How to update a deployed content-type?

Question

I created a content-type and applied it inside a document library. Now, if I go to the conent-type gallery and delete one of the fields, and then go back to the library and view the available columns, I still see the field I deleted listed as a possible column.

How do I update this to match? I don't want to delete the content-type (like in this post); I just want the deployed columns in that content-type to match the current content-type.

Answer 1

Next time you perform the changes to the ContentType make sure to push changes to the lists while updating the ContentType.

For now, you might need to perform some clean-up job here, just to make sure the field is deleted from all the lists, with your Custom ContentType. Use the following PowerShell script for clean-up! Vårsegod :)

Add-PSSnapin Microsoft.SharePoint.PowerShell -erroraction SilentlyContinue
$site = Get-SPSite "http://your.site.com"
foreach($web in $site.AllWebs)
{ 
    #iterates through all the Lists        
    for ($i = 0; $i -lt $web.Lists.Count; $i++) 
    { 
      $list = $web.Lists[$i];                               
      $MyListContentTypes = $list.ContentTypes                                                          
      if ($MyListContentTypes -ne $null)
      {

         $ct = $list.ContentTypes["You Desired Content Type Name"]                                      
         if($ct)                                                            
         {

             Write-Host "In list Content Type and deleting the field"  $ct.Fields["You Field Name"].Id;
             $ct.FieldLinks.Delete($ct.Fields["You Field Name"].Id)                                  
             $ct.Update()
         }      
       }
    }     
  }

Edit: How to push down changes to all the Content types via SharePoint Server Object Model:

using (SPWeb oWebsite = new SPSite("http://MyServer/sites/MySiteCollection/MyWebSite").OpenWeb())
{
    SPList oList = oWebsite.GetList("MyWebSite/Lists/MyList");
    SPFieldCollection collFields = oWebsite.Fields;

    string strNewColumn = collFields.Add("MyNewColumn", SPFieldType.Text, false);

    SPFieldLink oFieldLink = new SPFieldLink(fields[strNewColumn]);
    SPContentType oContentType = oList.ContentTypes["Specification"];
    oContentType.FieldLinks.Add(oFieldLink);

    oContentType.Update(true);
}

Edit 2: Update a Content Type using PowerShell:

  Add-PSSnapin Microsoft.SharePoint.PowerShell -erroraction SilentlyContinue
    //get the specific Root web
    $spweb= Get-SPWeb "http://your.site.com"
    //get the fields collection
    $fields = $spWeb.Fields
    //get the specific field
    $field = $fields.GetFieldByInternalName("Name of you field")
    //get the specific Content Types from Root Web
    $contentType = $spWeb.ContentTypes["You Content Type"]
    //delete a field from a Content Type
    $contentType.FieldLinks.Delete($field) 
   //add a field to a Content Type
    $contentType.FieldLinks.Add($field)
    //update the Content Type and push changes to the children                                     
    $contentType.Update($true)