Filter out folders from a user alert against a list

Question

I have created an alert for a user against a list (more specifically, a document library).

I want the user to be notified of all changes regarding list items (documents) and not any sub folders.

What I've Tried:

SPAlert alert = new SPAlert();
alert.Filter = "<Query><Neq><FieldRef Name='ContentType' /><Value Type='Text'>Folder</Value></Neq></Query>";

All items (including folders) are included in any e-mail alerts to the user.

To clarify, when a folder is created within a doc library with an alert against it - the user should not be notified.

When a document is created in that same document library, they should be.

I've also tried:

<Neq><FieldRef Name='ContentType' /><Value Type='Text'>Folder</Value></Neq>

(Note the <Query> tags have been omitted).

It is currently not an option to specify what content types I do want to include in the alert. I just want to omit any items of content type 'Folder'.

Answer 1

Why don't you use a SPAlertHandler to change how alerts work for this list? Then you can decide when an alert is sent or not in C# code.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb897791(v=office.14).aspx

public override bool OnNotification(SPAlertHandlerParams ahp)
{
    try
    {
        using (SPSite site = new SPSite(ahp.siteUrl + ahp.webUrl))
        {
            using (SPWeb web = site.OpenWeb(ahp.webUrl))
            {
                ahp.headers["from"] = site.WebApplication.OutboundMailSenderAddress;  //Unsure if this is needed
                SPList list = web.Lists[ahp.a.ListID];
                SPListItem item = list.GetItemById(ahp.eventData[0].itemId);
                //SPAlert alert = web.Alerts[ahp.a.ID];

                if (item.Folder == null)  //Item is not a folder
                {
                    SPUtility.SendEmail(web, ahp.headers, ahp.body);  //Send Alert
                }
            }
        }
    }
    catch (System.Exception ex)
    {
        //Handle error
    }
    return false;  //Tell SharePoint that the Alert is already processed
}

Answer 2

I'd say you would try to filter by file type instead. The following would get you Word documents with file extension docx only:

<Where>

    <Eq>

        <FieldRef Name='File_x0020_Type' />

        <Value Type='text'>docx</Value>

    </Eq>

</Where>

Answer 3

I went through this process myself (as you may have seen from my answer to your other question here)

Basically, alert views can't be based on certain default content types. My full adventure figuring that out, as well as a work-around and some potentially helpful code, is here for those who are curious. It involves creating a custom content type based on the folder and changing all folders to that new content type, then filtering based on it.