EPiServer 7 Connect for SharePoint – File Summary Configuration

This tech note describes how to define a separate File Summary configuration for each virtual path provider using the customFileSummary parameter when developing with EPiServer Connect for SharePoint.

The EPiServer Connect for SharePoint module contains a custom file summary (WSSFileSummary.config) for the virtual path provider with SharePoint specific field definitions, it can be found in the root folder of the EPiServer CMS Web site.

By using the file summary configuration file the user can define which properties should be available for edit and advanced search functionality for this virtual path provider. Only the following SharePoint data types can be used:

  • Single line of text
  • Multiple lines of text
  • Choice (menu to choose from)
  • Number (1, 1.0, 100)
  • Date and Time
  • Yes/No (check box)

Edit Meta data configuration

The form for Meta data editing can be configured in the WSSFileSummary.config file - an XForms file with HTML markup and XForms data fields. You can download a sample WSSFileSummary.config. The easiest way to edit this file is to create a new XForm in EPiServer CMS edit UI, import WSSFileSummary.config in it, edit the form and then export it as a file:

Edit WssFileSummary.config in XForm editor

The list of data fields is declared in the model/instance section as follows:

<model>
<instance>
  <Title />
  <TestText />
  <TestChoice />
  <TestRadio />
  <TestCheckBox />
  <TestTextArea />
  <TestBool />
  <TestDate />
  <TestNumber />
 </instance>
</model>

The data fields are Microsoft SharePoint internal property IDs and are autogenerated from SharePoint column names. 

Each data type can be represented by different xforms controls. Reference to the data field should be declared in the ref control attribute. Here are examples of controls for different data types:

  • Simple text string:

    <xforms:input ref="TestText" value="" id="fieldTestText" size="40" class="commonInput" />
  • Exclusive choice with drop-down list:
     
    <xforms:select1 appearance="minimal" ref="TestChoice" id="fieldTestChoice" >
     <xforms:item>
      <xforms:label>Choice #1</xforms:label>
      <xforms:value>Choice #1</xforms:value>
     </xforms:item>
     <xforms:item>
     <xforms:label>Choice #2</xforms:label>
     <xforms:value>Choice #2</xforms:value>
     </xforms:item>
     <xforms:item>
     <xforms:label>Choice #3</xforms:label>
     <xforms:value>Choice #3</xforms:value>
     </xforms:item>
    </xforms:select1>

    Note! xforms:value tag content should correspond to the choice value specified in document library column settings.

  • Exclusive choice with radio buttons:

    Controls tag is almost the same as in previous sample; the only difference is an appearance attribute, it should be: appearance="full"
    Note! SharePoint data field with a ‘Fill-in’ choice are not supported and can't be displayed.
  • Multiple choices with checkboxes:
     
    <xforms:select appearance="full" ref="TestCheckBox" id="fieldTestCheckBox" >
     <xforms:choices>
    <xforms:item>
     <xforms:label>CheckboxChoice#1</xforms:label>
     <xforms:value>CheckboxChoice#1</xforms:value>
    </xforms:item>
    <xforms:item>
     <xforms:label>CheckboxChoice#2</xforms:label>
     <xforms:value>CheckboxChoice#2</xforms:value>
    </xforms:item>
    <xforms:item>
     <xforms:label>CheckboxChoice#3</xforms:label>
     <xforms:value>CheckboxChoice#3</xforms:value>
    </xforms:item>
     </xforms:choices>
    </xforms:select>
    Note! xforms:value tag content should correspond to the choice value specified in document library column settings.
    Note! SharePoint data fields with a ‘Fill-in’ choice are not supported and can't be displayed.
  • Multiline input (text area):
     
    <textarea ref="TestTextArea" id="fieldTestTextArea"></textarea>
  • Single check box (for Boolean values):

    <xforms:select ref="TestBool" id="fieldTestBool" appearance="minimal">
     <xforms:choices>
    <xforms:item>
    <xforms:label>Test Bool</xforms:label>
    <xforms:value>True</xforms:value>
    </xforms:item>
     </xforms:choices>
    </xforms:select>
  • Dates or numeric values:
     
    <xforms:input ref="TestText" value="" id="fieldTestText" size="40" class="commonInput" />Note that the tags are identical as for the simple text string values.

Document last saved: February 27, 2013