Office 365 and PnP-PowerShell 2013 : Fields

Now the time to learn about the Fields or so called SharePoint “List” and “Content Type” Columns. 

The below mentioned cmdlets lets you create and remove the Fields to content type and directly to the SharePoint List. 

Cmdlet	Description
Add‑PnPField	Adds a field to a list or as a site column
Get‑PnPField	Returns a field from a list or site
Remove‑PnPField	Removes a field from a list or a site
Add‑PnPFieldFromXml	Adds a field to a list or as a site column based upon a CAML/XML field definition
Add‑PnPTaxonomyField	Adds a taxonomy field to a list or as a site column.

If you want to take a better control over to the list columns better way to design and developed via “Add‑PnPFieldFromXml” method. As this method you only need to work on the XML part for this you need to invest your time to check CAML Documentation.

So I am going use “Add‑PnPFieldFromXml” cmdlets to create the utility to create the columns and configuration done via CSV file.

So before going ahead you need to know about the basic understanding about the CAML  Documentation.

Let’s quickly jump in to the example. This Utility is tried and tested please feel free if you face any issue related to this scripts. 

In this example, I am going to create the CSV files called "SiteColumns.CSV" in which I will provide you all the type of the columns example. 

1. Choice
2. Text
3. User
4. DateTime
5. Boolean
6. Number
7. Note
8. Currency
9. LookupMulti

Also Please check the all the columns closely before going ahead to do any modification mostly please keep check the "optional" columns in the csv which is used to enter the optional data into the Field Xml like make the column to enter only datetime data, or make it required. Also the "optional" field is separated by  Pipe "|" symbol to enter the multiple values inside the tags. Also for example if you set the default value to the choice column.

Here is the Source code. Hope you like it and please let me know your issue and feedback about this. 

	#Dev Import
	$Path = "C:\SharePointPnPPowerShell2013\"
	Import-Module '$Path\SharePointPnP.PowerShell.2013.Commands.dll';
	#-----Function to create Site Columns----#
	function CreateSiteColumns($csvPath, $SiteURL) {
	$Cred = $global:GlobalCred
	$newUtfFile = "SiteCollectionSiteColumns_utf8.csv";
	If (Test-Path $newUtfFile ) {
	Remove-Item $newUtfFile
	}
	Get-Content $csvPath | Out-File $newUtfFile -Encoding utf8
	# Get SPWeb Object
	# Reads the csv file and gets all records in one collection
	$MyFile = import-csv -Delimiter "," -Path $newUtfFile -Encoding Unicode
	$Web = $null;
	Connect-PnPOnline –Url $siteUrl –Credentials $Cred
	$message = "Connect to site $siteUrl"
	# Looping the csv file collection
	foreach ($myRow in $MyFile) {
	# Reading Site Column Attributes values from the csv file collection
	$colGroup = $myRow.Group
	$desc = $myRow.ColumnDescription
	$columnName = $myRow.SiteColumnName
	if ($myRow.ColumnDisplayName -ne $null -and $myRow.ColumnDisplayName -ne "") {
	$columnDisplayName = $myRow.ColumnDisplayName.Replace("&", "&")
	}
	$fieldGUID = $myRow.SiteColumnID
	$type = $myRow.DataType
	$AdditionalFields = $myRow.AdditionalFields
	$req = $myRow.IsRequiredField
	$space = " "
	$required = "";
	if ( $req -ne "" -and $req -ne $null) {
	$required = ' Required ="' + $req + '" '
	}
	# Making SPField XML For using while creating Field
	$caml = $myRow.CAML + $type + $myRow.CAML2 + $columnName + $myRow.CAML3 + $columnDisplayName + $myRow.CAML4 + $columnName + $myRow.CAML5 + $fieldGUID + $myRow.CAML6
	foreach ($isParam in $myRow.Optional.split("|")) {
	if ($isParam -eq "required") {
	$caml = $caml + $space + $required
	}
	else {
	$caml = $caml + $space + $isParam
	}
	}
	# If Field is a Choice Type and we want to assign default values in that Field
	if ($type -eq "Choice" -or $type -eq "MultiChoice") {
	$caml = $caml + "<CHOICES>"
	foreach ($isChoice in $myRow.Choice.split("|")) {
	if ($isChoice -ne $null -and $isChoice -ne "") {
	$caml = $caml + "<CHOICE>" + $isChoice.Replace("&", "&amp;") + "</CHOICE>"
	}
	}
	$caml = $caml + "</CHOICES>"
	}
	if ($type -ne "TaxonomyFieldType") {
	$caml = $caml + $myRow.CAML7
	}
	try {
	$IscolExit = Get-PnPField -Identity $columnName -ErrorAction Stop
	write-host "Column $columnName already exists."
	Write-Host "Column $columnName already exists."
	}
	catch {
	if ($type -ne "TaxonomyFieldType") {
	if ($type -eq "Lookup" -or $type -eq "LookupMulti") {
	try {
	$SourceID = "http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/v3"
	$ListGUID = Get-PnPList -Identity "$LookupList"
	Get-PnPProperty -ClientObject $ListGUID -Property Id
	$replaceValue ="^Lookup^";
	if($LookupListColumn -eq $null -and $LookupListColumn -eq ""){
	$LookupListColumn="Title"
	}
	if($myRow.IsMultiValued -ne $null -and $myRow.IsMultiValued -ne ""){
	if([System.Convert]::ToBoolean($myRow.IsMultiValued)){
	$ReplceString =' List="{'+$($ListGUID.Id) +'}" ShowField="'+$LookupListColumn+'" Mult="TRUE"'
	}
	else
	{
	$ReplceString =' List="{'+$($ListGUID.Id) +'}" ShowField="'+$LookupListColumn+'"'
	}
	}
	$Web = Get-PnPWeb
	$caml = $caml.Replace($replaceValue,$ReplceString);
	$caml = $caml.Replace($SourceID, $Web.Id);
	try{
	$message = "Create New Column : $columnName and xml $caml"
	Write-Host $caml
	Write-Host $message -ForegroundColor Green
	$output = Add-PnPFieldFromXml -FieldXml $caml
	$output.set_Description($desc)
	$output.set_Group($colGroup)
	$output.Update();
	Execute-PnPQuery
	$message = "Create New Column : $columnName "
	Write-Host $message
	Write-Host $message -ForegroundColor Green
	}catch{
	write-host "ERROR - Column $columnName NOT created."
	Write-Host "ERROR - Column $columnName NOT created."
	Write-Host "$($_.Exception.Message)"
	}
	}
	catch {
	Write-Host "$($_.Exception.Message)"
	}
	}
	else {
	try {
	Write-Host $caml
	$output = Add-PnPFieldFromXml -FieldXml $caml
	$output.set_Description($desc)
	$output.set_Group($colGroup)
	$output.Update();
	Execute-PnPQuery
	$message = "Create New Column : $columnName "
	Write-Host $message
	Write-Host $message -ForegroundColor Green
	}
	catch {
	write-host "ERROR - Column $columnName NOT created."
	Write-Host "ERROR - Column $columnName NOT created."
	Write-Host "$($_.Exception.Message)"
	}
	}
	}
	else {
	#For tax Columns----
	}
	}
	}
	}
	$siteUrl = "http://myintranet.com/sites"
	$path = 'C:\Users\basantp\Documents\PNP Blog Section\Code\Fields'
	$inputFile = $path + "\SiteColumns.csv"
	CreateSiteColumns $csvPath $SiteURL

view raw Fields.ps1 hosted with ❤ by GitHub

	SiteColumnID	SiteColumnName	ColumnDisplayName	DataType	ColumnDescription	Group	LookupListName	LookupListColumn	IsRequiredField	Choice	IsMultiValued	CAML	CAML2	CAML3	CAML4	CAML5	CAML6	CAML7	Optional	AdditionalFields
	0c208fc0-65f3-400d-98bc-2935ab067404	My_Status	Status	Choice	This is choice fields	My_Fields			TRUE	New|In progress|Finalized|Declined|Waiting for reply|Offboarding		<Field Type="	" Name="	" DisplayName="	" StaticName="	" ID="{	}" SourceID="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/v3"	</Field>	required|> <Default>New</Default>
	0c208fc0-65f3-400d-98bc-2935ab067406	My_FirstName	First name	Text	This is first Name	My_Fields			TRUE			<Field Type="	" Name="	" DisplayName="	" StaticName="	" ID="{	}" SourceID="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/v3"	</Field>	required|>
	0c208fc0-65f3-400d-98bc-2935ab067408	My_User	AD Account	User	This is User Fields	My_Fields			FALSE			<Field Type="	" Name="	" DisplayName="	" StaticName="	" ID="{	}" SourceID="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/v3"	</Field>	required| UserSelectionMode="0" | Indexed = "TRUE" | EnforceUniqueValues = "TRUE" >
	0c208fc0-65f3-400d-98bc-2935ab067409	My_StartDate	Start Date	DateTime	This is date Fields	My_Fields			TRUE			<Field Type="	" Name="	" DisplayName="	" StaticName="	" ID="{	}" SourceID="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/v3"	</Field>	Format="DateOnly"|required|>
	0c208fc0-65f3-400d-98bc-2935ab067422	My_Booean	Boolean	Boolean	This is boolean	My_Fields			FALSE			<Field Type="	" Name="	" DisplayName="	" StaticName="	" ID="{	}" SourceID="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/v3"	</Field>	required|>
	0c208fc0-65f3-400d-98bc-2935ab067428	My_Number	Number	Number	This is a number	My_Fields			FALSE			<Field Type="	" Name="	" DisplayName="	" StaticName="	" ID="{	}" SourceID="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/v3"	</Field>	required|>
	0c208fc0-65f3-400d-98bc-2935ab067453	My_Note	Note	Note		My_Fields			FALSE			<Field Type="	" Name="	" DisplayName="	" StaticName="	" ID="{	}" SourceID="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/v3"	</Field>	required|>
	0c208fc0-65f3-400d-98bc-2935ab167514	My_Currency	Currency	Currency		My_Fields			TRUE			<Field Type="	" Name="	" DisplayName="	" StaticName="	" ID="{	}" SourceID="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/v3"	</Field>	required|>
	0c208fc0-65f3-400d-98bc-2935ab067517	My_Lookup	Lookup	LookupMulti		My_Fields	Lists/LookupList	Title	FALSE		FALSE	<Field Type="	" Name="	" DisplayName="	" StaticName="	" ID="{	}" SourceID="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/v3"	</Field>	required|^Lookup^|>

view raw SiteColumns.csv hosted with ❤ by GitHub