SharePoint 101 D. Server side dev ~ Provisioning fields and content types

The first step in developing any new SharePoint functionality is often the definition of your data model: in other words, your site columns (i.e. SharePoint fields) and content types.

Site Columns (i.e. Fields)

• Site columns can be defined as part of a solution package in a feature module.
• Exercises:
  • Provision you first site columns using simple types
  • How to define Taxonomy fields through XML
  • How to associate your Taxonomy-type site column to a specific Term Set (programmatically during a FeatureActivated event)

References:

• MSDN - Field XML Element
  • Scroll down to the Type subsection to view all available Field Types (or see SPFieldTypeEnum)
• Microsoft Press Store - Microsoft® SharePoint® 2013 Developer Reference: Data Provisioning - Site columns

Content Types

• Content types are reusable schemas for your data
• Content types are built from <FieldRef/> elements instead of repeating the full Field definition (as opposed to list definitions, see next section)
• How to define a content type ID
• Exercises:
  • Design your first content type including a Taxonomy field

References:

• Microsoft Press Store - Microsoft® SharePoint® 2013 Developer Reference: Data Provisioning - Content types