Content Type

Applies to: SharePoint Foundation 2010

Content types provide a means to manage the metadata and behavior of Microsoft SharePoint Foundation list items, making it possible to store different types of content within the same library or list.

For information about content types and how they function within SharePoint Foundation, see Content Types.

Content Type Schemas

Content type schemas are the base definitions of list items in SharePoint Foundation. Content types provide a structured way to define item behaviors, such as required fields, retention, and workflow. Content types also allow SharePoint Foundation lists to be heterogeneous, storing items from different list types within a single list.

Possible scopes:

  • Farm: No

  • Web Application: No

  • Site Collection: Yes

  • Web Site: Yes

Note

Although you can create a content type with a Feature that is scoped either Site or Web, the scope must be Site if you are also provisioning files (such as document templates) with the same Feature.

For information about the file format used when defining content types, see Content Type Definitions.

Activating Content Types

When you enable a Feature that contains content types, those content types are installed in the list of available content types for the respective scope.

Deactivating Content Types

When you deactivate a Feature that contains content types, the content type definition is removed from the list of available content types unless it is in use by a list in the site collection. This is equivalent to selecting a content type in the respectively scoped store and clicking Remove. In this way, you prevent new instances of those content types from being created. Existing data that was based on that content type continues to function.