[Translate wss3.0 SDK Series II] Introduction to content types

Original article address: general reference:Managing data in Windows SharePoint services sites:Content types:Introduction to content types
Content types are the core concepts of features and services provided throughout Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0. They are designed to help users organize their SharePoint content in a meaningful way. A content type is a set of reusable settings that are applied to a specific directory. Content types allow you to manage metadata and behaviors of documents or projects in a centralized and reusable manner.

For example, there are two types of documents: Software specification and legal contract. Naturally, you will want to store these two types of documents in the same document library. However, the meta information of these two files varies greatly. In addition, you may want to assign two different workflows to these two documents.

 

Necessary Conditions for content type Encapsulation

The content type allows you to store different types of content in the same document library or list. In the previous example, you can define two types of content: "statement" and "contract ". Each content type contains different columns used to describe the metadata of the project. You can also assign values to different workflows. In this way, the two content types can be stored in the same document library.

You can regard the content type as a sophisticated and extended list of Windows SharePoint Services 2.0. By default, this list has only one separate data structure or schema ), all items in this list must be attached to it. In Windows SharePoint Services 2.0, the schema of a project cannot be separated from its location constraints. When you define a list or document library, you also define the list or library column to effectively define the schemas of all projects stored in the location. Each column has an additional piece of data to track all the items in the list.

The content type effectively encapsulates the data schema and allows it to be independent from the Sharepoint list location. In Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, you can create multiple schemas with multiple content types in the same list or document library ). The content type of the Manual may contain the following metadata columns: Project Manager, developer, and test Manager. The contract content includes the lawyers and the signatory. In this way, the specification and contract can exist in the same list or document library.

 

 

Content type settings

You can configure it to more flexibly extend the content type, such as workflows and even custom attributes.

A content type includes the following information:

·The meta information or attributes of this type can be added to the list or document library when you add the content type.

·Customize new, edit, and display forms to operate on these content types.

·The workflow can be applied to a project or the content type. These workflows are automatically selected based on set events or conditions or by users.

·Document templates are based on the document content type.

·All the necessary preset solutions are organized by this type of content (for example, the software specification in the example is a solution that describes the type of the Manual ). You can store the information contained in this content type into one or moreXMLFile.

Content type promotes content Standardization

Because the content type can be defined independently of any specific list or document library, you can make a given content type valid in multiple SharePoint sites. This allows you to centrally set and manage the content types stored on your website. For example, you can use your "Manual" content type to ensure that many software manuals share the same metadata, even if the metadata is stored across sites.

Content types are file format independent the content type is not related to the file format

The content type is not related to the file format. For the document library, you can specify a document template. When a user sends a request to create such a document, windows SharePoint services creates a new document based on this template. However, users can still upload documents based on different templates, or even completely different content types.

For example, suppose you need to create a content type to present a "Business Plan ". This content type can be applied to any file format. You will have the following:

• Microsoft Office Word documents contain background information

• Microsoft Office Excel documents include financial plans

• Microsoft Office PowerPoint shows the degree of capital risk

• Windows Media for demo

• The Sharepoint list project contains the object metadata.

All these files are assigned to the Business Plan content type.

You can make a Sharepoint content type that does not contain any type of files, such as list items or folders (Note: list items are in the form of information organization and folders are also in the form of files in the memory, these two are not files ). The document content type can only be applied to the document library. Similarly, the list content type can only be applied to the list. However, the folder content type can be applied to the list or document library.

Content type creation

You can create columns and content types in the following three ways:

• Use the user graphics interface that comes with WSS (implemented on the ASPX page)

• Use the WSS Object Model (implemented programmatically)

• Develop a feature file (feature. XML) based on XML format)

The content types at the site level can be inherited. For example, if you create a content type on the site, it can be used in the subsite and list.