Provision Custom List from SharePoint App

Question

I am trying to provision a custom list using SharePoint 2013 Provider hosted app. For this, I added a "List" in VS.NET 2013, to the App project.

I am provisioning the List through declarative code. Here's the screenshot of the solution which I am working on.

I assume this will provision a list to the site where ever the app gets added.

Please help me clarify whether my understanding is right or not.

Answer 1

Apps in sharepoint are created as a seperate site called "App Web". The List that you are creating will be created in "App Web". However, if you want to create a list in the "Host Web", then you will need to programme a little bit to get the "Context". Also The app has to be given permission on the Site where you want to create the list.

Please refere to this article for more info http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/fp179927(v=office.15).aspx

Answer 2

When you create a list instance via an app, it creates it on the app site, not on the host site. If you want to create a list on the host site when the app is added, you'd have to use REST or JSOM (or C# if you use a provider hosted app) when the app is activated.

Answer 3

You need to acquire host web context and create list there.

function CreateList(title, url, templateType, hidden) {

 //Using the App Web as the client context
 clientContext = new SP.ClientContext.get_current();

 //Get the host web URL from the query string params
 //I have a function getHostWebUrl() - which is not included.
 // Some Ideas Here: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/901115/how-can-i-get-query-string-values-in-javascript
 var hostWebUrl = getHostWebUrl();
 //Using the hostWebContext as an AppContextSite
 hostWebContext = new SP.AppContextSite(clientContext, hostWebUrl);

 //Create List Code
 var listCreation = new SP.ListCreationInformation();
 listCreation.set_title(title);
 listCreation.set_templateType(templateType);
 listCreation.set_url(url);

 //must use the hostWebContext to get the list in that site
 var lists = hostWebContext.get_web().get_lists();
 var list = lists.add(listCreation);
 list.set_hidden(hidden);
 list.set_onQuickLaunch(false);
 list.update();

 //Always use the context of the app web to do the work or load and executing
 clientContext.load(list);
 clientContext.executeQueryAsync(function() {
     console.log("Created List : \"" + title + "\"");
 }, function(sender, args) {
     console.log("Failed to create list : " + title);
     console.log("<span style='color:red'>Reason : " + args.get_message() + "</span>");
 });  
 }

// parameters : List Name, List Url, Template Type (can be ListTemplateType or Template ID, Hidden)
 CreateList("My Test List", "Lists/MyTestList", SP.ListTemplateType.genericList, false);
 CreateList("My Test List", "Lists/MyTestList", 171, false);