RenderPattern element (Field Types)

Applies to: SharePoint 2016 | SharePoint Foundation 2013 | SharePoint Online | SharePoint Server 2013

RenderPattern defines the actual Collaborative Application Markup Language (CAML), HTML, and script that SharePoint Foundation can use to render the field type in the UI. Also, in list views, this element renders the column headers, based on the selected field type.

<RenderPattern Name="Text">
</RenderPattern>

Elements and attributes

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

Child elements

None explicitly defined, but this element is a container of CAML markup from the View schema.

Parent elements

• FieldType element (Field Types)

Remarks

Inheritance of RenderPatterns

If a RenderPattern with a particular Name value is not provided for a field type, the field type inherits the RenderPattern with that name from its parent field type.

HeaderPattern

If CAML rendering is enabled, the field type must have a HeaderPattern type of the RenderPattern element, either directly or by inheritance, or the column header of the field on list views does not render. The markup in a HeaderPattern can be quite simple when the field type cannot be sorted or filtered. However, if the field type can be sorted or filtered, the markup can become quite complex because the header serves not just as the title for the column but also as a drop-down menu control for sorting and filtering. Moreover, because the ability to be sorted and filtered can be disabled for particular columns (even when the field type that the column is based on supports them), the markup must use Switch elements to test whether sorting or filtering is enabled for the column. For examples, see %ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\15\TEMPLATE\XML\FLDTYPES.XML.

DisplayPattern

If CAML rendering is enabled, a field type must have a DisplayPattern type of the RenderPattern element (by inheritance, if not directly) so that the field can be rendered on list views. This is not necessary to render the field in Display mode, such as on the Display (list item) page, because a field can also be rendered in Display mode by means of a rendering control (.ascx file). None of the legacy field types that ship with SharePoint Foundation use a rendering control rather than a DisplayPattern type of RenderPattern element to render the field in Display mode.

The DisplayPattern type of RenderPattern can also be used to render the field in each row of a list view. By default, SharePoint Foundation uses XSLT markup in a fldtypes*.xsl file located in %ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\15\TEMPLATE\LAYOUTS\XSL to render fields on list views. But the fldtypes*.xml file in %ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\15\TEMPLATE\XML is checked for the presence of <Field Name="CAMLRendering">TRUE</Field> in the containing FieldTypes element for the field. If it is present, the DisplayPattern is used to render the field on list views.

NewPattern and EditPattern

The NewPattern and EditPattern types of RenderPattern were used to render a field in New mode and Edit mode, respectively, when the field did not require significant data processing or data validation when a list item containing the field was being created or edited. Free-form Note fields, for example, cannot be validated because any text is a valid value. Similarly, Choice fields and Lookup fields, by definition, limit the user's choices to only valid values. Other fields, such as Currency and DateTime, need only minimal validation that can be coded in script.

For examples of NewPattern and EditPattern types of RenderPatterns, see %ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\15\TEMPLATE\XML\FLDTYPES.XML.

RenderPatterns for multicolumn-derived custom field types

In the RenderPattern markup for a custom MultiColumn field, the SubcolumnNumber attribute of a Column element is used to specify an individual column in a multicolumn field type. For more information about multicolumn field types, see Custom Multicolumn Field Classes.

Example

The following example defines a display rendering pattern for a custom field type that inherits from the MultiColumn type. The field is used to store American addresses. The first subcolumn stores the street address followed by an HTML line break. The next subcolumn stores the city name followed by a comma and a space. The third subcolumn stores the state and, following a space, the last subcolumn stores the postal code.

<RenderPattern Name="DisplayPattern">
  <Switch>
    <Expr><Column/></Expr>
    <Case Value="">
    </Case>
    <Default>
      <Column SubColumnNumber="0" HTMLEncode="TRUE"/>
      <HTML><![CDATA[<BR>]]></HTML>
      <Column SubColumnNumber="1" HTMLEncode="TRUE"/>
      <HTML><![CDATA[, &amp;nbsp;]]></HTML>
      <Column SubColumnNumber="2" HTMLEncode="TRUE"/>
      <HTML><![CDATA[ &amp;nbsp;]]></HTML>
      <Column SubColumnNumber="3" HTMLEncode="TRUE"/>
      </Default>
  </Switch>
</RenderPattern>

See also

• Walkthrough: Creating a Custom Field Type
• Custom Field Types
• Custom Field Classes
• Custom Field Type Property Rendering
• Custom Field Type Definition
• Custom Multicolumn Field Classes