Versioning, Append Changes to Existing Text & View Entries

I couldn’t sleep last night because a simple work-around that has escaped me for at least a year came to me as the full moon was setting.  The dilemma of not being able to see every version of a notes field in a SharePoint List has frustrated me and others for many moons.  This solution (work-around) could not be simpler.

Here’s the rub.  I have a list and the Notes field is set with versioning “on”.  Because I want everything and I want it now, the “View Entries” link to the item’s DispForm is a headbanger.  JavaScript or other code solution haven’t seemed to surface yet.

My work-around steps: 

1. I installed the “Useful SharePoint Designer Custom Workflow Activities” from Codeplex which gives (among other nice add-ons) the “Copy List Item Extended Activity”.  It “allows copying/moving list items and files cross site”.  Link: http://spdactivities.codeplex.com/
2. Set my “Original List” so versioning is “On”


3. Set my “Notes” field to “Append Changes to Existing Text”


4. Save my “Original List” as a template


5. Create a new list named “Copy of Original List”


6. Change the Copy of Original List > Settings > Versioning Settings: “Create a version each time you edit an item in this list?” to = “No”


7. Open up SharePoint Designer 2007, open my site, and create a new Workflow


8. Find the new Codeplex add-on Action “Copy List Item” and set it to copy the item from the 1st list to the 2nd list


9. Go back to the “Original List”, add a note to the “Notes” text box, and click “OK”.  The workflow will run, and the default view will show the new Workflow Status field (which you may later remove from this view)


10. Your “Copy of Original List” will look like this:


11. A few quick alterations to the “Copy of Original List” such as sorting by “Created” in descending order



and Grouping by the Title field make the end result nice to look at and a fertile list to sort, filter and organize for management reports or whatever.

This works for me.  I hope it does for you too!

Guest Author: Charles Epes