BCS and External List Limitations in SharePoint 2010

BCS and External List Limitations

1) Workflows cannot be configured on External Lists

Unfortunately as you can see you cannot actually run a workflow on an external list. You neither have the option to define any workflows nor can you actually start one. Now this is even if the workflow that you are thinking of defining will not alter the External List item in anyway, doesn’t matter, External List = No Workflows!

2) Cannot create Information Management Policies

This kind of makes sense. I mean you can really declare something a record or move something to another location if you aren’t storing it within SharePoint but it is worth knowing. No IMP’s means no barcodes,  auditing, retention or labels.

3) No versioning or version history

You cannot version or see version history for an External List. Now this does make sense since in many external systems there is no concept of versions

4) No Inline Editing or Datasheet View

Inline editing allows you to edit list items from within the list view itself, kind of a datasheet view for an induvidual item. Datasheet view is a way where you can easily change metadata for multiple items. Neither of these are available.

5) No ratings

This does suck but you cannot rate any items in an external list.

6) No ability to Export to Excel, Create Visio Diagram, Open with Access or Open with Project

Some of these are not available to all list types (Create Visio Diagram or Open with Project for example) but all standard lists are able to be exported to Excel or opened with Access. This is a real shame I think because exporting to Excel is an oft use feature that will be missed by users.

7) No REST access through ListData.svc to External Lists

Yep you can’t access an External List though REST…

8) No RSS Feeds

No RSS Feeds are available either

9) No Item Level Permissions

You also cannot configure item level permissions for External Lists.

10) No item or field level validation

So as you can see there are quite a few limitations that one should be aware of. The thing that is concerning is that from a user’s perspective you can’t actually tell that a list is external and without all these things being available this can lead to some confusion. But it is out of the box functionality after all and with a little SharePoint Designer and XSL magic you might not be in the situation to expose external lists anyway.

11) Not everything from Lookups

Unfortunately the only thing that you can do a look up on in an external list is on the ID column, anything else and you are out of luck.

12) No attachments

No attachments either!

13) Warning: Too many results have been returned. This result set may be incomplete or truncated.

When you have thousands of items to pick from, the default behavior is to show the first 200 items and there will be a warning out there. If you have yet to define a filter for the ECTs, it is strongly recommended to always define at least one filter on your ECTs for this scenario so that end users are able to search the values with wildcard and get the items in the quickly narrow search result.

References:-

1.       http://www.sharepointanalysthq.com/2010/07/bcs-external-list-limitations/

2.       http://blogs.msdn.com/b/bcs/archive/2010/05/05/why-it-s-important-to-define-filters-for-a-good-picking-experience.aspx

3.       http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-NZ/sharepoint2010customization/thread/e8de78d1-79c6-4f89-ab54-5d3b9fb96d0c

What is the limit of CAML in terms of characters ?

Here is the Limit:-

Limit of CAML is Max Length of String (2,147,483,647).

Difference between SharePoint List and document library

1. In to a document library we can upload document which are not blocked file type and some content, which get stored in Content database.
2. A list on the other hand a just piece of data, just like SQL table although it is possible to store binary content in to list as well as using attachment.
3. And with a document library we can SPFileCollection.add(string, stream) – Document Library Accept a stream, means the content can be in memory, or disk or even a TCP/IP socket.
4. But with List we Only Can SPAttachmentCollection.Add(string, byte) only accepting a byte , means the attachment must fit entirely in one continuous block memory. It this is something you do with large file , your server memory may become fragmented
5. And we Can Publish a Infopath Form Template in document Library, and this problem is rise when we submit the Form in different place then where you published the form.
6. We can’t create Folder in List but can in Doc. Library
7. Document library the Check in Check out functionality but not in List.
8. Document library support the Major and Minor Version of files and Folders. But in List only support the Major version. So that two people cannot change the same content at concurrently.
9. Some type of list have different functions like for instance people being only able to read their own posts, but these are not available in every type of list and are not available at all with document libraries and other libraries.
10. List have one special List Content type, same as list Library has also DocumentLibaray type content type.

List event handlers issue in datasheet view in MOSS

Hi,

After struggling a lot with MOSS document library event handlers I found some solution on it.

Scenario: - I need to update file name property using event handler but not from standard view of document library but from the datasheet view of it. Always getting the resolve link with some error on the view.

Solution: Finally I got the solution for this known issue (MS) in MOSS. Below is some sample code for the same.

public override void ItemUpdated(SPItemEventProperties properties)
{
try
{
this.DisableEventFiring();
string fileName = properties.AfterUrl;
fileName = fileName.Split('/')[1].ToString();
SPList list;
SPListItem item;
list = properties.ListItem.ParentList;
item = list.GetItemById(properties.ListItemId);
if (!Convert.ToString(item["Filename"]).Equals(fileName))
{
item["Filename"] = fileName;
item.SystemUpdate(false);
}
this.EnableEventFiring();
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
}
finally
{
this.EnableEventFiring();
}
base.ItemUpdated(properties);
}

Hope it will help a lot of guys we need it badly like me.

How to configure Alternate Access Mapping to your site.

Hi,

Whenever user working with MOSS or WSS on extranet or internet* environment. User always need to set the URL according to company's standard by not showing IP or server name in URL of you site. As by default MOSS/ WSS site showing on user's server name in URL.
So by setting the Alternate Access Mapping of with your live IP you can easily achieve your goal.
Here are the easy steps to do this:-

1. On the top navigation bar, click Operations.
2. On the Operations page, in the Global Configuration section, click Alternate access mappings.
3. On the Alternate Access Mappings page, click Add Internal URLs.
4. If the mapping collection that you want to modify is not specified, then choose one. In the Alternate Access Mapping Collection section, click Change alternate access mapping collection on the Alternate Access Mapping Collection menu.
5. On the Select an Alternate Access Mapping Collection page, click a mapping collection.
6. In the Add internal URL section, in the URL protocol, host and port box, type the new internal URL (for example, https://www.microsoft.com/) .
7. In the Zone list, click the zone for the internal URL.
8. Click Save.

For more information please refer :- http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc263208.aspx

*For MOSS internet facing sites you need to perchase different licence from Microsoft.

Kuldee Kadyan

Open a page in edit mode directly in Sharepoint

Hi,

Because of some web part problem or browser issues user is not able to open page in edit mode. Then what should he do??? Don't worry i will suggest you something may be it will work for u also as worked for me.

Just type ListURL?ToolPaneView=2 in your browser and get the things works for you.

Enjoy!!!

Kuldeep Kadyan

Add Link on List Column Value Using DataView WebPart

Add HyperLink on any column value in a Form using Dataview webpart is now its very easy.

Use this trick for your solution:-

<script language="javascript">
var a ="<xsl:value-of select="@FileName" />"
document.write('<a href=/HelpDocuments/' + a + '> download </a> ');
</script>

*change curly brackets with respective angular brackets.

Hope its works for you also!!!