How to create an Editable Sharepoint Datasheet View with Content Approval Turned on

Have you tried creating a Datasheet view in Sharepoint then suddenly found out that you can’t edit it even it says “View data in an editable spreadsheet format that is convenient for bulk editing and quick customization”?

Well don’t worry you are not crazy it really works like that when Content Approval turned on in the list.

While a lot of sites out there suggest that you to turn it off and states that “The Datasheet View control does not support making edits to lists that have Content Approval turned on” well that’s not quite correct.  This is even listed on Microsoft Support at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2274841

Though the solution given by those sites work, it will turn of the functionality that you placed in the first place “the Content Approval”.

Now what I will show you is a solution that will work even with Content Approval turned on as the current solutions out there is not good enough specially when you really have a reason to turn on the Content Approval and want a bulk editing mode, I am not sure though whether this is the best practice but it works.  You don’t need programming in this solution and its simple.  Lets start.

What you need is the Sharepoint Designer, you can download it here http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/en-us/product/related-technologies/pages/sharepoint-designer.aspx.  Once downloaded open the site where the list you want to create a view on is located.

Once in the site structure, go to All Files -> List -> Your List (in our example it is called “Some List”) -> then you will see an aspx file called mod-view.aspx.  Copy, Paste and Rename it to what you want.  That file is used as a template for Approve/reject items if you are wondering.

I will call mine “Editable Grid View Working” that’s all you need in Sharepoint designer.  Now go to your list’s default view.  Go to your copied aspx file manually by your web browsers URL. i.e http://yoursharepoint.com/yoursite/List/yourlist/yourcopiedfile.aspx) <- Change the red ones

Once there choose Modify View

Rename the view, it will have the Name property of the Old one, in this example we named it as “Editable Grid View Working” similar to its aspx filename.  Then choose any setting that you want.

Click OK then you can see the new view now

Go to the Datasheet View and Presto! You can now edit in the grid view with Content Approval on.

Now you might be wondering why don’t we just create it from Web UI using the “Start from an existing view” method.  Well that would not work as I had tried that option as well.

Notes:

1. You need to give the user permission to approve and reject items so that they can edit it.
2. I only tried this on Sharepoint 2010 Foundation