SharePoint 2010 - Creating a custom document library template

Question

I'm trying to figure out if it is possible to create a custom document library template for SharePoint 2010. When a user clicks on the Libraries link on the quick launch menu of a new SharePoint site, and then clicks the Create button, the Create dialog is launched.

I know this dialog window hosts a Silverlight control, but obviously there is a way to create custom template types in this window. There is even a category that is called Blank & Custom. I've tried copying and modifying the DocumentLibrary feature located in the following location - C:\\Program Files\\Common Files\\Microsoft Shared\\Web Server Extensions\\14\\TEMPLATE\\FEATURES, but that didn't seem to work.

Thanks for reading, I'm sure the answer is obvious but I've been stumbling over Google and MSDN all morning trying to figure this out but I haven't had any luck.

Answer 1

Well, unfortunately the answer is not that obvious. You'll have to create a new List Definition (a document library is actually a list). For that there are several ways, but as a developer, I guess the most common way is to do that through Visual Studio.

A basic tutorial that will guide you through the steps can be found here:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms466023.aspx

After you deploy your solution, a new list template (or document library, depending what you created) will show up in the dialog.

Answer 2

Yes, it is not that obvious at all.

Most of the Microsoft documentation is now based on using Visual Studio 2010 and are more focused on the lists than on the document libraries. By the way, as told by Erwin, document libraries in SharePoint 2010 seems to have become lists, but the lack of documentation regarding the creation of custom lists remains anyway, so after having perform some successful trials I have decided to publish a step by step guide.

Sharepoint 2010 custom ducoment library