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About this lesson

Learn how to edit list views, add new columns, delete columns, and modify existing columns. 

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.
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  • 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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