Documentation

Associated Items Column

Associated Items column is a special custom column type that allow entering and managing items or documents related to any list item or document from within the context of the parent item itself.

The product can operate as a companion to regular lookup field, by showing the items looking up the current item or autonomously using a set of provided content types, for advanced functionality. The provided content types include item, document and task content types that can be used as a basis of your own content types.

The field allows users to create new items/documents related to the current item, manage their lifecycles and run workflows, all without leaving the context of the parent item and being able to view the details the related items as part of the parent item’s own properties.

The product installs the following components:

Associated Item, Associated Document and Associated Task content types, based on SharePoint Item, Document and Task content types. The content types contain hidden fields that are managed by the product for storing information necessary to link every item to its parent item. To be used with the product, your items/documents must inherit from this content type, unless using a lookup field pointing to the parent item.
Associated Tasks list template uses the Associated Task content type as a ready-made implementation to be used directly without modification. You can use this list template or add the task content type to your own list. NOTE: the template is not available in the app version.
Associated Items field is added to parent list to view, enter and edit associated items.
Associated Items Summary field performs calculations based on the number of related items or their values
Associated Items web part that allows you to manage the related item on the Edit/Display form outside the field. NOTE: the web part is not available in the app version.
Workflow conditions All Tasks in Status and Associated items value check can be used in SharePoint Designer workflows to test if all tasks, documents or items, associated with the same parent item adhere to the specified condition. The conditions can be used in workflow scenarios of your own design. NOTE: the workflow conditions and actions are not available in the app version.
Workflow action Generate Associated Tasks that can automatically generated individual tasks for multiple users defined in a User/Group column of the parent item. NOTE: this functionality is not available in the app version.
Workflow action Extract parent item ID that can store the parent item’s ID in a workflow variable. You can use this ID to update the parent item. NOTE: the workflow conditions and actions are not available in the app version.

NOTE: Custom fields in SharePoint will remain read-only in Datasheet / Quick edit view and in Document Information Panel in Office 2007 or above.