Nov 29, 2018 The formula in the calculated column is like below: =IF (Number1Number2,'Num1 is smaller','Number2 is smaller') In the above formula conditional statement, I am using it. If the number1 is smaller than number2 then display “Num1 is smaller” otherwise it will display “Number2 is smaller”. Sharepoint formulas. Aug 27, 2018 Extract date components using the TEXT function in SharePoint calculated columns In your SharePoint form submissions and list items, sometimes you’d like date fields to be displayed a different way for workflows, notifications, views, grouping, additional metadata, etc.
Learn the key differences between single-line and multi-line text columns in SharePoint – and how to select the right column type for your needs.
There are two types of text columns – single-line or multi-line – that you can add to a SharePoint list or library. It may seem like the difference is obvious. However, the behavior of these two column types in SharePoint is drastically different.
Refer to the table below for a comparison.
Single-line vs. Multi-line Text Column in SharePoint
Single-line Text Column | Multi-line Text Column | |
---|---|---|
Maximum Length | 255 characters | • List = 63,999 characters • Document library = Unlimited (optional) |
Filter and sort in a view | Yes | No |
Reference in a lookup column | Yes | No |
Use in a calculated field column | Yes | No |
Change column type (e.g. choice, number, currency, date and time, single-,or multi-line text.) | Yes | No |
Enforce unique values | Yes | No |
Define default value | Yes | No |
Add rich text (e.g. bold, italics, text alignment, or hyperlinks) | No | Yes |
Enter enhanced text (e.g. pictures, tables, or hyperlinks) | No | Yes |
Which is better: single-line or multi-line text columns in SharePoint?
As you can see, there are significant differences between the two text column types in SharePoint. For example, once you add a multi-line text column, you cannot switch back to a single-line text column. You must instead create a new column.
So which text column in SharePoint is better? We recommend using a single-line text column over a multi-line text column whenever possible. Single-line text fields are the most flexible – so you can do things like later change the information type to add a lookup column, build calculated fields and so on.
Sometimes, however, multi-line text columns are necessary. One example would be a contractor response field in a Submittal Form. Be aware that getting that data back out (e.g. for use in reports, calculations, workflows, etc.) is challenging without custom coding.
Read more about list and library column types and options in SharePoint.
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Sharepoint Calculated List Column
And be sure to check out our previous tip to learn how to configure required fields in SharePoint.
Sharepoint Calculated Column Formulas
Here is a business scenario for you. You have a list in SharePoint and would like to capture comments from the users. However, here is a twist. You want to capture the whole history/audit trail of all the comments users typed in, without the danger of user accidentally deleting comments left by the previous user edits. An example that could benefit from this use case is some sort of Help Desk SharePoint list or a Vacation Request Approval list where you want to capture all the comments left by all the users. You might also need this functionality on a Task List, where you want to keep all the comments related to a particular task together. Luckily, achieving above scenario in SharePoint is very easy via “Append Changes” functionality. Let me explain step by step how to make it possible.
Step 1: Enable Version history on a list
To enable versioning, follow the instructions below.
- Go to the list settings, then click on Versioning Settings
- Under Item Version History, switch Create a version each time you edit an item in this list? radio button to Yes. Click OK
Step 2: Create a new “multiple lines of text” column
- Unless you have it already, go ahead and create a new column (List Settings > Create a Column)
- In the example below, I am setting up a column on a Task List web part, so I can track Task comments. Make sure to choose Multiple lines of text for the column type
- At the bottom of the “create a column” screen, switch Append Changes to Existing Text radio button to Yes. Click OK
Step 3: Configure view
This step is optional and is more of a personal preference. If you decide to display the column you created in the view, you will notice a clickable “View Entries…” link appear next to each item. That is because your comments now are not just one entry, but rather several distinct entries in one column. So it is not practical to display all lines of comments/text on this screen. To view all of them, just click on View Entries…
So now when you either click on the item itself or View Entries…, you will be able to see the whole log of comments. Enjoy!
NOTES:
- Append Changes to Existing Text functionality is only available on the SharePoint Lists, not document libraries.