and right at the bottom
- 03:52 I have a delete option, which will allow me to delete the column from this view.
- 03:57 And remember, everything that you're doing here is just being applied to the view
- 04:01 that you currently have selected.
- 04:02 For example, if I go back to Freeman contacts, it's not going to show me
- 04:06 the department column because I've only added it to the all contacts view.
- 04:11 And the final point I want to mention here is when you do add a new column,
- 04:15 if somebody else in your team then goes to add in a new training contact,
- 04:18 when they click that new button, if you scroll down,
- 04:21 the column that you've added will be listed in here.
- 04:24 And they get those same choices.
- 04:27 So the column is available when you're adding a new record.
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