Required Column Values
A SharePoint Online tutorial by Peter Kalmström
 In
earlier articles, Peter Kalmström, CEO and Systems Designer
of kalmstrom.com Business Solutions, has shown various way
to categorize SharePoint document library files with column
values.
In the demo below Peter shows how to set column values as
required and discusses the pros and cons with required values.
If no column is marked as required, an uploaded file will
show up in the library, accessible to all users, without
categorization. The user has to open the file properties
to make the categorization, so there is a risk that this
will be omitted. On the other hand, the file upload becomes
easier if you are not forced to categorize files to show
them to other team members.
When there is a required column in a library, each uploaded
file has to be "checked in", which means that the required
value has to be filled out or selected before other users
can access the file.
Required value at file upload
With required column values you can be sure that all new
files are categorized, because when a file has been uploaded
a Check in dialog is displayed. The file cannot be accessed
by other users until the required fields have been filled
out.
Required value when a file is created in the library
or added in Windows Explorer
When a new file is created in the library, or when a file
is added to a library that is opened in Windows Explorer,
no dialog will be shown.
Instead the file will have an icon which shows that it has
to be checked in.
To check in a file, open its properties and add the missing
value. Then check in the file with the Check in command.
Set a value for a SharePoint document library column
to Required
- Open the Library settings.
- Under Columns, click on the link to the column where
you want to set a required value.
- In the Edit Column dialog, click on the Yes radio
button under "Require that this column contains information:".
- Click OK.
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