SharePoint Custom Identifier Column – Apply a SharePoint Unique ID

Generate customized unique values for your SharePoint list items
with the Bamboo Custom Identifier column.

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Why settle for using meaningless numbers or text to reference items?

More and more companies are looking to SharePoint as a platform to host their business applications. One of the big challenges application designers face is the rigidity that SharePoint imposes on item identifiers. A simple numeric counter might ensure uniqueness, but it misses an opportunity to communicate information about an issue, invoice, call ticket, order, etc. It also cannot guarantee values are unique outside of the current list.

The Bamboo Custom Identifier addresses this need by providing users with a method to customize the format of auto-generated values. Construct your own custom identifier by combining a numeric counter with text, date/time, site name, list name and column values. You also have the option to let users enter their own unique text in the form of a social security number, employee number, etc. These values, whether they are automatically or manually entered, are then checked for uniqueness within the current list, current site, or across the entire site collection.

SharePoint Custom Identifier Column

Features	Descriptions
SharePoint 2010	New! Now supported on SharePoint Foundation 2010 and SharePoint Server 2010.
Auto-Generate unique values across one or more lists.	Scope the checking for unique values to the current list, site, or across multiple sites in a site collection.
Allow users to manually enter unique values.	Give the users flexibility to manually enter values while confirming the uniqueness of the value on submittal.
Format identifiers	Construct meaningful item identifiers by combining text, date/time, system and column values.
Works with all SharePoint List Types	Lists: Tasks, Announcements, Calendars, Custom Lists, Discussion Boards, etc. Libraries: Document Libraries, Form Libraries, Picture Libraries, etc.
Set Capitalization Option	Force manually entered values to upper or lower case to ensure uniformity.

Create a custom identifier by selecting one or more of these constructs...

Construct	Description	Sample Value
Text values	Insert free-form text inline or use as identifier prefixes and suffixes	"IRC-"; "Ticket "; "HR"; "Dept A"; "Appointment"
Date time values	Add the current date\time by choosing from a variety of local formats	01/14/2010; JAN 14, 2010; 11:15:53 AM
Site name	Current site name	"Project A Site"; "HR Team Site"
List name	Current list name	"Invoice"; "Order"; "Issues"
Column values	Include a value already stored in a text based column or calculated column	"Smith, S"; "703-598-4477"
Auto-generated Numeric values	Insert a number that is unique within the current list, site, or site collection. Choose to pad with a predefined number of digits.	321; 00321; 3

Once you know what type of values you want, they can then be combined to define your identifier:

"01/14/2010-IRC-00321"; "Ticket:3:Project A Site"; "Appointment: Smith,S 01/14/2010 11:15:53 AM"; etc.

Extending SharePoint Lists and Libraries without InfoPath forms has just become a lot easier. With the List and Forms Extensions Toolkit, receive all the custom columns Bamboo has to offer in a single, convenient package. The List and Forms Extensions Toolkit provides a vast range of functionalities, including true column–level security within your SharePoint lists. Seeking effective key performance indicators (KPIs) for your existing projects? Want to standardize your SharePoint data by requiring users to follow a predefined data–entry format? These capabilities and more are available in a free 30–day fully functional trial.

If you are interested in purchasing more than one Bamboo custom column, consider purchasing the List and Forms Extensions Toolkit, which includes all Bamboo custom columns in a single package (conveniently activated by a single license key).