Many of us have used custom code to format the columns in SharePoint, either to display color-coded data or display images instead of text based on the scenario. It has often been very complex to implement the desired requirements. Microsoft has finally provided us with a column formatting feature that does not require client site programming knowledge or backend implementation knowledge. Using JSON, now we can perform Conditional Formatting, place Action links in the list, provide a Flow Button alongside each line item, and provide more enhanced Data Visualization. Details about each of the different scenarios are provided below.
Conditional Formatting
Apply styling to a field, based on that field’s value or range of values:
Action Links
Create a hyperlink to another page or web address, based on the value in the field. For example, send an email to a user or take the user to a page based on the value in the field:
Flow Buttons
Create a button that kicks off a flow on the corresponding item:
Data Visualizations
Use icons and CSS to decorate fields with visual indications of trends and progress:
The column formatting can be applied to the list using the following steps:
- Go to any SharePoint list in a version with this latest feature
- Click on any of the columns, in the menu select Column Settings -> format this column
- It will open a dialog box where the JSON can be placed
This makes the implementation very easy and changes are all client site so you don’t need to worry about re-publishing the code or saving the files.
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