SharePoint 2010 : Create a New List Item

However, unlike with documents, using the New Item button does not open another application but rather opens a dialog that enables you to fill in the properties or columns for the new list item (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. A sample properties page for creating a new task.

Because each list can have different properties (or columns) in different orders, the screen can look totally different in each list. For example, the announcements list has properties such as Title and Body (see Figure 2), whereas the contacts list has properties such as First Name, Last Name, and Business Phone (see Figure 2).

Figure 2. A sample properties page for creating a new announcement.

Figure 3. A sample properties page for creating a new contact.

Like document libraries, lists can support multiple content types. This means that the New Item button in the Items ribbon might also offer a drop-down of options for you to choose the sort of list item you want to create (see Figure 4). Depending on the content type you select, the properties fields may change.

Figure 4. Choosing content types for creating different types of contacts.

For example, a contacts list might give you the option of creating an item of type External Contact, which would be used for contacts outside the company. This content type asks you to fill in the property for Company (see Figure 5).

Figure 5. A sample properties page for creating a new external contact has the Company column.

An item of type Internal Contact, on the other hand, does not ask for that property because it assumes that the contact belongs to your company. Instead, it has the property Department (see Figure 6).

Figure 6. A sample properties page for creating a new internal contact has the Department column.

Another way to create new list items is to use the datasheet view.