Setting 'Display Category' for List Templates

Question

We have a number of custom list templates which we would like to categorise in the same way as site templates. Is this possible?

When selecting 'More Options' from the Site Actions menu to create a new Library, List, Page or Site the user can reduce the template options available by selecting a category. For Site Templates a custom category can be set using the DisplayCategory attribute of the Configuration element of the web template. Similarly Content Types and Fields have a Group attribute which categorises them in the settings screens.

I can't find any similar attribute for list templates, a way to configure it with Sharepoint Manager/Designer or anywhere online discussing even that it is not possible. There is a Category attribute but it is only a fixed enumeration of system base types whereas we want to put our list templates in the same category as our site templates.

Does anybody have a solution to this or is it just a limitation we will have to live with?

Answer 1

There isn't a way of introducing your own 'display categories' for list templates. The Category attribute is used for the old (non-silverlight) create.apsx page to place it in the correct column. This is, however, also used to default the category on the silverlight create page ('more options...') as follows:

• Libraries = "Content"
• Communications = "Collaboration" (bizarrely not "Communication", go figure!)
• Tracking = "Tracking"
• otherwise it is "Blank & Custom"

The Name attribute of the default list templates are hard coded to translate into one or more categories, you could try matching this if you require similar behaviour.