Creating Lists and updating the default view programatically in SharePoint 2007

Recently a question came across a distribution list that I am a member of about updating the default view through code in SharePoint 2007.  Whenever I answer a question like this I try to remember it and blog about it.  Hopefully the next time someone is looking for the answer they will search and find this blog entry!  So here is a small code sample that creates a list and updates the "All Items" view through code.

 

 private const string MultiLanguageHelloListName = "Multi-Language Hello";

 SPSite currentSite = properties.Feature.Parent as SPSite;
SPWeb currentWeb = currentSite.RootWeb;
uint language = currentWeb != null ? currentWeb.Language = 1033;
SPList list = null;

 if (!ListExists(currentSite.RootWeb, MultiLanguageHelloListName))
                    {
                        Guid listId = currentSite.RootWeb.Lists.Add(MultiLanguageHelloListName,
                        SPUtility.GetLocalizedString("$Resources:hello,HelloSettingsDesc;", "hello", language),
                        SPListTemplateType.GenericList);
                        
                        list = currentSite.RootWeb.Lists[listId];

                        list.Fields.Add("ToolTip", SPFieldType.Text, true);
                        SPField tooltip = list.Fields["ToolTip"];
                        tooltip.ShowInDisplayForm = true;
                        tooltip.ShowInEditForm = true;
                        tooltip.ShowInListSettings = true;
                        tooltip.ShowInNewForm = true;
                        tooltip.ShowInViewForms = true;                    
                    
                        SPView defaultView = list.Views["All Items"];
                        defaultView.ViewFields.Add(tooltip);
                        defaultView.Update();
                
                        list.ContentTypesEnabled = false;
                        list.OnQuickLaunch = true;
                        list.EnableAttachments = false;
                        list.EnableVersioning = false;
                        list.NoCrawl = true;
                        list.Update();
                    
                    }

The first section of this piece of code verifies that the list doesn't exist, because this piece of code was from a feature receiver in the FeatureActivated event.  Next I create the list using currentSite.RootWeb.Lists.Add(<listname>, <list description>, SPListTemplateType).  After the creation of the list I go on to add a field called "ToolTip" to the list.  I then want to show this field in the deafult view so I get a reference to the "All Items" view and add it to the ViewFields collection.  Then update the view and update the list and your done!

 

Hope this is useful.

Comments

• Anonymous
  August 26, 2008
  Thanks, That worked a treat

• Anonymous
  January 22, 2009
  Can i hide create view menu after update default view ?

• Anonymous
  September 14, 2011
  The comment has been removed

• Anonymous
  September 14, 2011
  sorry - didn't leave my email address on the last post. I'm concerned about finding this again :-) - could you email me with answers? my email address is denzel.mckinney@lexisnexis.com thanks