SharePoint 2010 Field Types and Controls

This topic presents diagrams with class hierarchies of built-in SharePoint 2010 fields, related field controls and mobile field controls, and a final table with mapping between them. The top class for a field class is SPField. Field controls derive from BaseFieldControl abstract class from the Microsoft.SharePoint.WebControls namespace. Mobile controls derive from SPMobileBaseFieldControl class from the Microsoft.SharePoint.MobileControls namespace. A SPFieldType enumeration includes values for the field type. Similar values may be found in the XML Type attribute for a Field element, in Elements.xml file.

Field Types

SPField fields are based on a field definition: SPField.FieldTypeDefinition –> SPFieldTypeDefinition. The field data type is given by a SPField.Type –> SPFieldType enumeration value. Fields may be rendered by a typical web control (SPField.FieldRenderingControl –> BaseFieldControl) or mobile control (SPField.FieldRenderingMobileControl –> SPMobileBaseFieldControl):

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The SPFieldType enumeration value may also appear in the XML Type attribute for a Field element, in Elements.xml:

<Field ... Type="data_type" />

Field Types Hierarchy

All built-in SharePoint 2010 field classes derive from SPField:

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Field Controls Hierarchy

Field controls derive from BaseFieldControl abstract class, from the Microsoft.SharePoint.WebControls namespace:

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Mobile Field Controls Hierarchy

Mobile controls derive from SPMobileBaseFieldControl class from the Microsoft.SharePoint.MobileControls namespace:

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Field Mappings

Here is a table with mappings between most of the previous SPField classes, the SPFieldType enumeration value (or the XML Field.Type attribute), and the related field controls (including mobile):