How to link to a folder in document library from sharepoint list item?

kyrisu picture kyrisu · Oct 7, 2009 · Viewed 56k times · Source

Background:

I have an items on the sharepoint list. I also have a corresponding folder in a document library that contains documents about this item. I want to be able to get to this folder straight from the item properties. I have tried to create a lookup column containing folder ID, but that doesn't help cause folder is not a type and it just doesn't work. Other solution would be to create link column but if I will create it staticly - after creating alternative mapping (and getting to the page from the internet for example) it won't work. (so solution posted here won't work for me).

I want to create this link from sharepoint workflow. I have a custom action that can return any info about the folder I want (ID, URL etc).

Question:

How to link from sharepoint list item to a folder in document library?

Answer

Daniel Revell picture Daniel Revell · Oct 8, 2009

I would personally try to avoid using folders. In numerous instance I've found they arn't worth the trouble and the key with SharePoint is not to reproduce the typical folder hierarchy that you'll find on a file system. Break away from that mess and do it the SharePoint way and put the documents straight into the list and use views and metadata to break up the documents into manageable groupings.

That said, a folder is it's own content type and it works perfectly well in a lookup column. You have to reference the list item id for the folder of course. I just created a folder in a standard document library, added a lookup column to a custom list and successfully referenced the folder in a new item. When I click the folder lookup then I get taken to the folder item, which contains an "Open" link that takes me to the documents contained within the folder.