Mekalikot

Count the Number of Specific Character in a String or Text Box in InfoPath

2015-08-25T09:42:00.003+08:00

If you want to count the number of a specific character in a string in a field or textbox without coding, you can try this out of the box rules of InfoPath...

First, create two fields: Field 1 and Field 2. Field 1 will contain the text or string that you want to check and Field 2 will contain the number or result of the count. In our example, we will use the semicolon (;) character and count the number of instance in Field 1.

Example:

Field 1: Sample1;Sample2;Sample3;Sample4

Field 2: ?

In our example, Field 2 should show 3 as the result.

Next step is to select Field 2 and go to Text Box Properties and select fx button of Default Value.

Enter this formula:

string-length(translate(field1, "1234567890ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz", ""))

In this formula, we have 2 functions. The first one is translate.

translate(field1, "1234567890ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz", "")

We are translating all letters to none or blank without spaces. Then after translating, we will now count the length of the string using string-length.

string-length(translate(field1, "1234567890ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz", ""))

Since we converted all texts and/or characters other than the semicolon to blank without spaces, what will be left and counted are the semicolons.

Final result will be:

NOTE:

You can add other characters in our original formula. In our example, we just converted all the texts and no other special characters are involved. This also works for text box and rich text box.

Subtract or Add Days, Months or Year to Dates with Custom Date Pattern using PowerShell Script

2014-08-06T15:36:00.002+08:00

I will share a simple trick for adding days or months to dates and the result will be a custom date pattern. Check the script below…

If you want to add and subtract Months or Days on current date:

$currentAddYears = [DateTime]::Now.AddYears(2)

$currentAddMonths = [DateTime]::Now.AddMonths(2)

$currentAddDays = [DateTime]::Now.AddDays(14)

$currentSubtractYears = [DateTime]::Now.AddYears(2)

$currentSubtractMonths = [DateTime]::Now.AddMonths(-2)

$currentSubtractDays = [DateTime]::Now.AddDays(-14)

Results will be:

8/6/2014 2:23:00 PM #now

8/6/2016 2:23:00 PM #$currentAddYears

10/6/2014 2:23:00 PM #$currentAddMonths

8/20/2014 2:23:00 PM #$currentAddDays

8/6/2012 2:23:00 PM #$currentSubtractYears

6/6/2014 2:23:00 PM #$currentSubtractMonths

7/23/2014 2:23:00 PM #$currentSubtractDays

Now if you want to change the results to custom format, you can use –format of Get-Date.

$format1 = Get-Date $currentAddMonths -format "MMMM yyyy"

$format2 = Get-Date $ currentAddDays -format "MMMM dd, yyyy"

Results will be:

October 2014 #$format1

August 20, 2014 #$format2

These are methods available in adding dates.

· AddDays

· AddHours

· AddMilliseconds

· AddMinutes

· AddMonths

· AddSeconds

· AddTicks

· AddYears

These are some common custom format in dates: (case sensitive)

Specifier	Description
d	Day of the month. Single digit, without leading zero (1)
dd	The day of the month. Single-digit days will have a leading zero. (01)
ddd	The abbreviated name of the day of the week. (Wed)
dddd	The full name of the day of the week (Wednesday)
mm	The minute. Single-digit minutes will have a leading zero.
M	Numeric month. Single digit, without leading zero (8) -August
MM	Numeric month. Single digit, with leading zero (08) -August
MMM	The abbreviated name of the month (Aug)
MMMM	The full name of the month (August)

See full custom patterns here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee692801.aspx

Read and Get Values from Excel File using PowerShell Script

2014-08-04T13:43:00.001+08:00

What do I use to read data or values from excel file? And what if I want to read every row on multiple columns? Example data is like this....

NAME	AGE	CITY
John	22	Chicago
Edward	36	Houston
Michael	57	Brooklyn

First we declare the path where the excel file is stored. Also, declare the sheet name.

$file = "C:\Documents\ExcelFolder\ExcelFile.xls"

$sheetName = "Sheet1"

After that, create an instance using the COM Object Excel Application to open the excel file.

$objExcel = New-Object -ComObject Excel.Application

$workbook = $objExcel.Workbooks.Open($file)

$sheet = $workbook.Worksheets.Item($sheetName)

$objExcel.Visible=$false

We will also need the number of Rows that has values. We will need these to loop and check every value on every column.

$rowMax = ($sheet.UsedRange.Rows).count

And now declare the starting position for each column

$rowName,$colName = 1,1

$rowAge,$colAge = 1,2

$rowCity,$colCity = 1,3

We will now loop through each row and store each variable that you can use for anything you want (i.e. e-mail body variables)

for ($i=1; $i -le $rowMax-1; $i++)

{

$name = $sheet.Cells.Item($rowName+$i,$colName).text

$age = $sheet.Cells.Item($rowAge+$i,$colAge).text

$city = $sheet.Cells.Item($rowCity+$i,$colCity).text

}

For the last line of code, we will close the excel file after opening and reading it. If we don’t close it, it will be locked for editing.

$objExcel.quit()

You can check the output by using Write-Host. For the full code below:

#Declare the file path and sheet name

$file = "C:\Users\kfeb\Documents\Textfile\ExcelFile.xlsx"

$sheetName = "Sheet1"

#Create an instance of Excel.Application and Open Excel file

$objExcel = New-Object -ComObject Excel.Application

$workbook = $objExcel.Workbooks.Open($file)

$sheet = $workbook.Worksheets.Item($sheetName)

$objExcel.Visible=$false

#Count max row

$rowMax = ($sheet.UsedRange.Rows).count

#Declare the starting positions

$rowName,$colName = 1,1

$rowAge,$colAge = 1,2

$rowCity,$colCity = 1,3

#loop to get values and store it

for ($i=1; $i -le $rowMax-1; $i++)

{

$name = $sheet.Cells.Item($rowName+$i,$colName).text

$age = $sheet.Cells.Item($rowAge+$i,$colAge).text

$city = $sheet.Cells.Item($rowCity+$i,$colCity).text

Write-Host ("My Name is: "+$name)

Write-Host ("My Age is: "+$age)

Write-Host ("I live in: "+$city)

}

#close excel file

$objExcel.quit()

Highlight Row, Change Font Color and Highlight One Cell Based on Status or Column Value using JQuery in SharePoint

2014-07-18T14:11:00.000+08:00

Colors are good indicator and can tell you something. Using colors on a list can help you identify or at least help you make a quick conclusion about an item. Also, plain texts can be boring and bland.

In this post, I will cover 3 scripts that will apply color to your list based on the status or a column value. This script is working on both SharePoint 2010 and SharePoint 2013...

HIGHLIGHT SINGLE CELL

src="//ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.10.0/jquery.min.js"></script>

$(document).ready(function(){

$Text = $("td.ms-cellstyle.ms-vb2:contains('In Progress')");

$Text.css("background-color", "#95e6f2");

$Text = $("td.ms-cellstyle.ms-vb2:contains('Completed')");

$Text.css("background-color", "#70e120");

$Text = $("td.ms-cellstyle.ms-vb2:contains('Canceled')")

$Text.css("background-color", "#e18620");

});

</script>

HIGHLIGHT ROW

src="//ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.10.0/jquery.min.js"></script>

$(document).ready(function(){

$Text = $("td.ms-cellstyle.ms-vb2:contains('In Progress')");

$Text.parent().css("background-color", "#95e6f2");

$Text = $("td.ms-cellstyle.ms-vb2:contains('Completed')");

$Text.parent().css("background-color", "#70e120");

$Text = $("td.ms-cellstyle.ms-vb2:contains('Canceled')")

$Text.parent().css("background-color", "#e18620");

});

</script>

CHANGE FONT COLOR

src="//ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.10.0/jquery.min.js"></script>

$(document).ready(function(){

$Text = $("td.ms-cellstyle.ms-vb2:contains('In Progress')");

$Text.css("color", "#0076e5");

$Text = $("td.ms-cellstyle.ms-vb2:contains('Completed')");

$Text.css("color", "#70e120");

$Text = $("td.ms-cellstyle.ms-vb2:contains('Canceled')")

$Text.css("color", "#ff0000");

});

</script>

If you want, you can also combine the highlight row and change font colors.

Removing Unwanted White Pages and Spaces in SSRS Report Builder

2014-07-10T15:39:00.000+08:00

I ran into an issue on my SSRS Report Builder of having blank white pages on print view or exported PDF files or word files. Sometimes it expands my report table/line horizontally then when I check print preview, it will extend the lines or tables into the next page...

To resolve this issue, you need to follow this rule:

BW + BLM + BRM <= PW

Where:

BW = Body Width

PLM = Page Left Margin

PRM = Page Right Margin

PW = Page Width

To check or change the values, go to Report properties. You can see that the PW is 8.5in , PRM and PLM are 0.17in.

Then for BW, go to Body properties. You can see that BW is 8.1491in.

To check if this follow the rule BW + BLM + BRM <= PW.

8.1491 + 0.17 + 0.17 = 8.4891in

So 8.4891in < 8.5in

These settings will render correctly on your print preview or PDF file.

You should also take into consideration that textboxes can expand if the CanGrow property is set to TRUE. If the text box is positioned at the end or near the end of your page, it can push the body width and change the Body Width values. To resolve this expand the textbox to a size that it can accommodate all the letters or word that you put inside. Also, put some distance allowance from the end of textbox to the end of page (2pt). This is for the padding values of the textbox. You can also set it to 0 if you want.

CREDITS:

For the rule, credit goes to Nathan of stackoverflow.com

LINK

Deleting or Removing Corrupted Web Parts in SharePoint

2014-01-28T10:41:00.002+08:00

If you encountered an unexpected error when trying to edit the web parts or the site never loads, it means that your web part is corrupted. You need to delete that web part from that site or page...

To delete a corrupted web part, add ?contents=1 at the end of your site URL. For example: http://portal.mekalikot.com/default.aspx?contents=1. You will see these a page that has the lists of webparts.

You can mark the corrupted web part and delete it here. You can also do some other actions like Close and Reset. Closed web parts will have “NO” on Open on Page column.

This tip/trick works on both SharePoint 2007 and SharePoint 2010

Highlight SharePoint Task List Row based on Multiple Due Dates

2014-01-13T14:39:00.001+08:00

I have a requirement that needs to highlight “Incomplete” row based on a certain task with a unique due date. It also highlights the row if the task is not yet completed and exceeds the due date.

For example:
Task A – Due date =10 days before = highlight Yellow
Task A – Due date =7 days before and After Due Date = highlight Red
Task B – Due date = 6 days before = highlight Yellow
Task B – Due date = 4 days before and After Due Date = highlight Red
Task C – Due date = 3 day before = highlight Yellow
Task C – Due date =1 days before and After Due Date = highlight Red

I found a lot of scripts in the net but the problem is, they need the columns like Due Date to be in the list view for the script to work. My requirement does not need the Due Date to be present in the list view. Also, I have 2 Due Dates, Warning (Yellow) and Critical (Red).

Okay let’s go now to the solution. First, I created two calculated columns. The two columns calculate the Start Date minus the days before. I also use “IF” in the formula because every task has a unique due date.

For 1st column, I named it Due Date (Yellow highlight) and for the 2nd column, I named it Red Date (Red Highlight).

Formula for Due Date:
=IF(Task=”Task A”, [Start Date] – 10, IF(Task=”Task B”, [Start Date] – 6, IF(Task=”Task C”, [Start Date] – 3, “None”)))

Formula for Red Date:
=IF(Task=”Task A”, [Start Date] – 7, IF(Task=”Task B”, [Start Date] – 4, IF(Task=”Task C”, [Start Date] – 1, “None”)))

After creating the two columns, I’m now ready working on the script. Upload the jquery files on your site and reference it on your script.

The heart of the script is the SPService GetListItems. I used this because I need the values in the Due Date and Red Date column even if they are not present in the list view.

$().SPServices({
operation: "GetListItems",
async: false,
listName: "Logistics Warning Copy",
CAMLViewFields: "<ViewFields Properties='True' />",
CAMLQuery: "<Query><Where><Eq><FieldRef Name='Status' /><Value Type='Text'>Incomplete</Value></Eq></Where></Query>",
CAMLQueryOptions: "<QueryOptions><ViewAttributes /></QueryOptions>",
completefunc: function (xData, Status) {
//alert(xData.responseText);
$(xData.responseXML).SPFilterNode("z:row").each(function() {

RedDate = $(this).attr("ows_RedDate");
//from SP: datetime;#2013-11-15 00:00:00
DueDate = $(this).attr("ows_DueDateCalculated");
//from SP: datetime;#2014-01-07 08:00:00
retvalID= $(this).attr("ows_ID");

Next on the script is the conversion of the Dates extracted. I will use this converted dates in comparison with TODAY’s date format.

var SpRedDate = RedDate.substring(10,20); //get date only

var ConvRedDate = SpRedDate.replace(/-/g,'/'); //replace dash with slash

var d1 = new Date (ConvRedDate); //convert to date: Sat Nov 30 00:00:00 UTC+0800 2013

var SpDueDate = DueDate.substring(10,20); //get date only

var ConvDueDate = SpDueDate.replace(/-/g,'/'); //replace dash with slash

var d2 = new Date (ConvDueDate); //convert to date: Sat Nov 30 00:00:00 UTC+0800 2013

The last part is the comparison of the Dates to TODAY’s date. I will be using the “iid” to highlight the row based on the comparison results.

if (today >= d1){

$("tr[iid*='"+ string + "']").css("background-color", "#FCE4F2");

}

if (today >= d2 && today< d1) {

$("tr[iid*='"+ string + "']").css("background-color", "#FFF5C6");

}

if (isNaN(d1)){

$("tr[iid*='"+ string + "']").css("background-color", "#FCE4F2");

}

});

This is the complete script:

$(document).ready(function(){

var Task;

var RedDate;

var DueDate;

var today = new Date(); //Today's date Mon Dec 2 16:20:24 UTC+0800 2013

$().SPServices({

operation: "GetListItems",

async: false,

listName: "Logistics Warning Copy",

CAMLViewFields: "<ViewFields Properties='True' />",

CAMLQuery: "<Query><Where><Eq><FieldRef Name='Status' /><Value Type='Text'>Incomplete</Value></Eq></Where></Query>",

CAMLQueryOptions: "<QueryOptions><ViewAttributes /></QueryOptions>",

completefunc: function (xData, Status) {

//alert(xData.responseText);

$(xData.responseXML).SPFilterNode("z:row").each(function() {

RedDate = $(this).attr("ows_RedDate"); // from SP: datetime;#2013-11-15 00:00:00

DueDate = $(this).attr("ows_DueDateCalculated"); //from SP: datetime;#2014-01-07 08:00:00

retvalID= $(this).attr("ows_ID");

var SpRedDate = RedDate.substring(10,20); //get date only

var ConvRedDate = SpRedDate.replace(/-/g,'/'); //replace dash with slash

var d1 = new Date (ConvRedDate); //convert to date: Sat Nov 30 00:00:00 UTC+0800 2013

var SpDueDate = DueDate.substring(10,20); //get date only

var ConvDueDate = SpDueDate.replace(/-/g,'/'); //replace dash with slash

var d2 = new Date (ConvDueDate); //convert to date: Sat Nov 30 00:00:00 UTC+0800 2013

var string = retvalID.toString();

if (today >= d1){

$("tr[iid*='"+ string + "']").css("background-color", "#FCE4F2");

}

if (today >= d2 && today< d1) {

$("tr[iid*='"+ string + "']").css("background-color", "#FFF5C6");

}

if (isNaN(d1)){

$("tr[iid*='"+ string + "']").css("background-color", "#FCE4F2");

}

});

}

});

</script>

For simple row highlights based on status values you can check my other post: Highlight Row, Change Font Color and Highlight One Cell Based on Status or Column Value using JQuery in SharePoint

Lookup Dropdown showing ID Values in InfoPath Form 2010

2014-01-08T09:44:00.001+08:00

Showing ID values on InfoPath lookup dropdown? Just change the lookup values on the Dropdown properties. Check my sample list and form below.

On my example, I created my 1st list called “Companies”. This is my lookup list. Then, I created a 2nd list. This list will be my main list that will use the InfoPath form.

As you can see on the InfoPath form, the lookup dropdown is showing ID values from Companies list.

To change these values, right click the Companies lookup dropdown on Design mode then choose Drop-Down List Box Properties.

Change the Display Name option to Title or the column that you want to be shown on your dropdown.

Then click OK, your lookup dropdown is now showing text values but bear in mind that the real value of that dropdown is ID (integer).

Edit or Change the SharePoint List Name in the URL

2013-06-10T12:26:00.000+08:00

To edit or change the list name in the URL, you need the following:

1. Site Collection Administration acces (SCA)

2. SharePoint Designer 2010

Open the site in SPD. Click on “All Files” then choose Lists. Select the list that you want to edit or change then right click and choose “Rename”.

That’s it J

Cannot remove Bullets in Summary Links

2012-03-29T09:17:00.002+08:00

I had this issue where the bullets in summary links won’t gone even I change the Style and Layout. This is only happening in one Site Collection. I checked the site which is not working and a working site using developer tools (IE) and found out that a CSS file is missing. The missing CSS file is controls-6E924A6.css

To resolve this issue, go to this path “site collection/_catalogs/theme/Themed/(number/ID)” virtual directory and download the CSS file from the working site. Upload the missing CSS file to the site that is having the issue.

You can also check the location of the CSS in the developer tools(IE). Click the CSS file and it will show where it is located.

Deleted List Still Showing/Appearing in All Site Content

2012-02-08T09:16:00.004+08:00

I encountered an issue about a deleted list by a user is still showing in the All Site Content of Sharepoint. When you clicked on the List it will show 404 or cannot be displayed because it is already deleted.

The solution is go to Top Level Site then Site Settings. Under Site Collection Administration section click Recycle Bin. This is the site collection recycle bin. Then on the left side (SharePoint 2010) choose Deleted from end user Recycle Bin.

Find the list and delete it. You cannot restore it because it will show that a list with the same name is already existing. After deleting refresh the All Site Content and the broken list will be gone.

NOTE: I also discovered that this will also cause error on site's Content and Structure function(under Site Settings-> Site Administration). After removing the broken list, the Content and Structure will work again.

Display a Grouped Items in a List or Document Library from another Sharepoint Site

2011-11-03T15:39:00.000+08:00

We had a requirement that needs to display a certain view of a document library in another site to a different site. After searching, with the help of Mr. Google, we stumbled upon the Path To SharePoint blog and thanks to Christophe we found the solution. Here is the LINK .

But the problem is that the Javascript solution by Christophe has some limitations like grouping , sorting, next page are disabled and we need those functionalities in some of the Sharepoint views to be displayed.

Because of that, my colleague (not to be named according to him lol) modified Christophe’s original CrossSite Javascript. There are two solutions, one for Sharepoint 2007 and one for Sharepoint 2010. There are two scripts because of the difference in UI of the two versions.

I would like to thank Christophe for his wonderful scipt.

For comments and suggestions feel free to comment below.

This is the modified script:

For Sharepoint 2007

<DIV id="ListPlaceholder"><IMG src="/_layouts/images/GEARS_AN.GIF"></DIV>


<iframe id="SourceList" style="width:100%; height:250px;display:none;" src="/sites/TestSite/MekList/MyView.aspx" onload="DisplayThisList()"></iframe>

<script type="text/javascript">
function DisplayThisList()
{
var placeholder = document.getElementById("ListPlaceholder");

var displaylist = null;
var sourcelist = document.getElementById("SourceList");

try {
if(sourcelist.contentDocument)
// Firefox, Opera

{displaylist = sourcelist.contentDocument.getElementById("WebPartWPQ2") ;}
else if(sourcelist.contentWindow)
// Internet Explorer

{displaylist = sourcelist.contentWindow.document.getElementById("WebPartWPQ2") ;}
else if(sourcelist.document)
// Others?

{displaylist = sourcelist.document.getElementById("WebPartWPQ2") ;}
}
catch(err) { alert ("Loading failed");}

displaylist.removeChild(displaylist.getElementsByTagName("table")[0]);
var allDescendants = displaylist.getElementsByTagName("*");
for (i=0;i<allDescendants.length;i ) {
}
placeholder.style.visibility = "hidden";
placeholder.style.display= "none";
sourcelist.style.visibility = "visible";
sourcelist.style.display= "block";
sourcelist.contentWindow.document.getElementById('pageConstraints').outerHTML= displaylist.outerHTML;
sourcelist.contentWindow.document.body.style.border ="none";
sourcelist.height = sourcelist.contentWindow.document.forms[0].offsetHeight + 50;
}
</script>

For Sharepoint 2010

<div id="ListPlaceholder" style="display: none"><img src="/_layouts/images/GEARS_AN.GIF" alt=""/></div>


<iframe id="SourceList" src="/sites/TestSite/MekList/MyView.aspx" frameborder="0" onload="DisplayThisList()" style="width: 100%; height: 250px"></iframe>

<script type="text/javascript">
function DisplayThisList()
{
var placeholder = document.getElementById("ListPlaceholder");

var displaylist = null;
var sourcelist = document.getElementById("SourceList");

try {
if(sourcelist.contentDocument)
// Firefox, Opera

{displaylist = sourcelist.contentDocument.getElementById("WebPartWPQ2") ;}
else if(sourcelist.contentWindow)
// Internet Explorer

{displaylist = sourcelist.contentWindow.document.getElementById("WebPartWPQ2") ;}
else if(sourcelist.document)
// Others?

{displaylist = sourcelist.document.getElementById("WebPartWPQ2") ;}
}
catch(err) { alert ("Loading failed");}
placeholder.style.display = "none";
sourcelist.contentDocument.getElementById("ctl00_IplsFooter").style.display = "none";
sourcelist.contentDocument.getElementById("MSO_ContentTable").style.marginLeft = "0px";
sourcelist.contentDocument.getElementById("s4-ribbonrow").style.display = "none";
sourcelist.contentDocument.getElementById("s4-titlerow").style.display = "none";
sourcelist.contentDocument.getElementById("s4-leftpanel").style.display = "none";
}</script>

SCREENSHOT SP2010:

Unable to Save Changes After Editing the Properties of a Document in Sharepoint Document Library

2011-09-28T13:51:00.000+08:00

I experienced a problem with one of my customers that the changes she made after editing the properties of a document in the Document Library of Sharepoint was not saving!

The solution? Check the Content Type of the Document Library is using and check the columns for any duplication. Delete any duplicate columns at it will solve the problem.

To check the Content Type make sure you enable the management of content types. To enable go to Document Library settings -> Advance Settings then choose YES on "Allow Management of Content Types".

After that, go back to the Document Library Settings and click the Content Type that the Document Library is using to check the columns.

Again, delete any duplicate columns. It works on me so I hope it will work on you too.

Explorer View error in Sharepoint

2011-02-21T13:44:00.006+08:00

I have this issue with one of our clients, when selecting Explorer View and error says: “Please wait while Explorer View is loaded. If Explorer View does not appear, your browser may not support it." …

One solution to check first is if the WEbClient service is turned on and set to Automatic. To set it:

1. click Start -> Run, then type services.msc

2. Look for WebClient, double click and set Startup type to Automatic.

3. Right click on WebClient, click Start.

Now check again the Explorer View. If it doesn’t work check your browser version. As I check the net, IE8 seems to have problems with Explorer View. Hope this helps.

How to Restore the Missing View dropdown in Sharepoint

2011-02-01T15:27:00.002+08:00

One time while doing the project, I was in panic when the view dropdown button is missing in the list view or allitems.aspx. One thing I remember is that I edit the page in Site Actions menu then I accidentally click the “x” mark. Clicking the “x” mark will close the webpart. After that I just add the list webpart to show it again and poof! The view dropdown is missing.

Now I will show you how to restore the view dropdown…

Two ways I know that can restore it.

1. Adding the closed webpart by editing the page.

2. Adding the closed webpart using Sharepoint Designer.

I’ll show you option number 1, especially if you don’t have Sharepoint Designer, because it is much easier and faster.

1. Go to Site Actions and choose Edit Page from the dropdown.

2. Choose Add a Web Part.

3. Add the bottom right of the menu, choose Advanced Web Part gallery and options.

4. A menu will appear on the right side, choose Closed Web Parts.

5. From the menu, under Web Part List, choose the list that you have closed. In this example it is Mek List then click Add button at the bottom. You can see the list webpart with the view dropdown on the left after clicking the Add button. After that click Exit Edit mode.

6. Two webpart will appear, one with the view and the one without. Just close the webpart of the one without view dropdown in the edit mode.

So basically that’s it. It’s just that simple and easy. I’ll show you soon if I have time the second way by using Sharepoint Designer. Thanks.

How to change the time stamp/time zone on the comments of “Append Changes To Existing Text”

2011-01-26T17:51:00.011+08:00

On my previous post I taught you how to remove blank comments on “Append Changes To Existing Text”. Now I will show you on how to change the time stamp or time zone on the comments.

Why change? Well it depends on your requirements, like on my previous project, I have to use the time zone of my foreign client.

So let’s start...

Below is the initial time stamp of the comments.

Now all you have to do is go to Site Actions -> Site Settings

On the right under Site Administration, click Regional Settings.

Find the Time Zone option and on its right there is a drop down that let you choose your time zone. In the example I choose (GMT +8:00) Beijing, Chongging, Hong Kong S.A.R, Urumqi.

After you select a time zone, press OK, then go back to your form and you will see that the time zone / time stamp is changed based on your selected time zone.

How to customize forms in a list using Sharepoint Designer 2007

2011-01-24T14:57:00.000+08:00

One great tool in customizing a form is using Sharepoint Designer 2007. It does not require heavy coding unlike Visual Studio.

I will show you how to customize a form using Sharepoint Designer 2007. From this point I’ll call Sharepoint Designer as SPD.

Below is the form in Sharepoint Site.

Open your SPD, click File -> Open Site. After opening your site, you can see at the left panel the Folder List tab.

Click on the Lists folder and choose the List that contains the form that you want to customize. In the screenshot, my form is in the Mek List.

In the example, I will customize the EditForm.aspx. It is the page that can be seen when you edit an item. Double click it to open. As you can see, the columns don’t appear and because of that you cannot customize it.

What will you do is click the PlaceHolderMain to highlight it, then press right arrow key and press enter to put the cursor below it. This will where you will insert something.

In the Menu, go the Insert -> Sharepoint Controls -> Custom List Form.

A menu will appear, choose the list in the dropdown, in the example Mek List. Content type in the dropdown is Item. In the Type of form to create choose Edit item form, in this example I want to customize EditForm.aspx. Then press OK.

Now the customize form and fields will appear below the default form. You can now customize the fields, etc.

The final step is to close the default form, remember DO NOT DELETE IT. Just close it. Right click on it and choose Web Part Properties. A menu will pop, nnder Layout check Close Web Part.

Now you can customize the form.

How to remove blank comments on Append Changes to Existing Text

2011-01-24T02:20:00.003+08:00

I have one project that requires time stamp and name to be recorded on a multiple type of text type field whenever a user saves a comment. I tried using "Append Changes to Existing Text", be sure to turn on versioning or sharepoint won't allow you that option. The problem here is a user can save an item/task without putting a comment in the field and sharepoint will still put stamp on it with a blank comment! (fig.1)

fig 1. blank comments appear

Now there is a solution I discovered to remove this blank comment. Just go to

YourList -> Settings -> List Settings -> Comments (your field that you want to remove the blank comment)

Then after that choose "Plain text" under "Specify the type of text to allow"(fig.2)

fig.2

Just a note, any font, colors, formatting will be removed. And after that save the changes and view the item. (fig. 3)

fig. 3

And viola! the blank comment is gone =) Now who says "Shit happens"? Shit should be flushed.

Do you want to change the time zone / time stamp in the comment? continue HERE