Professional SharePoint® 2007 Development

3.4. Improved Storage with Lists

There are several techniques using lists that make storage easier or more functional for your needs. The following sections cover using folders, cross-list queries, and indexing.

3.4.1. Using Folders on All Lists Option

In the past, users could organize document libraries by using folders inside of the list, but this could only be done with document libraries in Windows SharePoint Services 2003. It is now possible to have folders on all list types simply by activating the option.

1. Start by going to the Settings of the list.

2. Select the Advanced Settings option.

3. Under the List Advanced Settings, you will find the Folders section. To enable folders on the document library, select Yes under the Folders section. This will add the ability to have the New Folder option under the New menu of the list.

3.4.2. Indexing Lists

SharePoint now enables you to create an index on a list in order to improve performance when retrieving list items. In previous versions of SharePoint, it could be difficult to store large lists without having an impact on the performance of the site itself. Even though 2000 items per folder was large for some lists, it was not enough to use the lists as a real storage source for some external applications that needed much larger lists.

To solve this problem, SharePoint now allows lists to be indexed, allowing for the storage and use of much larger lists. To activate a column as an indexed column, navigate to the Settings page of the ...