Transform SharePoint default list forms with HTML, CSS and JavaScript

Transform SharePoint List Forms
with HTML, CSS and JavaScript
Turn the out-of-the-box SharePoint list forms
into custom styled forms

• Intro
• Custom “Form” Approach
• Next Steps
• Resources
Agenda
Transform SharePoint Forms

• CloudShare – Environments Made Easy
• http://www.cloudshare.com/
Thank you to my sponsor

• .NET / SharePoint solution and technical architect
• Over 18 years experience developing business
solutions for private industry & government
• Recent clients include HoC, Justice Canada, NRC,
NSERC, DFAIT, CFPSA, MCC, OSFI
• Specialize in Microsoft technologies
• Speaker at user groups and conferences
About Me

Default List Forms
• Plain & simple
• Single long column
• Titles have no
emphasis
• Very limited field
validation
• No field correlation
• In short, it’s UGLY!

• Style the default New, Display and Edit list forms
• Use a light touch, minimalist approach
• In web design tool of choice, eg Dreamweaver
• Implement using pure HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
Desired Situation

• Custom master page
• SharePoint markup (CAML)
• Delegate controls and custom actions
• Farm / sandbox solutions
• SharePoint Designer
• InfoPath forms
• Visual Studio
Avoid Heavy-Weight Solution

Based on Mark Rackley’s original approach, Easy
Custom Layouts for Default SharePoint Forms
• Modify Default List Form Web Parts
• Use Content Editor webparts to inject HTML and
JavaScript
• Inject alternate HTML “form” to define new layout
• Inject JavaScript to move SP fields to new layout
Acknowledgements

• Add CSS to Default New, Display and Edit forms
• Inject text and HTML using JavaScript
• Use any supported HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
• Use any JavaScript framework
• Eg, jQuery, jQuery UI and plugins
Style Existing “Forms”

• Create a styles markup page in Site Assets library:
<script src="//code.jquery.com/jquery-1.10.1.min.js"></script>
<style type="text/css">
.ms-formlabel h3.ms-standardheader {font-weight:bold; text-align:
right; padding-right: 10px;}
</style>
<script>
$(document).ready(function() {
$(".ms-formlabel h3.ms-standardheader").each(function(){
$(this).append(“ :");
});
});
</script>

• Load jQuery:
</style>
<script>
});
});
</script>

• Apply font / align / pad style to field header:
</style>
<script>
});
});
</script>

• Inject text into DOM:
</style>
<script>
});
});
</script>

• Edit each of the New, Display and Edit forms

• Add a Content Editor
web part
Style Existing “Form”

• Link to styles markup
page

• Note style changes

• Final result

• Style existing form
Demo #1

• Add Custom HTML “form” table to Default New,
Display and Edit forms
• Move Edit Controls into a Custom HTML “form”
table
• Hide OOTB HTML “form” table
Design Custom HTML “Form”

• Create a form layout page in Site Assets library:
<table cellpadding="5" cellspacing="5" bgcolor="#CCCCCC" >
<tr>
<td>
<b>Title:</b><br>
<span class="customForm" data-internalName="Title"></span>
</td>
<td>
<b>Issue Status:</b><br>
<span class="customForm" data-internalName="Status"></span>
</td>
</tr>
...
</table>

• Apply styling
<tr >
<td>
<b>Title:</b><br>
</td>
<td>
</td>
</tr>
...
</table>

• Use placeholder for moved fields
<tr >
<td>
<b>Title:</b><br>
</td>
<td>
</td>
</tr>
...
</table>

• Create a move fields script in Site Assets library:
<!– include jQuery -->
<script>
$("span.customForm").each(function() {
internalName = $(this).attr("data-internalName");
elem = $(this);
$("table.ms-formtable td").each(function(){
if (this.innerHTML.indexOf(
'FieldInternalName="'+internalName+'"') != -1){
$(this).contents().appendTo(elem);
}
});
});
});
</script>

• Traverse placeholders in custom form
<script>
elem = $(this);
}
});
});
});
</script>

• Find corresponding fields in OOTB form
<script>
elem = $(this);
}
});
});
});
</script>

• Move fields from OOTB form to custom form
<script>
elem = $(this);
}
});
});
});
</script>

• Add two Content
Editor web parts
Custom HTML “Form”

• Link first to custom
HTML “form” layout
page

• Link second to move
fields script

• Note layout changes

• Final result

• Simple TABLE-based layout
Demo #2

• Add Custom Tab “form”
• Move Edit Controls into Custom Tab “form”
• Hide OOTB HTML “form” table
Design Custom Tab “Form”

• Create a form layout page in Site Assets library:
<div id="tabs">
<ul>
<li><a href="#tabs-1">General</a></li>
<li><a href="#tabs-2">Description</a></li>
<li><a href="#tabs-3">Related</a></li>
</ul>
<div id="tabs-1">
<div class="table">
<div class="row">
<b>Title:</b><br>
</div><br/>
<div class="row">
</div><br/>
...
</div>

• Define tabs:
<div id="tabs">
<ul>
</ul>
<div id="tabs-1">
<div class="table">
<div class="row">
<b>Title:</b><br>
</div><br/>
<div class="row">
</div><br/>
...
</div>

• Use placeholders for moved fields:
<div id="tabs">
<ul>
</ul>
<div id="tabs-1">
<div class="table">
<div class="row">
<b>Title:</b><br>
</div><br/>
<div class="row">
</div><br/>
...
</div>

• Enable jQuery UI tabs in move fields script:
<script src="//code.jquery.com/ui/1.11.4/jquery-ui.min.js"></script>
<script>
$(function() {
var css = "//code.jquery.com/ui/1.11.4/themes/smoothness/jquery-
ui.css";
document.createStyleSheet(css);
$( "#tabs" ).tabs();
});
</script>

• Inject stylesheet reference for tab styling:
<script>
$(function() {
ui.css";
});
</script>

• Activate jQueryUI tabs:
<script>
$(function() {
ui.css";
});
</script>

• Add two Content
Editor web parts
Custom Tab “Form”

• Link first to custom
tab “form” layout
page

• Link second to
enhanced move
fields script

• Note layout changes

• Final result

• DIV-based layout with tabs
Demo #3

• Pure web-based solution (HTML, CSS, JavaScript)
• Does not require SharePoint Designer or InfoPath
• Requires only limited permissions
• Manage Lists for initial config of web parts on
default forms
• Edit document to revise HTML or Tab “form” layout
Pros of Custom “Form”

• Field list on “form” is hard coded not dynamic
• List column management not tied to “form” design
• Field titles are initially hard coded (eg unilingual),
but additional line of JavaScript will move them as
well
Cons of Custom “Form”

• Learn JavaScript
• Learn SharePoint’s flavour of JavaScript, its
objects, helper functions, and APIs
• Customize a SharePoint View / Edit form with an
embedded HTML form
• Customize a SharePoint field on a View / Edit form
with a field display template
• Never again leave an ugly OOTB SharePoint form
as is!
Next Steps

• Mark Rackley – Easy Custom Layouts for Default
SharePoint Forms (blog)
• Martin Hatch – JSLink and Display Templates
(blog)
• Todd Bleeker – Custom Forms and Conditional
Formatting in SharePoint 2013 (conference)
• Sly Gryphon – Ways to load jQuery in SharePoint
(2010/2013)
Resources

• John Calvert, Chief Architect
• Software Craft, Inc.
• john at softwarecraft dot ca
• softwarecraft dot ca
• at softwarecraft99
Contact Me

Transform SharePoint default list forms with HTML, CSS and JavaScript

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