List to library lookup

Question

I have a list which contains information about pieces of equipment. I also have a document library which contains things like certificates, receipts etc which relate to the equipment. In the list I have added a lookup column so I can link the two based on the equipment's unique identifying number. However in the lookup column, each unique identifying number appears once for every document.

Is there a way of linking one list item with multiple documents? Can I remove the duplicates from the lookup column?

I hope this makes sense, I can't think of how to explain this very well.

Answer 1

Assuming your current structure is somewhat like this

Equipment Details (Doc Library) , Columns = Certificates , Equipment ID , Barcodes , Receipts , etc. Equipment Master (Custom List) , Columns = Equipment ID(lookup) , Title , Manufacturer ,etc.

You have do the opposite to be precise. In the Equipment Master List you have to have the Equipment ID Column and call that as a Lookup Column in the Equipment Details Document Library.

So your revised structure would be

Equipment Details (Doc Library) , Columns = Certificates , Equipment ID(lookup), Barcodes , Receipts
Equipment Master (Custom List) , Columns = Equipment ID, Title , Manufacturer ,etc.

This way you can map multiple documents to a single equipment. If you wish to have single document per equipment then just go to library settings , edit the lookup column and in Additional Column Settings go to Enforce unique values Check this to "Yes".

Alternatively for single document per equipment, you can maintain all the equipment information in a single list and use list attachments to every equipment record that you create.