How to erase document properties before a document uploaded to a document library

Question

We have a SharePoint Server 2007 farm.

In our environment, it is important that users remove office documents’ “Properties and Personal Information” before uploading them to any document library.

I understand that it is possible to erase office document properties by using “Inspect Document” feature in office 2007 and 2010. However, Our users tend to forget doing that.

What are my options to have SharePoint automatically erase document properties before office documents get uploaded to a document library.

Thank you,

Answer 1

You can use an event receiver in your document library and clean the property values before a document is added. You would create a SP solution with a DLL assembly and a class inherited from SPItemEventReceiver and override the ItemAdding method:

public class PropertyDeletor : SPItemEventReceiver {
    public override void ItemAdding(SPItemEventProperties properties) {
        base.ItemAdding(properties);
        string internalName = ...;
        properties.AfterProperties[internalName] = null;
        ...
    }
}

Event registration is usually bound to a activation of a feature that you pack in the solution. Event receivers can be registered either declaratively or programmatically.

Update: Allan remembered me about a catch - using property promotion/demotion that I suggested needs matching list fields for the document properties you want to modify. The other way round works for every list column - accessed via the property bag - they are written through to document properties. And of course, this feature must be turned on.

--- Ferda