Using PowerShell how do I change the column ordering for a SharePoint List

Question

Been trying to search for the answer to this, what I need to do is re-order the fields of a SharePoint list and propagate that change down to 300+ sites (should have used a content type, but oh well)

From the little I've been able to see, there is some sort of XML building like written here: http://exxlence.com/2008/07/19/reorder-sharepoint-list-fields-from-code/

But I need a PowerShell equivalent and I am not sure how it can be done, any help would be great!

Answer 1

After some effort I converted it into PowerShell YAY!

[Microsoft.SharePoint.SPList] $list = $web.Lists["Stakeholders Register"];
if(($list.Fields["Job Number"] -ne $null) -and ($list.Fields["Role within project"] -ne $null)) {

    $fieldReorderable = [string]::Empty;
    $fieldNonReorderable = [string]::Empty;
    $firstField = "Role_x0020_within_x0020_project";
    $secondField = "Job_x0020_Number";

    foreach ($element in $list.Fields) {
        if ($element.Reorderable)
        {
            if ($element.InternalName -eq $firstField)
            {
                $fieldReorderable += "<Field Name='" + $firstField + "'/>\r\n";
                $fieldReorderable += "<Field Name='" + $secondField + "'/>\r\n";
            }
            if ($element.InternalName -ne $secondField -and $element.InternalName -ne $firstField)
            {
                $fieldReorderable += "<Field Name='" + $element.InternalName + "'/>\r\n";
            }
        }
        elseif(-not($element.Reorderable))
        {
            $fieldNonReorderable += "<Field Name='" + $element.InternalName + "'/>\r\n";
        }
    }

    $fieldList = [string]::Format("<Fields>{0}{1}</Fields>", $fieldReorderable, $fieldNonReorderable);

    $reorderMethodFormat = '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><Method ID="0">' +
    '<SetList Scope="Request">{0}</SetList>' +
    '<SetVar Name="Cmd">REORDERFIELDS</SetVar>' +
    '<SetVar Name="ReorderedFields">{1}</SetVar></Method>';

    $reorder = [string]::Format($reorderMethodFormat, $list.ID, [Microsoft.SharePoint.Utilities.SPHttpUtility]::HtmlEncode($fieldList));
    $web.AllowUnsafeUpdates = $true;
    $res = $web.ProcessBatchData($reorder);
    $web.AllowUnsafeUpdates = $false;
}

Answer 2

PowerShell is using objects to manipulate so to make C# code portable to PowerShell is quite easy. There are only some little changes like declar variable and create objects.

Other thing is that you can just load a DLL with methodes to call and execute these methodes in PowerShell.

hope it helps,

Andrew