All About Content Types

• Content types
  
  Content types (A reusable group of settings for a category of content. Use content types to manage the metadata, templates, and behaviors of items and documents consistently. Content types are defined at the site level and used on lists and libraries.) enable organizations to organize, manage, and handle content in a consistent way across a site collection. By defining content types for specific kinds of documents or information products, an organization can ensure that each of these groups of content is managed in a consistent way.
  
  1) What is a content type?
  2) How content types work at the site level?
  3) How content types work in lists and libraries?
  
  What is a content type?
  In the course of a single project, a business might produce several different kinds of content, for example, proposals, legal contracts, statements of work, and product design specifications. Although these documents might be stored together because they are related to a single project, they can be created, used, shared, and retained in different ways. A business might want to collect and maintain different kinds of metadata about each kind of content.
  Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 enables organizations to define these different sets of documents as content types. A content type is a group of reusable settings that describe the shared behaviors for a specific type of content. Content types can be defined for any item type in Office SharePoint Server 2007, including documents, list items, and folders. Each content type can specify:
  • The columns (metadata) that you want to assign to items of this type.
  • The document template on which to base new items of this type (document content types only).
  • The custom New, Edit, and Display forms to use with this content type.
  • The workflows that is available for items of this content type.
  • The custom solutions or features that is associated with items of this content type.
  • The information management policies that are associated with items of this content type.
  • The Document Information Panel, which is available in compatible Microsoft Office programs for items of this content type.
  • The document conversions that are available for items of this content type (document content types only).
  
  Content types provide organizations with a way to manage and organize content consistently across different lists and libraries in a site collection (site collection: A set of Web sites on a virtual server that has the same owner and share administration settings. Each site collection contains a top-level Web site and can contain one or more subsites.), and they also make it possible for a single list or library to contain multiple item types or document types
  
  How content types work at the site level?
  Content types are organized into a hierarchy that allows one content type to inherit its characteristics from another content type. This allows categories of documents to share attributes across an organization, while allowing teams to customize these attributes for particular sites or lists.
  Content types are first defined centrally in the Site Content Type Gallery for a site. Content types that are defined at the site level are called site content types. Site content types are available for use in any subsites of the site for which they have been defined. For example, if a site content type is defined in the Site Content Type Gallery for the top-level site in a site collection, it is available for use in lists and libraries in all of the sites in that site collection. Site content types can be added individually to lists or libraries and customized for use in those lists or libraries. When an instance of a site content type is added to a list or library, it is called a list content type. List content types are children of the site content types from which they are created.
  
  How inheritance works for site content types
  When you define a new custom site content type in the Site Content Type Gallery for a site, you start by choosing an existing parent site content type in the Site Content Type Gallery as your starting point. The new site content type that you create inherits all of the attributes of its parent site content type, such as its document template, read-only setting, workflows, and columns. After you create this new site content type, you can make changes to any of these attributes.
  Whenever you make changes to site content types, you can specify whether you want these changes to be applied to any other child site content types or list content types that inherit their attributes from these site content types. Only the attributes that the child site content types or list content types share with a parent content type can be updated. If a child site content type has been customized with additional attributes that the parent site content type does not have (for example, extra columns), these customizations are not overwritten when the child site content type is updated. Changes that you make to a site content type do not affect the parent site content type from which the site content type was created.
  
  How site content types support content management
  By defining site content types, you can ensure that entire categories of documents are handled consistently across your organization. For example, all customer deliverable documents in an organization may require a specific set of metadata, such as account number, project number, and project manager. You can help ensure that account numbers and project numbers are associated with all of the customer deliverable documents in your organization by creating a Customer Deliverable site content type that has required columns for each of these items of metadata. All customer deliverable document types in the site collection that inherit from this site content type then require users to specify information for these columns. If you need to track additional metadata related to these customer deliverable documents, you can add another required column to the Customer Deliverable site content type. Then you can update all child list content types that inherit from this site content type, adding the new column to all customer deliverable documents.
  How content types work in lists and libraries
  If you have a list or library that is set up to allow multiple content types, you can add content types to this list or library from the group of site content types that are available for your site.
  When you add a content type to a list or library, you make it possible for that list or library to contain items of that type. The New command in that list or library lets users create new items of that type. One of the key advantages of content types for lists and libraries is that they make it possible for a single list or library to contain multiple item types or document types, each of which may have unique metadata, policies, or behaviors.
  How inheritance works for list content types.
  When an instance of a site content type is added to a list or library, it is a child of the site content type from which it was created. This list content type inherits all of the attributes of its parent site content type, such as its document template, read-only setting, workflows, and columns. A list content type can be customized for the specific list or library to which it has been added. These customizations are not applied to the parent site content type. If the parent site content type for a list content type is updated, the child list content type can inherit these changes (if the person who maintains the site content type chooses to apply the updates to all child content types). If any of the attributes that the child list content type shares with the parent site content type were customized for the list content type, these customizations can be overwritten when the list content type inherits the changes from the parent site content type. If the list content type has been customized with additional attributes that the parent content type does not have (for example, extra columns), these customizations are not overwritten when the child list content type inherits changes from the parent site content type.
  Create a site content type
  As a site owner, you can create new site content types (content type: A reusable group of settings for a category of content. Use content types to manage the metadata, templates, and behaviors of items and documents consistently. Content types are defined at the site level and used on lists and libraries.). You can then add these content types to lists and libraries at the site level on which you created them, in addition to lower-level sites. For example, a site content type that you create at the top-level site is available to lists and libraries on all sites in the site collection. Content types that are created at a lower-level site are not available to higher-level sites.
  After you have defined a site content type, you can reuse it in multiple document libraries in the current site or in other sites. This enables you to organize your content in a meaningful way and associate the same capabilities to your content across your document management solution. For example, if your organization uses a particular type of contract, you can create a content type that defines the metadata for that contract, the template to use for the contract, and workflows required to review and complete the contract. Any document library to which you add the Contract content type will include all of the metadata definitions and workflows of the content type, and authors can use the template you specify to create new contracts.
  About site content types
  A site content type describes the attributes of a document, folder, or list item. Each site content type can specify the following:
  • A set of properties.
  • Forms to edit the properties and display them.
  • Workflows you want to make available for the document or list item
  Site content types can also be extended by using custom features.
  By adding a site content type to a list or library, you are specifying that the list or library can contain list items, folders, or documents of that content type. An instance of a site content type that is associated with a list is referred to as a list content type
  Content type considerations
  Consider the following when you create a new site content type:
  Content types are organized into a hierarchy the content type hierarchy enables a content type to inherit its characteristics from another content type. In this way, classes of documents can share characteristics across an organization but these characteristics can be tailored for particular sites or lists.
  For example, all customer deliverable documents in an enterprise might require a set of metadata such as account number and project number. By creating a top-level Customer Deliverable content type, from which all other customer deliverable document types inherit, you ensure that account numbers and project numbers will be associated with all variants of customer deliverable documents in your organization. If you add another required column to the top-level Customer Deliverable content type, you can choose to update all content types that inherit from it, which will add the new column to all customer deliverable documents.
  New site content types are based on a parent content type When you create a new site content type, you must choose an existing (parent) site content type on which to create your new site content type. The new site content type that you create inherits the attributes of the parent. After you create a new site content type, you can make changes to it, such as adding or removing columns. Note that changes made directly to a child content type do not affect the parent content type on which it is based. When you update a parent content type, you can also choose whether those changes are updated in the list and site content types that inherit from that parent content type.
  Child site content types inherit from the parent Content types that you create are based on a parent content type and thus inherit the attributes of the parent. When you update a parent content type, you can choose whether you want the child site content types to inherit those changes. The attributes that can be inherited from a parent content type are:
  • Document template.
  • Read-only setting.
  • Workflows.
  • Columns.
  • Extensible attributes added by other applications.
  On all content type settings pages, you have the option to update list content types and child site content types. When you choose to update all content types that inherit from their parent content types, all settings on that page are also updated on all list content types and child site content types that are children of the content type that you are changing. This overwrites any previous settings on the list and site content types that inherit from this parent.
  For example, if you change only the document template on the Advanced Settings page and choose to update list content types and child site content types, the document template and read-only setting are updated on all child content types because both of these settings are on the same page. Likewise, all changes made on the Workflow Settings page will be updated together on child content types. Each column has its own Change Site Content Type Column page, so the settings for each column must be updated separately.
  Note that all attributes of a content type that appear on the parent content type — other than Name, Description, and Group — can be updated on child types. Columns or settings that do not appear on the parent type cannot be updated. To ensure that changes you make to the parent content type do not overwrite settings on child content types, you can mark the child content type as read-only. Although this is desirable in some situations, it will also reduce your ability to centrally manage your content type hierarchy.
  If you do mark a content type as read-only, the parent’s settings can still override the child's settings if you explicitly set the parent to be not read-only and then update changes on child content types.
  Site content types are stored in groups When you create a new site content type, you must choose whether to store it in an existing group or to store it in a new group that you create. If you do not want your new site column to be used by others, you can create a group named _Hidden, and then store your site column
  Create a site content type
  1. On the home page of the site collection, click Site Actions, point to Site Settings, and then click Modify All Site Settings.
  2. In the Galleries section, click Site content types.
  3. On the Site Content Type Gallery page, click Create.
  4. On the New Site Content Type page, in the Name and Description section, type a name and, optionally, a description for the new site content type.
  5. In the Select parent content type from list, select the group on which you want to base this new content type. Note that the Special content types group contains content types that change the behavior of your list or library when added.
  6. In the Parent Content Type list, select the parent content type that you want to base your content type on.
  7. Note The list of parent content types differs depending on the option that you selected in the previous step.
  8. In the Group section, choose whether to store this new site content type in an existing group or a new group.
  9. Click OK.
  Turn on support for multiple content types in a list or library
  A content type (content type: A reusable group of settings for a category of content. Use content types to manage the metadata, templates, and behaviors of items and documents consistently. Content types are defined at the site level and used on lists and libraries.) Describes the attributes of a document, folder, or list item. Each content type can specify a set of properties, forms to edit and display properties, workflows to be available for the document or list item, and a document template (Document content types only). Content types can also be extended with custom features. When you add a content type to a library or list, you specify that the library or list can contain objects of that content type.
  Content types provide organizations with a way to consistently manage and organize content across different lists and libraries in a Web application, and they also make it possible for a single list or library to contain different types of items or documents. Before list managers can add different content types to a particular list or library, you must turn on support for multiple content types on that particular list or library.
  About adding multiple content types to a list or library
  Most libraries and lists can contain multiple content types. By defining multiple content types for a list or library, you can make it easy to build libraries or lists that store different types of documents together in one place. For example, a library can contain both the documents and the graphics related to a project. In the library, the graphic files are listed with the columns of information assigned to the graphics content type and the documents are listed with the columns assigned to the document content type. By using the document library New command, authors can create new items of either content type.
  Multiple content type considerations
  Before adding content types on a library or list, it is helpful to understand the following:
  • Content types can be configured to require certain fields, also known as columns. When uploading or creating a document, the content provider must provide information in the required columns. The required columns are configured on and enforced by the content type, not by the list or library.
  • The fields that appear on a form are determined by the content type associated with that form, not by the list or library.
  • The document template that is used when creating a new document is specified by the content type, not the list or library.
  • Workflows and events can be bound to content types.
  • Content types that you specify for your list or library that have a parent/child relationship with a higher level site can be affected by actions that occur when the parent content type is updated.
  Turn on multiple content types in a library
  1. Open the library for which you want to enable multiple content types.
  2. Note You cannot enable multiple content types on a Wiki library.
  3. On the Settings menu, click Document Library Settings, Form Library Settings, or Picture Library Settings.
  4. Under General Settings, click Advanced settings.
  5. In the Content Types section, select Yes to allow multiple content types.
  6. Change any other settings that you want, and then click OK.
  Turn on multiple content types in a list
  1. Open the list or dicsussion board for which you want to enable multiple content types.
  2. On the Settings menu, click List Settings.
  3. Under General Settings, click Advanced settings.
  4. In the Content Types section, select Yes to allow multiple content types.
  5. Change any other settings that you want, and then click OK.
  Change a site content type
  A site content type describes the attributes of a document, folder, or list item. Each site content type can specify the following:
  1. A set of properties.
  2. Forms to edit the properties and display them.
  3. Workflows to be available for the document or list item.
  4. The document template to use. Members of the Site name Owners SharePoint group can change the content types for the site. By default, any content types that inherit from a content type that you change also are updated with the changes.
  Associate a document template with a site content type
  Document templates can be associated only with Document content types, not folders, lists, or discussion boards.
  1. Go to the site on which the site content type that you want to change is defined.
  2. Click Site Actions, point to Site Settings, and then click Modify All Site Settings.
  3. In the Galleries section, click Site content types.
  4. On the Site Content Type Gallery page, click the link for the site content type that you want to configure.
  5. In the Settings section, click Advanced settings.
  6. In the Document Template section, type the URL of an existing document template or upload a new document template. The following table lists the types of URLs you can use. The examples are based on the site content type resource folder (that is, the folder that contains the files for site content types) being http://contoso/_cts/ContentTypeName/ and the document template being docname.doc.
  A resource folder in the form of _cts/ContentTypeName (where ContentTypeName is the name of the site content type) exists at the root level of each site.
  URL name Example
  Server relative /_cts/ContentTypeName/docname.doc
  Absolute http://contoso/_cts/ContentTypeName/docname.doc
  Resource folder relative docname.doc
  Site relative ~/site/LibraryName/docname.doc
  7. In the Read Only section, choose whether to make this content type modifiable or read-only.
  8. In the Update Sites and Lists section, specify whether the content types that inherit from this content type will be updated with your changes. If you select Yes, other content types that
  Add a workflow to a site content type
  Adding a workflow to a content type enables end users to run the workflow on all instances of the content type within a list or library. Workflows can be added to all content types including hidden and custom content types. When a content type is added to a list or library, all of its workflow associations are also copied to that list and associated with items of that content type.
  Office SharePoint Server 2007 includes a number of workflow templates tha address business processes. Three workflows are automatically associated with the Document content type: Approval, Collect Feedback, and Collection Signatures. System administrators can also create custom workflows.
  A workflow must be deployed on your site collection before you can add it to a site content type. Contact your server administrator if the workflow that you want to add is not available.
  1. Go to the site on which the site content type that you want to change is defined.
  2. Click Site Actions, point to Site Settings, and then click Modify All Site Settings.
  3. In the Galleries section, click Site content types, and then select the content type to which you want to add a workflow.
  4. On the Site Content Type page, in the Settings section, click Workflow settings.
  5. On the Change Workflow Settings page, click Add a workflow.
  6. On the Add a Workflow page, select the Workflow template to use, and then type a name that distinguishes the workflow for the content type.
  7. The name is displayed to users when starting a workflow and when viewing the workflow status, so a short name that describes the business process is recommended.
  8. Use the instructions in the topic, Change the workflow settings for a site content type, to configure the workflow settings.
  9. If the workflow you are adding has a Customize Workflow page, click Next to proceed to the Customize Workflow page, choose the settings you want, and then click OK.
  10. If the workflow you are adding does not have a Customize Workflow page, click OK.
  Remove a workflow from a content type
  Removing a workflow from a content type terminates any workflow instances that are in progress and deletes their history and tasks. You also have the option to allow in-progress workflow instances to be completed but prevent new instances from being started.
  When you delete a workflow association on a content type from which other (child) content types inherit settings, not only is the workflow deleted from those child content types, but any workflow instances from that association that are in progress are immediately terminated and their history and tasks are also deleted.
  1. Follow steps 1-4 above to open the Change Workflow Settings page.
  2. On the Change Workflow Settings page, click Remove a workflow.
  3. On the Remove Workflows page, find the workflow you want to remove, and then do one of the following:
  To remove a workflow and terminate any workflow instances that are in progress, click Remove next to the workflow. To allow in-progress workflow instances to be completed, but not new instances, click No New Instances next to the workflow.
  4. Click OK.
  Add an existing column to a site content type
  Follow this procedure to add a column that is already defined on your site or its parent site to a site content type.
  1. Go to the site on which the site content type that you want to change is defined.
  2. Click Site Actions, point to Site Settings, and then click Modify All Site Settings.
  3. In the Galleries section, click Site content types.
  4. On the Site Content Type Gallery page, click the site content type that you want to configure.
  5. On the Site Content Type page, in the Columns section, click Add from existing site columns.
  The Add Columns to Site Content Type page appears.
  6. In the Select Columns section, select the group that you want to filter on from the Select columns from list.
  The following table describes the groups and the types of columns they contain that are available by default.
  
  Select this To display this
  All Groups All columns that are available to any group.
  Base Columns Columns that are useful in many types of lists or libraries.
  Core Contact and Calendar Columns Columns that are useful in contact and calendar lists. These
  columns are typically used to synchronize metadata from
  client contact and calendar programs, such as Microsoft
  Office Outlook 2007.
  Core Document Columns Standard document columns from the Dublin Core
  Metadata Set. Many of these columns are part of the
  Microsoft Office core property set.
  Core Task and Issue Columns Columns that are useful in task and issues lists. These
  columns are typically used to synchronize metadata from
  client Task and Issue programs, such as Microsoft Office
  Outlook 2007.
  Extended Columns A set of special-purpose columns.
  
  7. Select the column that you want to add from the Available columns list, and then click Add.
  Tip To quickly add multiple column types, press CTRL while you click each available column that you want to add.
  8. In the Update Lists and Templates section, specify whether the child site content types that inherit from this site content type will be updated with your changes.
  9. After you finish adding the columns that you want, click OK
  Add a new column to a site content type
  Follow this procedure to define a new column and add it to a site content type. Note that the new column that you create becomes available to the site on which it is created and to its child sites. After you create the new column, you can add it to other content types and also to lists and libraries. If you do not want your new column to be used by others, you can hide it by adding it to a new group called "_Hidden."
  1. Go to the site on which the site content type that you want to change is defined.
  2. Click Site Actions, point to Site Settings, and then click Modify All Site Settings.
  3. In the Galleries section, click Site content types.
  4. On the Site Content Type Gallery page, click the site content type that you want to configure.
  The configuration page for the site content type that you selected appears.
  5. In the Columns section, click Add from new site column.
  6. On the New Site Column page, in the Name and Type section, type a name for the new column type, and then select the type of information that can be stored in this column.
  Tip Column names are not case sensitive. For example, if a column named Description is already defined on your site collection, you cannot create a new column named description.
  7. In the Group section, either select an existing group or type the name of a new group in which to store this new column.
  8. In the Additional Column Settings section, specify any additional column settings that you want. For example, you can type a description for your column, specify whether information is required for this column, the maximum number of characters that can be stored in this column, and a default value for the column.
  9. In the Update Lists and Templates section, specify whether the child site content types that inherit from this site content type will be updated with your changes.
  10. After you finish adding the columns that you want, click OK.
  Change the column order for a site content type
  1. Go to the site on which the site content type that you want to change is defined.
  2. Click Site Actions, point to Site Settings, and then click Modify All Site Settings.
  3. In the Galleries section, click Site content types.
  4. On the Site Content Type Gallery page, click the link for the site content type that you want to configure.
  The configuration page for the site content type that you selected appears.
  5. In the Columns section, click Column order.
  6. Use the drop-down lists in the Position from Top column to reorder the columns the way that you want.
  7. In the Update Lists and Templates section, specify whether the child site content types that inherit from this site content type will be updated with your changes.
  Change Document Information Panel Settings
  The Document Information Panel enables end users to view and change content type properties directly within a 2007 Office release document. For example, if the document content type for your site collection has a Status column, end users can view the Status property on the Document Information Panel, and change the status from Draft to Final. When the document is saved back to the server, the change is updated in the Status column.
  The Document Information Panel is a Microsoft Office InfoPath form that is created automatically in an 2007 Office release document and reflects the document's editable properties on the server. When you configure a content type, you can generate an InfoPath form based on the properties of the content type. You can then customize and deploy the form as you would any other InfoPath form. The customized form is then referenced by the document. End users can view or edit document properties easily by using the Document Information Panel, which is displayed at the top of an Office document.
  1. On the site collection home page, click Site Actions, point to Site Settings, and then click Modify All Site Settings.
  2. On the Site Settings page, in the Galleries section, click Site content types.
  3. Select the content type to which the Document Information Panel is associated, and then on the Site Content Type page, click Document Information Panel settings.
  4. On the Document Information Panel Settings page, specify which template you want to use for the Document Information Panel
  • If you don't have one already, you can create a custom template in InfoPath by clicking Create a new custom template.
  • To use a custom template you currently have, you can upload it by clicking Browse, or you can reference it from a shared location such as a UNC path. The path is placed in the document and is subsequently referenced in order to display the Document Information Panel when the document is opened.
  • To continue using the default template that is created automatically, or to revert back to it, select Use the default template for Microsoft Office applications.
  • The default template for Microsoft Office lists the columns that have been defined for the content type.
  5) In the Show Always section, click the check box to display the Document Information Panel for every document that is created with the content type.
  
  This setting ensures that the Document Information Panel is displayed when an existing document of this content type is opened and when it is first saved. By default, the Document Information Panel is always displayed when a new document is created from within the site collection or when renaming a document and saving it to the same location.
  6) Click OK to enable the Document Information Panel changes.
  Add an information management policy
  Adding an information management policy to a content type makes it easy to associate policy features with multiple lists or libraries. You can choose to add an existing information-management policy to a content type or create a unique policy specific to an individual content type.
  You can also add an information management policy to a content type that is specific to lists. This has the effect of applying the policy only to items in that list that are using the content type.
  1. On the site collection home page, click Site Actions, point to Site Settings, and then click Modify All Site Settings.
  2. On the Site Settings page, in the Galleries section, click Site content types.
  3. On the Site Content Type Gallery page, select the content type that you want to add a policy to.
  4. On the Site Content Type page, in the Settings section, click Information management policy settings.
  5. On the Information Management Policy Settings page, specify which policy that you want to use
  • To apply an existing policy to the content type, select Use a site collection policy, select the policy name from the list, and then click OK.
  • To create a unique policy for the content type, follow these steps:
  1. Select Define a policy, and then click OK.
  2. On the Edit Policy page, type a name and description for the policy, and then write a brief policy statement that explains to users what the policy is for. A policy statement can be up to 512 characters long.
  3. Use the information in the topic, Configure features of an information management policy, to set up the features that you want to associate with the policy
  Manage document conversions
  Site administrators can enable document conversion so that end users can convert documents of one file type into another format. Document conversion for site content types also enables site administrators to configure content types to store settings that define which converters are available and how those converters work on documents of that content type. A number of document converters are included with Office SharePoint Server 2007, and your organization might have additional, custom converters as well. After document conversion is enabled in Central Administration, the converters are available by default for all site content types that can be used in a document library. This includes the following content types:
  • Document content types, such as Basic Page, Document, Form, and Picture
  • Page layout content types, such as Article page, Redirect page, and Welcome page
  Converters that have been enabled are available to end users when they select a document of a given content type, and then click Convert document from the context menu. Only the converter or converters specific to the document's file type (for example, .docx) are listed.
  When there are multiple converters for a file type, such as XML, you might prefer to edit the list of converters to ensure that users only see converters that are relevant for documents of this content type. Also, you might want to change configuration options for a converter. For either of these situations, you can use the following steps to make changes to document converters.
  1. On the site collection home page, on the Site Actions menu, point to Site Settings, and then click Modify All Site Settings.
  2. On the Site Settings page, in the Galleries section, click Site content types.
  3. Select the document content type for which you want to manage document conversion, and then, on the Site Content Type page, click Manage document conversion for this content type.
  Document converters are only available for document content types.
  4. Clear the check box for any converter that you do not want to be displayed to end users. Make sure that all converters you want to use are selected, and then click Apply.
  5. If the converter you want to use has a Configure option next to it, you can click it to define new conversion settings
  Change a content type for a list or library
  Any changes that you make to a content type (content type: A reusable group of settings for a category of content. Use content types to manage the metadata, templates, and behaviors of items and documents consistently. Content types are defined at the site level and used on lists and libraries.) for a list or library apply only the instance of that content type that has been added to the list or library. The parent site content type from which the content type was created is not updated with the changes.
  You must have at least the Design permission level to change content types for a list or library.
  Add a document template to a content type
  You can associate a document template only with a document content type (any content type derived from the document parent-site content type). By associating a document template with a content type, you can help ensure that when authors create new documents of this content type, the documents are all based on an identical template.
  For example, your organization might use a particular document template for legal contracts. If you associate this document template with the content type that your organization uses for legal contracts, any new legal contracts created by using this content type are all based on this legal contract document template.
  
  1. If the library is not already open, click its name on the Quick Launch.
  If the name of your library does not appear, click View All Site Content, and then click the name of your library.
  2. On the Settings menu , click the settings for the type of library that you are opening.
  For example, in a document library, click Document Library Settings.
  3. Under Content Types, click the name of the content type that you want to change.
  Note If the document library has not been set up to allow multiple content types, the Content Types section does not appear on the Customize page for the library.
  4. Under Settings, click Advanced Settings.
  5. If you want to provide the URL for an existing document template, in the Document Template section, click Enter the URL of an existing document template, and then type the URL for the location of the document template that you want to use.
  You can use an absolute URL or a URL that is relative to a location on a server, site, or resource folder. The following table provides examples of the types of URLs that you can use. The examples assume the existence of a content type resource folder (the folder that contains the files for site content types) located at http://contoso/_cts/ContentTypeName/, and that the document template is named Docname.doc.
  Note A resource folder, which is labeled _cts/ContentTypeName, where ContentTypeName is the name of the site content type, exists at the root level of each site.
  URL Type Example
  Absolute http://contoso/_cts/ContentTypeName/Docname.doc
  Site relative ~site/LibraryName/Docname.doc
  Server relative _cts/ContentTypeName/Docname.doc
  Resource folder relative Docname.doc
  
  6. If you want to upload the document template that you want to use, in the Document Templates section, click Upload a new document template, and then click Browse. In the Choose File dialog box, browse to the location of the file that you want to use, select it, and then click Open.
  7. Click OK
  Add a column to a content type
  You can specify the properties or metadata that you want to collect for an item of a specific content type by adding columns to that content type. For example, your organization might want to track a specific set of metadata for all of its purchase orders, such as account number, project number, and project manager. If you add columns for account number, project number, and project manager to the purchase order content type, users are prompted to provide this metadata for items of this content type.
  If you have a list or library that contains items of multiple different content types, you can collect unique metadata for items of each content type by adding columns directly to the relevant content type instead of to the list or library itself.
  1. If the list or library is not already open, click its name on the Quick Launch.
  If the name of your list or library does not appear, click View All Site Content, and then click the name of your list or library.
  
  2. On the Settings menu, click List Settings, or click the settings for the type of library that you are opening.
  For example, in a document library, click Document Library Settings.
  3. Under Content Types, click the name of the content type that you want to change.
  Note If the list or library has not been set up to allow multiple content types, the Content Types section does not appear on the Customize page for the list or library.
  4. Under Columns, click Add from existing site or list columns.
  5. In the Select Columns section, under Select columns from, click the arrow to select the group from which you want to add a column.
  6. Under Available columns, click the column that you want to add, and then click Add to move the column to the Columns to add list.
  7. To add additional columns, repeat steps 5 and 6.
  Change the order of columns for a content type
  1. If the list or library is not already open, click its name on the Quick Launch.
  If the name of your list or library does not appear, click View All Site Content, and then click the name of your list or library.
  2. On the Settings menu , click List Settings, or click the settings for the type of library that you are opening.
  For example, in a document library, click Document Library Settings.
  3. Under Content Types, click the name of the content type that you want to change.
  Note If the document library has not been set up to allow multiple content types, the Content Types section does not appear on the Customize page for the library.
  4. Under Columns, click Column order.
  5. In the Column Order section, click the arrow next to column that you want to reorder in the Position from Top column, and then select the order number that you want.
  Make a column required for a content type
  If you make columns for a content type required, users are prompted to provide metadata (column values) when they create new items of this content type.
  1. If the list or library is not already open, click its name on the Quick Launch.
  If the name of your list or library does not appear, click View All Site Content, and then click the name of your list or library.
  2. On the Settings menu , click List Settings, or click the settings for the type of library that you are opening.
  For example, in a document library, click Document Library Settings.
  3. Under Content Types, click the name of the content type that you want to change.
  Note If the document library has not been set up to allow multiple content types, the Content Types section does not appear on the Customize page for the library.
  4. Under Columns, click the name of the column that you want to make required.
  5. In the Column Settings section, click Required.
  Add a workflow to a content type
  Workflows (workflow: The automated movement of documents or items through a specific sequence of actions or tasks related to a business process. Workflows can be used to consistently manage common business processes, such as document approval or review.) make it possible to specify a business process for items and documents in a site. Organizations can use workflows to automate and manage certain common business processes, such as document approval or review. By adding a workflow to a content type, you can help ensure that all items of that content type are subject to consistent and similar business processes. If a workflow has been added to a content type, that workflow can be started on individual items of that content type.
  You can add a workflow to a content type for a list or library only if a workflow has been deployed for your site or workspace. If workflows do not appear to be available, contact your Central Administrator.
  1. If the list or library is not already open, click its name on the Quick Launch.
  If the name of your list or library does not appear, click View All Site Content, and then click the name of your list or library.
  2. On the Settings menu , click List Settings, or click the settings for the type of library that you are opening.
  For example, in a document library, click Document Library Settings.
  3. Under Content Types, click the name of the content type to which you want to add a workflow.
  Note If the list or library has not been set up to allow multiple content types, the Content Types section does not appear on the Customize page for the list or library.
  4. Under Settings, click Workflow settings.
  5. On the Change Workflow Settings page, click Add a workflow.
  6. On the Add a Workflow page, in the Workflow section, click the workflow template that you want to use.
  7. In the Name, section type a unique name for the workflow.
  8. In the Task List section, specify a task list to use with this workflow.
  • You can use the default Tasks list or you can create a new one. If you use the default Tasks list, workflow participants can find and view their workflow tasks easily by using the My Tasks view of the Tasks list.
  • Create a new Tasks list if the tasks for this workflow involve or reveal sensitive or confidential data that you want to keep separate from the general Tasks list.
  • Create a new Tasks list if your organization has numerous workflows or if workflows involve numerous tasks. In this instance, you might want to create Tasks lists for each workflow.
  9. In the History List section, select a history list to use with this workflow. The history list displays all of the events that occur during each instance of the workflow.
  Note You can use the default History list or you can create a new one. If your organization has numerous workflows, you might want to create a separate History list for each workflow.
  10. In the Start Options section, specify how, when, or by whom a workflow can be started.
  Notes
  • Specific options may not be available if they are not supported by the workflow template you selected.
  • The option Start this workflow to approve publishing a major version of an item is available only if support for major and minor versioning has been enabled for the library and if the workflow template you selected can be used for content approval.
  11. Click Next.
  12. On the Customize Workflow page, select any additional options that you want, and then click OK.
  Make a content type read-only
  You want to prevent other people from making changes to a content type that has been added to a list or library, you can make the list content type read-only. If you make a list content type read-only, this prevents the list content type from inheriting any changes that are made to its parent site content type.
  1. If the list or library for which you want to change a content type is not already open, click its name under Lists or Documents on the Quick Launch.
  2. On the Settings menu , do one of the following:
  • If you are working in a list, click List Settings.
  • If you are working in a document library, click Document Library Settings.
  3. Under Content Types, click the name of the content type that you want to make read-only.
  Note If the list or library has not been set up to allow multiple content types, the Content Types section does not appear on the Customize page for the list or library.
  4. Under Settings, click Advanced settings.
  5. In the Read Only section, under should this content type be read only? Click Yes.
  Specify an information management policy for a content type
  If information management policies have already been created for your site as site collection policies, you can apply one of these site collection policies to a list or library. If a list or library supports the management of multiple content types, you cannot specify an information management policy that applies to the entire list or library. Instead, you need to define an information management policy for each individual list content type associated with that list or library (instances of a site content type that are associated with a specific list or library are known as list content types). You must have at least the Design permission level to change the information management policy settings for a list or library.
  1. Open the list or library for which you want to specify an information management policy.
  2. On the Settings menu , click List Settings, or click the settings for the type of library that you are opening.
  For example, in a document library, click Document Library Settings.
  3. Under Permissions and Management, click Information management policy settings.
  Note If the list or library supports the management of multiple content types, select the content type for which you want to specify an information management policy, and then click OK.
  4. In the Specify the Policy section, click Use a site collection policy, and then select the policy that you want to apply from the list.
  Note If the Use a site collection policy option is not available, then no site collection policies have been defined for the site collection.
  5. Click OK.
  Create a new information management policy for a content type
  You can define an information management policy that applies only to a specific list or library. If you create an information management policy this way, you cannot reuse this policy on other lists, libraries, or sites. If a list or library supports the management of multiple content types, you cannot define an information management policy that applies to the entire list or library. Instead, you need to define an information management policy for each individual list content type associated with that list or library (instances of a site content type that are associated with a specific list or library are known as list content types). You must have at least the Manage Lists permission to change the information management policy settings for a list or library.
  1. Open the list or library for which you want to specify an information management policy.
  2. On the Settings menu , click List Settings, or click the settings for the type of library that you are opening.
  For example, in a document library, click Document Library Settings.
  3. Under Permissions and Management, click Information management policy settings.
  4. Select the content type for which you want to specify an information management policy, and then click OK.
  5. In the Specify the Policy section, click Define a policy.
  6. Click OK.
  7. On the Edit Policy page, in the Name and Administrative Description section, type a brief description for the policy you are creating.
  Note You can specify names only for information management policies that are defined in the Site Collection Policies list.
  8. In the Policy Statement section, type a descriptive statement that explains the purpose of the policy to users. This statement displays to users when they open documents or items subject to the policy. It should explain what policy features apply to the content or what special handling is required for the content. A policy statement can be up to 512 characters long.
  9. In the next sections, select the individual policy features that you want to add to your information management policy.
  10. To require that documents subject to this policy have labels, click Enable Labels, and then specify the settings that you want for the labels.
  How?
  11. To enable auditing for the documents and items subject to this policy, click Enable Auditing, and then specify the events you want to audit.
  The auditing policy feature enables organizations to create and analyze audit trails for documents and list items such as task lists, issues lists, discussion groups, or calendars. This policy feature provides an audit log that records events, such as when content is viewed, edited, or deleted. When auditing is enabled as part of an information management policy, administrators can view audit data in policy usage reports based in Microsoft Excel that summarize current usage. Administrators can use these reports to determine how information is being used within the organization. These reports can also help organizations verify and document regulatory compliance or investigate potential concerns.
  The Audit log records the following information: event name, date and time of the event, system name of the user performing the action.
  
  12. To specify a retention period for documents and items subject to this policy, click Enable Expiration, and then specify the retention period and the actions that you want to occur when items expire.
  How?
  13. To require that documents or items subject to this policy have barcodes, click Enable Barcodes, and then click the Prompt users to insert a barcode before saving or printing check box if you want to prompt users to insert barcodes.
  14. When you have finished selecting options for the individual policy features that you want to add to this information management policy, click OK to apply the policy features
  Change the Document Information Panel settings for a content type
  The Document Information Panel, which is displayed in the following 2007 Microsoft Office system programs: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, enables users to view and change the content type properties for a document saved to a document management server directly within the Office program they use to edit the document. For example, if the document content type for a specific library has a Status column, users can view the Status property in the Document Information Panel in Word when they edit the document. They can also use the Document Information Panel to change the value of the Status property from Draft to Final. When the document is saved to the server, this property is automatically updated in the Status column for the library.
  The Document Information Panel is a Microsoft Office InfoPath form that is hosted and displayed within 2007 Office release programs. The Document Information Panel displays the active document's editable properties. When you configure a content type, you can generate a custom Document Information Panel for that content type based on the properties of the content type. After it is deployed, a customized Document Information Panel is referenced by the document, and users can use it within 2007 Office release programs to view or edit document properties.
  1. If the library is not already open, click its name on the Quick Launch.
  If the name of your library does not appear, click View All Site Content, and then click the name of your library.
  2. On the Settings menu , click the settings for the type of library that you are opening.
  For example, in a document library, click Document Library Settings.
  3. Under Content Types, click the name of the content type you want to change.
  Note If the list or library has not been set up to allow multiple content types, the Content Types section does not appear on the Customize page for the list or library.
  
  4. Under Settings, click Document Information Panel settings.
  5. In the Document Information Panel Template section, do one of the following:
  o To use a default template that displays the properties (columns) that have been defined for the content type, click Use the default template for Microsoft Office applications.
  o To use an exiting custom template, click Use existing custom template (URL, UNC, or URN), and then type the path to the location of the template.
  o To upload an existing custom template (XSN), click Upload an existing custom template (XSN) to use, and then click Browse to locate the template that you want to use.
  o Note If you plan to upload a template this way, you must remove the publish URL from the template in InfoPath before you publish and upload the template.
  o To create a custom panel in InfoPath, click Create a new custom template.
  o Note If you select this option, InfoPath starts and displays the default template, which you can customize to create a custom panel.
  6. In the Show Always section, specify whether you want this Document Information Panel to display automatically when documents of this content type are first opened or saved within a 2007 Office release program.
  7. Click OK.
  About publishing-enabled content types
  Modifying a content type enables you to customize all pages that use that content type. For example, if you want to add an additional image field to all Article pages, you can do this by modifying the Article Page content type, which makes the field available to use as a page-layout element. Any pages to which the content type is applied will be able to use the new field.
  You can manage and customize content types that have the Publishing feature enabled by using the Content Type Gallery page of the top-level site in your site collection.
  1. On your top-level site, click , point to Site Settings, and then click Modify All Site Settings.
  2. On the Site Settings page, under Galleries, click Site content types.
  3. Click the content type that you want to modify.
  When you modify a content type, you can choose whether to have pages that inherit from that content type use the change or not.
  There are six content types that have the Publishing feature enabled. The following table shows each type, where it is listed, and its description.
  Content types & Listed under: Article Page- Page Layout Content Types, Redirect Page- Page Layout Content Types, Welcome Page- Page Layout Content Types, Page- Publishing Content Types, Page Layout- Publishing Content Types, Publishing Master Page- Publishing Content Types.
  
  Article Page is a system content type template that you create by using the Publishing Resources feature. It is the associated content type template for the default page layouts that you can use to create article pages in sites that have the Publishing feature enabled.
  Redirect Page is a system content type template that you create by using the Publishing Resources feature. It is the associated content type template for the redirect page layout.
  Welcome Page is a system content type template that you create by using the Publishing Resources feature. It is the associated content type template for the default page layout that you can use to create welcome pages in sites that have the Publishing feature enabled.
  Page is a system content type template that you create by using the Publishing Resources feature. The column templates from Page will be added to all Pages libraries created by the Publishing feature.
  Page Layout is a system content type template that you create by using the Publishing Resources feature. All page layouts will include the column templates from Page Layout.
  Master Page is a system content type template that you create by using the Publishing Resources feature. All master pages will include the column templates from Master Page.
  Change the workflow settings for a site content type
  The default workflows that are included with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 consist of some settings that are common to all workflows and other settings that are specific to the individual workflow. This article describes how to configure the settings that are common to all workflows.
  Open the Change a Workflow page
  Use the following steps to open the page on which you can make changes to the workflow settings. Each of the subsequent procedures starts on the Change a Workflow page.
  1. On the site collection home page, on the Site Actions menu, point to Site Settings, and then click Modify All Site Settings.
  2. On the Site Settings page, in the Galleries section, click Site content types.
  3. Select the content type with which the workflow is associated, and then click Workflow settings.
  4. Select the workflow that you want to modify, and then use the information in the following sections to make the changes you want.
  Identify the Task list
  Within each workflow, tasks are assigned to individuals or groups or both that enable the workflow to be completed. For example, in an Approval workflow, you assign individuals or groups the task of approving items by a certain date. By default, all tasks are stored in the Task list, where you can view the task status and other properties. Storing the workflow tasks in the default Tasks list makes it easier to manage numerous tasks in one place. It also makes it easier to synchronize the tasks with Microsoft Office Outlook.
  In some situations, you might want to consider creating a unique task list for a workflow:
  For security and privacy, you want to keep a specific task list separate from the main task list. For tasks that involve sensitive data or data that should remain private, you can give the task list a unique name.
  If you have numerous workflows, or if your workflows contain numerous tasks, you may want to maintain separate task lists for each workflow to maintain optimal performance. Keeping task lists and history lists to fewer than 2,000 items ensures that the lists do not interfere with site performance.
  1. Open the Change a workflow page.
  2. In the Task List section, leave the default Task list displayed, or type a name for a unique Task list that is separate from the main Task list.
  If you already created multiple task lists, they will be available in the Enter a task list name box.
  Note If instances of the workflow are running, you will see a warning if you choose to change the association's Task list.
  Identify the History list
  As with the Task list, you can create a unique History list if sensitive data is being logged in the comments/description field. A unique History list is also useful when workflows are generating thousands of items. In these situations, it is beneficial to separate the workflow histories.
  1. Open the Change a workflow page.
  2. In the History List section, leave the default History list displayed, or type a name for a unique History list for this workflow.
  Set up the workflow start options
  The features in the Start Options section enable you to determine how to activate the workflow. The default selection is Allow this workflow to be manually started by an authenticated user. This option enables users to start the workflow by selecting Workflows from the menu that is displayed when the user clicks an instance of the content type. When the user selects Workflows, the Workflows page opens, and the user can select the workflow from the Start a New Workflow section of the page.
  Two automatic start options are available for workflows that must be run in order to enforce a policy or for other reasons that make the workflow mandatory:
  1. Open the Change a workflow page.
  2. Select the permission level to restrict the workflow to specific permission groups:
  • The Edit Items permission level is the default. It is not available to change on the workflow templates that are provided with Office SharePoint Server 2007, because these templates require the Edit Items level of permission or higher. These templates cannot be set to a lower permission level.
  • To set more restrictions on who can start a workflow, select the check boxManage Lists.
  3. If desired, select an automatic start option.
  • Select the checkbox Start workflow when a new item is created if you want the workflow to start automatically whenever a new item is created in a list or library, regardless of whether or not a user manually starts the workflow. For example, you might want a workflow to start whenever an item of this content type is created in a library or list.
  • Select the check box Start workflow when an item is changed for workflows that you want to run automatically whenever an item is modified. For example, in a retention-policy workflow, the expiration date might need to change when the item is changed.
  Note The two automatic start options can coexist with the default setting to allow a workflow to be manually started by a user.
  Update list and site content types.
  On the Change a Workflow page, in the Update List and Site Content Types section, you can specify whether you want all the content types that inherit from this content type to also use the workflow.
  1. Open the Change a workflow page.
  2. In the Update List and Site Content Types section, click Yes to have these workflow settings inherited by all content types that have been created from this content type.
  Add an existing content type to a list or library
  Content types (content type: A reusable group of settings for a category of content. Use content types to manage the metadata, templates, and behaviors of items and documents consistently. Content types are defined at the site level and used on lists and libraries.) enable organizations to organize, manage, and handle content more effectively across a site collection. By defining content types for specific kinds of documents or information products, an organization can ensure that each of these groups of content is managed more effectively. You can set up a list or library to contain items of multiple item types or document types by adding content types to the list or library.
  How content types work in lists and libraries
  If you have a list or library that is set up to allow multiple content types, you can add content types to this list or library from the group of site content types that are available for your site.
  When you add a content type to a list or library, you make it possible for that list or library to contain items of that type. The New command in that list or library lets users create new items of that type. One of the key advantages of content types for lists and libraries is that they make it possible for a single list or library to contain multiple item or document types, each of which may have unique metadata, policies, or behaviors.
  How inheritance works for list content types
  When an instance of a site content type is added to a list or library, it is a child of the site content type from which it was created. This list content type inherits all of the attributes of its parent site content type, such as its document template, read-only setting, workflows, and columns. A list content type can be customized for the specific list or library to which it has been added. These customizations are not applied to the parent site content type. If the parent site content type for a list content type is updated, the child list content type can inherit these changes (if the person who maintains the site content type chooses to apply the updates to all child content types).
  
  If any of the attributes that the child list content type shares with the parent site content type were customized for the list content type, these customizations can be overwritten when the list content type inherits the changes from the parent site content type. If the list content type has been customized with additional attributes that the parent content type does not have (for example, extra columns), these customizations are not overwritten when the child list content type inherits changes from the parent site content type.
  Add a content type to a list or library
  Before content types can be added to a list or library, first the list or library must be set up to allow multiple content types. For more information about enabling support for multiple content types in a list or library, see Turn on support for multiple content types in a library. To add content types to a list or library, you must have at least the Design permission level (permission level: A set of permissions that can be granted to users or SharePoint groups on an entity such as a site, library, list, folder, item, or document.) for that list or library.
  1. If the list or library is not already open, click its name on the Quick Launch.
  If the name of your list or library does not appear, click View All Site Content, and then click the name of your list or library.
  2. On the Settings menu, click List Settings, or click the settings for the type of library that you are opening.
  For example, in a document library, click Document Library Settings.
  3. Under Content Types, click Add from existing site content types.
  Note If the list or library is not set up to allow multiple content types, the Content Types section does not appear on the Customize page for the list or library.
  4. In the Select Content Types section, in the Select Site content types from list, click the arrow to select the group of site content types from which you want to select.
  5. In the Available Site Content Types list, click the content type that you want, and then click Add to move the selected content type to the Content types to add list.
  6. To add additional content types, repeat steps 4 and 5.
  7. When you finish selecting all of the content types that you want to add, click OK.
  Change the New button order or default content type
  You can specify the order in which content types are displayed on the New button for a list or library. By default, the first content type that is displayed on the New button becomes the default content type for the list or library. To change the default content type for the list or library, change the content type that is displayed first on the New button. You can also specify whether you want content types that have been added to a list or library to be visible on the New button.
  1. If the list or library for which you want to change a content type is not already open, click its name under Lists or Documents on the Quick Launch.
  2. On the Settings menu , do one of the following:
  • If you are working in a list, click List Settings.
  • If you are working in a document library, click Document Library Settings.
  3. Under Content Types, click Change new button order and default content type.
  Note If the list or library is not set up to allow multiple content types, the Content Types section does not appear on the Customize page for the list or library.
  4. In the Content Type Order section, do either of the following:
  • To remove a content type from the New button for the list or library, clear the Visible check box (this check box is selected by default).
  • To change the order in which a content type appears on the New button, click the arrow next to that content type in the Position from Top column, and then select the order number that you want.