Information types and options

The following types of information are available, with options for each type as shown:

Use this information type when you want team members to enter just a few words.

Description: Type a description of the information that you want to appear in this column. When team members fill out a form to add items to a list, column descriptions are displayed below the data entry fields.
Required: If you want to require team members to enter information in this column, click Yes.
Maximum number of characters: Type a number to limit the number of characters that appear in this column.
Default value: If you want new items to display information in this column automatically, type that information here. Team members can change this value.
Add to default view: If you want this column to appear in the default view of this list or library, select this check box.

Use this information type when you want team members to type a sentence or more.

Description: Type a description of the information that you want to appear in this column. When team members fill out a form to add items to a list, column descriptions are displayed below the data entry fields.
Required: If you want to require team members to enter information in this column, click Yes.
Number of Lines to Display: Type the number of lines to display for this column on the data entry form.
Allow rich HTML text: Specify whether you want to allow text formatting such as fonts, bold, italic, or text colors.
Add to default view: If you want this column to appear in the default view of this list or library, select this check box.

Use this information type when you want team members to type a numerical value.

Description: Type a description of the information that you want to appear in this column. When team members fill out a form to add items to a list, column descriptions are displayed below the data entry fields.
Required: If you want to require team members to enter information in this column, click Yes.
Minimum and maximum values: If you want team members to enter values within a certain range, type a value for the lower limit in the Min box and a value for the upper limit in the Max box.
Number of decimal places: Select the number of decimal places to enable team members to enter decimal values in tenths, hundredths, and so on.
Default value: If you want new items to display information in this column automatically, type that information here. Team members can change this value.
Show as percentage: If you want the number to represent a percentage, select this check box.
Add to default view: If you want this column to appear in the default view of this list or library, select this check box.

Use this information type when you want team members to type a monetary value.

Description: Type a description of the information that you want to appear in this column. When team members fill out a form to add items to a list, column descriptions are displayed below the data entry fields.
Required: If you want to require team members to enter information in this column, click Yes.
Minimum and maximum values: If you want team members to enter values within a certain range, type a value for the lower limit in the Min box and a value for the upper limit in the Max box.
Number of decimal places: Select the number of decimal places to enable team members to enter decimal values in tenths, hundredths, and so on.
Default value: If you want new items to display information in this column automatically, type that information here. Team members can change this value.
Currency format: Select a currency based on geographic region.
Add to default view: If you want this column to appear in the default view of this list or library, select this check box.

Use this information type when you want to store calendar or time-of-day information.

Description

Type a description of the information that you want to appear in this column. When team members fill out a form to add items to a list, column descriptions are displayed below the data entry fields.

Required

If you want to require team members to enter information in this column, click Yes.

Date format

Select whether you want to display the date or the date and time of day.

Default value

If you want new items to display a date and time, do one of the following:

To display the date and time that an item was created, click Today's Date.
To display a custom date and time, click the calendar and select a date, and then select a time in the hour and minutes boxes.
Select this option if you want the column to display a date that is based on a calculation. For example, if you want to create a column that displays a date that is 30 days from the current date, you select Calculated Value and type the equation =[TODAY]+30 in the field provided.

Add to default view

If you want this column to appear in the default view of this list or library, select this check box.

Use this information type when you want to make it easy to select information that's already stored in your site.

Description: Type a description of the information that you want to appear in this column. When team members fill out a form to add items to a list, column descriptions are displayed below the data entry fields.
Required: If you want to require team members to enter information in this column, click Yes.
Get information from: Select a list or library from your site.
In this column: Select the column that stores the information that you want team members to be able to select.
Include presence information: Select this option if you want online presence information to appear next to users names. This status is updated each time a user logs on to Microsoft Windows Messenger. This feature provides a handy way to know when team members are available for online chats.
Add to default view: If you want this column to appear in the default view of this list or library, select this check box.

Use this information type when you want team members to choose from a set of selections that you have provided.

Description: Type a description of the information that you want to appear in this column. When team members fill out a form to add items to a list, column descriptions are displayed below the data entry fields.
List of choices: In the Type each choice on a separate line box, replace the sample text with the selections from which you want team members to choose. Type each selection on a separate line. To start a new line, press ENTER.
Display options: If you want the selections to be displayed in an expanding box, click Drop-Down Menu. If you want the selections to be displayed in a list, click Radio Buttons.
Allow 'fill-in' choice values: If you want to allow team members to enter a value that is not included in the column's list of choices, click Yes under Allow 'fill-in' choices.
Default value: New items will automatically display the selection that you typed first in the List of choices. If you want to use another selection as the default, copy and paste that selection here. Team members can change this value.
Add to default view: If you want this column to appear in the default view of this list or library, select this check box.

Use this information type when you want to store true/false information. To indicate a value of "yes," team members select the check box; to indicate a value of "no," team members clear the check box.

Description: Type a description of the information that you want to appear in this column. When team members fill out a form to add items to a list, column descriptions are displayed below the data entry fields.
Default value: If you want new items to display a value in this column automatically, click Yes or No here. Team members can change this value.
Add to default view: If you want this column to appear in the default view of this list or library, select this check box.

Use this information type when you want to display a hyperlink to a Web page or display an image from the Web.

Description: Type a description of the information that you want to appear in this column. When team members fill out a form to add items to a list, column descriptions are displayed below the data entry fields.
Required: If you want to require team members to enter information in this column, click Yes.
Format URL as: If you want the hyperlink to be text, click Hyperlink. If you want the hyperlink to display an image, click Picture. To display a picture, team members must enter a Web address that is the URL of an image, such as http://www.example.com/image.gif.
Add to default view: If you want this column to appear in the default view of this list or library, select this check box.

Use this information type when you want to display a column of information that is based on the results of a formula. The formula can use information from other lists and columns, dates, or numbers. You can use standard mathematical operators. For more information, see About computed and calculated columns.

Description: Type a description of the information that you want to appear in this column. When team members fill out a form to add items to a list, column descriptions are displayed below the data entry fields.
Formula: Type the formula that is used to determine the information that appears in this column.
The data type returned from this formula is:: Select the type of data that you want to appear in the column.
Add to default view: If you want this column to appear in the default view of this list or library, select this check box.