This was a customer request. They wanted to be able to define a Project Template that could be used for a starting point with the creation of every new Project.
Note: this feature may be applied to any list. This feature is available with the March 2017 update.
Configuring
Add a new Setting as shown below. In this example we are using Projects so the Setting name will be “ProjectsUseTemplates”.
Setting Name: [ListName]UseTemplates
Setting Value: values are made of three sections - Yes/No column name | Template Type Column | Column values to be copied
For each list that will become a Template add a column field (must be a Yes/No column) that specifies this list to become a Template item. Apply this setting to the Project item that should become a template. Add the Yes value to the setting for that Project item.
The second part is determining the column that will be used to describe the list item. For this example we used the column field “Project Type”. In this example there are two types: 1) Internal and 2) External. When we create the Item (as above noted) that will become the Project Template it will be either “Internal or External”.
The third part is a list of columns that will be used from the selected list for the Template copying. For this example we wanted to copy from the Template (Internal) these field values: Project Type, Summary and Details.
Using Feature
- Once you have added the Yes value to the Project item which should become the Template and you have added the fields that will copy down from the Setting (described above) you are ready to start.
- Go to create a new Project using any of the methods available and the following box will appear with the Selected Project type.
- Click “Use the selected template” button if you wish to create a New Project Item from the Existing Template. This option will copy all the field values in the Setting down to the new item.
- Click “Create without template” if you wish to proceed as a new original item.
- Save and proceed as normal.