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I am new to sharepoint development and need to create some custom NewForm/EditForms for a new custom list I am creating. It seems like I have two choices:



Basically, it seems like I can either create the form in sharepoint designer, and then save the entire .aspx and include that in my solution -- or I can add a Feature receiver to make the changes. Or is there another way to do it as well?

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3 Answers 3

up vote 3 down vote accepted

I would recommend to use the first method - Create the Form in SPD, save it in .aspx and include it in a List definition feature.


  1. Creating the form in SPD and doing the modifications required are pretty much easy. For eg.- Adding a list view web part or modifying an XSLT would be quiet easier in SPD.

  2. Now, adding .aspx in a list definition in VS and deploying it as a feature should be considered good enough to move it across environments. (DEV -> TEST -> PROD).

Whatever method you have implemented to customize in SharePoint comes handy only if it is packaged and ready to use as a WSP.

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The 3rd option is InfoPath - if you're in such a position in which you can enable the SharePoint -> InfoPath integration features. Especially useful if forms will later be maintained by staff who are more familiar with Word or Office as the UI will be very familiar to them.

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Be aware that InfoPath forms don't play nice with managed metadata. –  David Clarke Jul 22 '13 at 23:23
InfoPath will not be supported in further Editions of SharePoint –  lex Dec 11 at 15:03

I would go for Deepu's explanation in general.

For more details rather, you need to consider, assuming you build a WSP package via VS2010:

  • Your own custom list? - if yes, you could do it declaratively in the List Definition (is a bitch to do that XML declaratively for the
    views - but is doable).

  • Another list? - use Deepu's explanation with the caveat that you should probably use the a MODULE in VS to deploy it and then update that list's informaiton to point to your new file.

Hope it helps, C:\Marius

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