In SharePoint 2010, I have a list, with a single content type.
- The content type is not used in any other lists.
- The content type inherits from OOTB "Issue" content type.
- The list exists in thousands of sites. The content type is subscribed from a content type hub.
Now, my client want to change Display Name, Required and Description of several fields in this content type that is inherited from the Issue content type. This is not a problem for Display Name and Required - these are updated through the Content Type's FieldLinks, and is successfully retrieved to all subscribing sites. However, the Description is not possible to set through FieldLinks. I have tried changing Description on the list field instances, however, as soon as I call Update on it, the field becomes seemingly irreparably disconnected from the content type; no matter what I do I can't seem to get the field to be updated from the content type hub ever again.
What would solve the client problem is any of the following:
- Any way to set the Description on a specific list or content type without affecting other lists or content types.
- Any other way to achieve a "Description like" appearance in New/Edit forms - I tried, for example, using calculated fields (with no value, just leveraging their Description) but I cannot get calculated fields to show up in New/Edit views.
So far, the easiest solution I can come up with is to create a new content type which does not inherit from Issue, and uses only new fields that I create specifically for this content type. I should be able loop through all of the list instances, change the content type, then copy from the old field value to the new field for each separate items. I am hoping there is a simpler, neater solution...
