Is it possible to have a column in the SharePoint List that allows the user to store a URL of a document that resides in a SharePoint library?

Question

Is it possible to have a column in the SharePoint List that allows the user to store a URL of a document that resides in a SharePoint library? If yes, how will this work? Let’s say that there are several documents that are stored in a SharePoint DOC LIB. And there is a SharePoint list that we will allow end users to create/store links to these documents. At the time of filling the list form, the user should be able to browse the doc lib in order to create a link in the list.

Answer 1

Yes. It is possible.

Create in the SharePoint List a column of type Hyperlink or Picture.

Then, create a List Item Event Handler in your document library so that on ItemAdded or ItemUpdated (and if you want ItemDeleted) you add, update or delete de URL in the SharePoint List of the DOC Lib item that is being added, updated or whatever.

Answer 2

With OOTB SharePoint you have a couple of options none of which are perfect, but they may be good enough:

• Lookup column, requires that all of the documents have the Title field filled out so you can use this to select the right document, not ideal if there is a lot of documents, but help you limit the user to that single location
• "Hyperlink or Picture" column, the user have to fill in the exact url manually
• "Hyperlink with formatting and constraints for publishing" column, this can only be created as a Site Column and then added to the list, and the UI allows the user to select anything