Updating Excel Server Properties from content with Moss2007 and Office 2010 – Part 1

Hi everyone,

After a good vacation now the time to new article has came. In this article we talk about how to set Sharepoint Document Library metadata from Excel Content.
The problem is that if you are using Excel 2007 or Excel 2010 and you create a document library on Sharepoint with extra metadata columns and open an excel doc template from this Document Library -> new Excel Document. You can able to see server properties show us the needed metadata. After we change Document Properties and map it from excel content (I mean any mapped excel cell has changed we want mapped  server properties should to be changed) and save the document. and notice that the server properties is not updated. This actually is not a problem this issue is one of by design. Only way to do it  coding some visiual basic for Excel 2007 and Excel 2010(.xlsx file format). But if you use old format of Excel 97 or Excel 2003 (xls) you can still able to use custom properties like as i mentioned.

First Solution – Using old format xls files.

I have created a document library named TestExcel on my Sharepoint and select document file template for excel file. After do that i have created 3 column on list.

TotalCost as  Number 
Note: In my envoriment i create a column name is Total than i changed the column name as “TotalCost” so keep in your mind. i will explain it later becuase when you change the column name on a document libarary actual name on db can not changes and this  causes very common misunderstanding. )
PaymentDate as  DateTime
Description as  Single Line of Text

So far so good Lets go to Document Library and create a new Excel Document form library by clicking New-> Document.

If everything is ok you will see familier Excel 2010 open your document. And notice that Document Properties panel is opened for you. If you are getting problem with to open Excel document by clicking Sharepoint Document Library ->New-> Document you have possible owssupp.dll registration problem.
see kb article for more information:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/833714

After opened this document i save as this document as Excel 97-2003 workbook type .

I have created a sample excel content see bellowed screenshot. And notice that i have give cells names which i want to map with server properties .

!Important : Sharepoint uses  ISO8601 format (YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ) for saving dates so you should make changes on date format for sharepoint understanding.
i use for that another cell and formul like =TEXT(B3,”yyyy-mm-ddThh:mm:ssZ”)

Notice that Document properties can not updated when you changes the cells in content. For automatically updating this properties we should make some bindings. So click Document Properties box and select Advanced Properties.

Select “Custom” tab.And Select Properties of Total .
Check “Link to Content” link this activates Source Combobox.
In combobox select named cell.
Note: Notice that in properities you see a line “Total” this is the actual sharepoint column name not “TotalCost” . Because i changed the column name from sharepoint list before i create a new document. So column name has changed on diplay but actual column name still is Total

After all binding done correctly. You have to see Document Properties has changed and updated.

Save the Excel Document to your computer. Get back to sharepoint list and upload this excel document to library. While updating if you do it correctly , metadata fields should be filled automatically.

Click ok. and see All Document View show us document content data in view.

In next artcile we do it this via using some simple VBA script for Excel 2007-Excel 2010 formats.
See you now.