How to set custom document template to document Library programmatically?

Setting custom document template to SharePoint document library involves two steps:

1. Upload template document to the Forms Directory of SharePoint document Library

FileStream stream = File.OpenRead(@"c:\doc.doc");

byte[] content = new byte[stream.Length];
// Read the file from the stream into the byte array
stream.Read(content, 0, (int)stream.Length);
stream.Close();

// Give the file a name, used as the name of the list
// item once it gets into the document library
string fileNameOnceInLibrary = "NewTemplate.doc";

SPList list = CurrentWeb.Lists[“Shared Documents”];
//CurrentWeb is assumed to be created..

SPDocumentLibrary docLib = list as SPDocumentLibrary;
SPFolder DocParent = web.Folders[strDocLibName];
SPFolder formsFolder = DocParent.SubFolders["Forms"];

// Add the file to the Files collection and commit to database
SPFile file = formsFolder.Files.Add(formsFolder.Url + "/" + fileNameOnceInLibrary, content, true);

formsFolder.Update();

2. Setting the DocumentTemplateUrl property for the document library:

docLib.DocumentTemplateUrl = file.Url;

docLib.Update();

Issue with Content Type Required field

Recently while creating a custom content type feature, I realized the fields are coming as Optional even after setting attribute Required = “true”

<FieldRef ID="{3154C55D-956E-4049-831F-39AFF3AB7787}" Name="Patient" Required="true" ShowInDisplayForm="true" ShowInNewForm="false" ShowInEditForm="true" />

After changing the attribute value to TRUE (uppercase), Content type fields worked fine.

<FieldRef ID="{3154C55D-956E-4049-831F-39AFF3AB7787}" Name="Patient" Required="TRUE" ShowInDisplayForm="TRUE" ShowInNewForm="FALSE" ShowInEditForm="TRUE" />

Reading lookup field value from SharePoint List item

While reading a lookup column value, it is observed that value returns contains a number and character # followed by the actual lookup value selected. Spitting or substring the value may not be the right way to extract the actual lookup value.

SharePoint provides a object SPFieldLookupValue to read Id and the Value of referenced list item.

using (SPSite site = new SPSite(“http://localhost”))

{

using(SPWeb web = site.OpenWeb())

{

SPList list = web.Lists[“MyList”];

SPListItem item = list.Items[0];

String strvalue = item[“lookupColumn”];

//this value comprises of number (id) and the lookup value with #.

SPFieldLookupValue lookup = new SPFieldLookupValue(strvalue);

String myLookupValue = lookup.LookupValue;

//lookup.LookupId returns the id for the referenced list item

//reading multi-valued lookup field value
SPFieldLookupValueCollection lookupCollection = new SPFieldLookupValueCollection(strvalue);

List<string> strLookupValues =new List<string>();

foreach( SPFieldLookup lookupItem in lookupCollection)

{

strLookupValues.Add(lookupItem.LookupValue);

Console.Write(lookupItem.LookupValue);

}

}

}