Tag: site

Technically we can have two columns with the same display name but a different internal name, but when we try to create this from the SharePoint user interface, that doesn't allow it, it generates the 39; error mentioned above ("The column name you entered is already used or reserved").

However, it allows the coding approach to be used as Visual Studio, PowerShell and PnP PowerShell So we can create the two site columns with the same display name using one of the coding techniques not from the user interface.

PnP PowerShell to create a site column (text type)

#Config Variables
$SiteURL = "https://crescenttech.sharepoint.com"
$ColumnTitle = "Project Name"
$ColumnInternalName = "ProjectName"
$ColumnGroup="Crescent Site Columns"
$ColumnType = "Text"

#Get Credentials to connect
$Cred = Get-Credential

Try {
    #Connect to PNP Online
    Connect-PnPOnline -Url $SiteURL -Credentials $Cred

    #Create Site Column
    Add-PnPField -DisplayName $ColumnTitle -InternalName $ColumnInternalName -Group $ColumnGroup -Type $ColumnType
}
catch {
    write-host "Error: $($_.Exception.Message)" -foregroundcolor Red
}

Using PowerShell, create a site column (text type)

#Load SharePoint CSOM Assemblies
Add-Type -Path "C:Program FilesCommon FilesMicrosoft SharedWeb Server Extensions16ISAPIMicrosoft.SharePoint.Client.dll"
Add-Type -Path "C:Program FilesCommon FilesMicrosoft SharedWeb Server Extensions16ISAPIMicrosoft.SharePoint.Client.Runtime.dll"

#Parameters
$SiteURL="https://crescent.sharepoint.com"
$ColumnName="ProjectCode"
$IsRequired = "TRUE"
$ColumnGroup="Crescent Projects"

Try {
    $Cred= Get-Credential
    $Credentials = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.SharePointOnlineCredentials($Cred.Username, $Cred.Password)

    #Setup the context
    $Ctx = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.ClientContext($SiteURL)
    $Ctx.Credentials = $Credentials

    #Get all Site columns from the site
    $Fields = $Ctx.web.Fields
    $Ctx.Load($Fields)
    $Ctx.executeQuery()

    #Check if the column name exists
    $NewField = $Fields | where {$_.Title -eq $ColumnName}
    if($NewField -ne $NULL)  
    {
        Write-host "Site Column $ColumnName already exists!" -f Yellow
    }
    else
    {
        #Define XML for Field Schema
        $FieldSchema = ""
        $NewField = $Fields.AddFieldAsXml($FieldSchema,$True,(Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.AddFieldOptions)::AddFieldToDefaultView)
        $Ctx.ExecuteQuery()    

        Write-host "Site Column Created Successfully!" -ForegroundColor Green  
    }
}
Catch {
    write-host -f Red "Error Creating Site Column!" $_.Exception.Message
}

Source of the above script:

SharePoint Online: create a site column using PowerShell