Using the External Content Type as a column lookup

Hi.
I am working on a solution that will get data from a web service (third party) and create a list in SharePoint Online (Office365 E3 subscription). The use a column from that list as a lookup column for another list. The reason for this is to allow updates
on the third party data source to update the list in Office 365.
Using SPD 2013, I created that external content type then created the list. However, due to the limitations on BCS (which I just learned after googling it) that the only thing I can use from this column is the ID column.
Has anyone found a work around on the matter? I was thinking of just creating a list app then load the bcs data to it. My problem will be how to update the list every so often.
Thanks!
Robert
Outsource Trainer

Hi,
According to your post, my understanding is that you want to use the External Content Type as a column lookup.
Per my knowleage, you can select all the columns in the external list.
You can create a lookup column in the list as below:
If you select Name, then you can get the Name column as below:
There is an article for your reference, although it is about the SharePoint 2010, it still works for SharePoint Online 2013.
Creating SharePoint lookups which get their data from a lookup
table in SQL (using SharePoint Designer, BCS and External Content Types)
More information:
Make an External List from a SQL Azure table
with Business Connectivity Services and Secure Store - SharePoint Online for enterprises
Thanks,
Linda Li
Forum Support
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Linda Li
TechNet Community Support

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Deployed lists in a SharePoint hosted app use the wrong content type.

I am using Visual Studio Ultimate 2013 to deploy a SharePoint hosted app to my SharePoint 2013 development environment.
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Hi
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Content Type settings inside a sub-site are going to be ignored, and it will use the parent content type settings

I have an enterprise site collection with the following content type settings inside the list content type (columns such as security, document type, etc as required):-
Then I have created a new sub-site of type enterprise wiki, the default list content type for the subsite will look as follow which have the columns such as security, document type as optional :-
But now if I went to the sub-site and I chose to create a new page, and i leave all the columns empty, then the system will raise an error that the columns such as; security, document type, etc are required. although inside the sub-site content type the
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Can anyone advice on this please ?

Hi John,
I tested the same scenario per your post, however the columns retained the same settings in sub-site in the same content type.
I recommend to verify the things below:
Was the content type you used for creating the page the one created in the parent site?
Did you create another content type in sub-site based on the one created in parent site? I recommend to click the column name to go inside the column settings and then check if the Optional is selected. If yes,
change it and click OK, then change it back to Optional again to see if the issue still occurs.
Best regards.
Thanks
Victoria Xia
TechNet Community Support
1. no
2. no. i did not create any content type. i have just create a new subsite of type enterprise wiki , and the content type settings will be same as the parent content type, which have all these columns set as optional. but seems these settings will be ignored
as these columns will raise an error if i leave them empty. so seems that the subsite's library will use the same settings as its parent site collection library, which have these columns set as required...
so i have the following , to make things clearer:-
1. inside the site collection , the content type at the site collection level have these columns as optional.
2. inside the site collection's library the list content type copy, have these columns as required.
3. on the subsite list content type copy, i have these columns as optional. but these columns on the subsite library will be treated as required columns ...

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Ryan D Watters

Essentially, yes.
That said, I am using SharePoint 2013, and I just now realized that I posted this in the legacy SP forum. You'll have to excuse me -- this is my first time posting:)
Basically, I have two different "ideal" views based on two different site templates. These two site templates account for over 100 publishing subsites. The view has 18 different metadata that will make editing/making changes to article pages much
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I hope that makes sense. Also, I'll repost the question to SharePoint 2013. Much appreciated!
Ryan D Watters

External content type error: Business Data Connectivity object not found.

Hello
I have to change the external database (external system) for an external content type. The database view on the new database is exactly the same as on the old database.
After changing the external system of the external content type, this happens:
When I try to add a new item to the list, I get this error under the external data field:
"Business Data Connectivity object not found. Administrators, see the server log for more information."
Also, when I try to update the external data field, it is not possible because the buttons are grey.
When I add a new external data field to the same list, I can use the external content type. For some reason the current external data field doesn't update.
Any ideas?
Any help would be much appreciated!

Have you implemented both ‘Read List’ & ‘Read Item’ operations in your ECT?
This may be helpful -
https://sharepointcreations.wordpress.com/2014/03/13/business-data-connectivity-object-not-found/
Thanks
Ganesh Jat [My Blog |
LinkedIn | Twitter ]
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How to read the content from a External Content Type with out creating External List in Sharepoint 2013?

Hi,
I have a requirement to read the External Content Type and storing the Data in a Session Variable. The Reading of the content from External Content Type with out creating a External List.
Please help I am trying to find the solution, but unable to do that.
Thanks,
Pradeep

Hi,
Firstly an external content type designed to work with SharePoint list and there is no way to read apart from this.
If you are looking the solution out of the " Business Connectivity" then find that data source has been exposed through WCF and Web Service ?
So you can use REST API and CSOM to consume those data in SharePoint.
You can also leverage the ADO.NET option if the datasources based on MS technologies.
Murugesa Pandian| MCPD | MCTS |SharePoint 2010

External Content Type Using SQL

I’m trying to setup an external content type using just SharePoint designer.
I will need to be able to show other individual within the organization how to create these content types so getting it to work with just SharePoint designer is the goal.
No Programming involved please.
Abbreviated Steps I have taken
The account that we will use to connect to 2012 SQL server has been created and the correct permissions have been granted to the database.
The secure store service account has been created and setup
Go into SharePoint designer 2010 to create the external content type using
Impersonated Custom Identity and inputting in the username and password that was setup in SQL server and added to the secure store credentials for the secure store service. I receive error cannot login with the provided credentials.
I have searched the web trying to correct this issue and cannot find anything that will assist.
Everything either shows you to connect with windows identity (not an option) or breezes past this issue.

To connect as an impersonated custom identity you have to:
1. Be sure SQL login on SQL Server uses SQL authentication
(not Windows one!)
2. Create target application in Secure Store with:
a. Target app type - "Group"
b. Field types - Username and
Password
3. Don't forget to grant required permission to a new Traget Application.
Here is a good guide (look at steps 4-8):
http://lightningtools.com/bcs_meta_man/sharepoint-2010-secure-store-service-and-oracle/

Get "An Error occurred while retrieving data From ProjectWebApp.." when searching content on an External Content Type

I have set-up an ECT in SPD2013 on SP2013. It is a SQL Data source called ProjectWebApp. I have BCS/SSS set-up. I can create an ECT OK in SPD. I can add the ECT to a custom list.
The problem is when I add a new item in the list the following error message appears in red
An error occurred while retrieving data from ProjectWebApp. Administrators, see the server log for more information
I cannot filter or return any results. There is data in the DB.
Another test I do is to try and create a new App/List using the "External List" template. When
I select the ECT a red message appears "External Content Types are not available". which is odd since I can add an ECT to a list as mentioned above.
Any ideas?
Tx
Andrew
Andrew Payze

Hi Andrew,
Please try the option Allow unlimited length in document libraries in the column settings:
http://littletalk.wordpress.com/2011/08/18/external-content-type-an-error-occurred-while-retrieving-data-from-a-system-administrators-see-the-server-log-for-more-information/
If it doesn't help, please refer to the link below and raise the External content type Read List operation thresholds:
http://lightningtools.com/bcs/business-connectivity-services-end-user-implications-part-one-threshold-limit-errors/
Please provide error message in ULS log for further troubleshooting.
Regards,
Please remember to mark the replies as answers if they help and unmark them if they provide no help. If you have feedback for TechNet Subscriber Support, contact
[email protected] .
Rebecca Tu
TechNet Community Support

Unable to edit ReadItem and ReadList operations on one specific external content type

I'm experiencing a strange behavior. Here is the scenario:
- In Sharepoint Designer I create external content type A that uses external system X
- I define ReadItem and ReadList operations for this external content type
- I then create external content B that uses the exact same external system X and define ReadItem and ReadList operations for this external content type
- I then go back to external content type A, select ReadList and click Edit This Operation
- I get a message : "This operation cannot be matched with any objects in your data source. There may be an error in the operation definition in Business Data Connectivity Metadata Store or the data source schema has changed since the operation
was created"
- I tried to edit ReadList operation of external content type B and it works with no problems.
- so I delete the ReadItem and ReadList operations for external content type A, refresh external system X, and then recreate the ReadItem and ReadList operations for external content type A.
- When I try to edit the ReadList (or ReadItem) operation I get the same error message and I'm not able to edit this operation.
This used to work a week or so ago, meaning that I was able to edit the ReadItem and ReadList operations for both external content types. Now, the operations cannot be edited anymore for external content type A but can be edited with no problems for
external content type B. For content type A, if I want to make any changes I have to delete the ReadItem and ReadList operations and recreate them. Does anybody have any idea as to what the problem might be? These two external content types
use the same external system which is a table of employees and project they worked on. The only difference is that external content type A has a filter by employee ID defined and external content type B has a filter by project ID defined.
thanks,

Hi bbatl,
I did a test as the followigs:
Open SQL Management Studio, create a table containing a filed called “employee ID” and a filed called “project ID”.
Add some data into the table.
Open my site with SharePoint Designer 2010, create a new external content type called TestA.
Connect the external content type TestA to the table that I created in step 1.
Create Read Item and Read List operations in the content type. When creating Read List operation, add a filter based on “employee ID”.
Click Save.
Create another external content type called TestB
Connect the external content type TestB to the table which was created in step 1.
Create Read Item and Read List operations in the content type. When creating Read List operation, add a filter based on “project ID”.
Click Save.
Then I went back to edit the Read List operation of external content type TestA via clicking Read List operation under External Content Type operations->Edit Operation.
No error displayed.
So, I could not reproduce this issue.
Whether you got the error when you clicked “Edit Operation” in SharePoint Designer. Please provide a screenshot about this issue.
Please check whether someone has changed the table special for the column “employee ID”.
And whether you have created an external list using the problematic external content type. If yes, please check whether it could work well.
Best Regards,
Wendy
Forum Support
Please remember to mark the replies as answers if they help and unmark them if they provide no help. If you have feedback for TechNet Subscriber Support, contact
[email protected]
Wendy Li
TechNet Community Support

Managing External Content Types - make it read only?

I have a simple SharePoint list with an External Data column. When I edit item where the corresponding data was removed from the External Content Type I get this error:
No exact match was found. Click the item(s) that did not resolve for more options. You can also use Select button to
choose External Data.
I assume this is by design and I cannot delete underlying data and keep the value in the list - is this correct?
So my question now - is it possible to keep that info in the external list but disable in a picker so new records cannot be created with that particular value? How do I do it?
Thanks,

I don't understand the question exactly, could you restate it. Sorry mate, I might just be braindead.
But, as far as the issue, it is by design. the column is a lookup columns which essentially ties to the external data. if that data is removed, the column on your simple list becomes invalid and any edits of the simple list item will require
it to be changed.
are you wanting to make the ECT read only? that's simple enough. you can pop open SPD and edit the ECT, then remove the C/E/D operations (create/update/delete). That will not, however make it read-only in any other systems that access that
external data, as I assume its not just SP or else it wouldn't be external
Christopher Webb | MCM: SharePoint 2010 | MCSM: SharePoint Charter | MCT | http://christophermichaelwebb.com

External Content Type not displaying List.

I am getting the following Error when i go to the External Content Type List i Created.
Unable to display this Web Part. To troubleshoot the problem, open this Web page in a Microsoft SharePoint Foundation-compatible HTML editor such as Microsoft SharePoint Designer. If the problem persists, contact your Web server administrator.
When i open it up in Sharepoint Designer and look at the page i get this error.
soap:ServerException of type 'Microsoft.SharePoint.SoapServer.SoapServerException' was thrown.An error has occurred.
I'm connecting to a SQL Server with sql server credentials. I'm able to see the tables and columns in the Data Source Explorer.
The permissions for the Content Type are all authenticated Users with everything checked.

Hi,
How did you supply username and password to the external content type?
As i know, there are four options (user's identity, BDC's identity, impersonate windows identity, impersonate custom identity), you cannot directly input the SQL username and password.
I suggest you to use impersonate custom identity.
Before using it, you need to create a new target application ID in secure store service application. and select
user name and password for filed type at second step. after that, you need to set credentials for this target application ID to input your sql user name and password there.
Then you need to input this target application ID at connection properties (both default and client tabs) of the external content type.
Regards,
Seven

Can't create external content type

Hi,
I'm trying to create an ECT in Sharepoint Designer for my Office365 environment. I have an E3 license, so I should be alble to create one. I need it to create an external list from an Azure SQL DB.
In Sharepoint designer, the button for a new ECT is available, but if I click the button nothing happens. I have an SSS-object with the credentials already.
I do not know why the button is not reacting. Hope someone knows.
Jordy

Make Sure you have done all these steps before you start creating an external content type..
Prepare SQL Server   A database administrator needs to provide permissions to make sure that that the right people have access to the data and that the data does not end up in the wrong hands. The database administrator must also
create a SQL Server account that has db_owner permission. The database administrator might also want to create specific tables, views, queries, column aliases, and so on to limit the results to just what is needed and to help improve performance.
Configure SharePoint services   An administrator must activate Business Connectivity Services (BCS) and the Secure Store Service.
Configure the Secure Store service   An administrator must determine the best access mode for the external data source, create a target application, and set the credentials for the target application.
Configure Business Data Connectivity Services   An administrator must make sure that the user who creates the external content type has permission to the Business Data Connectivity (BDC) metadata store and that appropriate users
have access to the external content type on which the external list is based.
Be sure Office 2013 is ready to use   To synchronize external data with Office 2013 products, you must use Windows 7 or a later version, and make sure that the Office installation option for Business Connectivity Services (BCS) is
enabled (this is the default). This option installs the Business Connectivity Services Client Runtime which does the following: caches and synchronizes with external data, maps business data to external content types, displays the external item picker in Office
products, and runs custom solutions inside Office products. You must also have SQL Server Compact 4.0, .NET Framework 4, and WCF Data Services 5.0 for OData V3 on each client computer (If necessary, you are automatically prompted to download the software).

How to create an External Content Type with SQL Stored Procedures Parameters and query it in a SharePoint App

Hi,
I'm new to SharePoint 2013 I want to be able to query a MSSQL database from a SharePoint App I have tried to create an External Content Type (ECT) which is produced from a MSSQL stored Procedure, this procedure has several parameters which are needed to
filter the data correctly. From here I want to produce an external list which I can then query from a c# SharePoint app. If I leave the filters in the ECT null then the list is of course empty or if enter a default values the results are limited
for the app to query so are no good.
I want to dynamically pass values to the ECT when querying from the app, is this not possible. Should I just be returning everything in an external list and then letting the query in the app filter the data, this seems inefficient?
Is this the best way to do this or should I be doing this differently?
Please can someone point me in the right direction.
Thanks

Hi Pandra801,
When you create a the external content type, please try to add a filter based on your select statement.
http://arsalkhatri.wordpress.com/2012/01/07/external-list-with-bcs-search-filters-finders/
Or, try to create a stored procedure based on your select statement, then create ECT using the SQL stored procedure.
A step by step guide in designing BCS entities by using a SQL stored procedure
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/sharepointdev/archive/2011/02/10/173-a-step-by-step-guide-in-designing-bcs-entities-by-using-a-sql-stored-procedure.aspx
I hope this helps.
Thanks,
Wendy
Wendy Li
TechNet Community Support

Restore SharePoint Database to new server - What to do about external content type?

I currently run SharePoint 2010 and have a content database back-up which I want to restore to a new server.
I was able to restore to a new server and everything seems to be working, except that I have one list in my previous site which had an external content type in it linking to a database for our ERP system. The ERP system's database will also be located on
the new server (same as the new location for the content database). How do I link the external content type from my list to the new location of the ERP database?
One thing which I've tried is to create a new BDC and set up a new external content type within the list. That seems to point to the new location just fine, except that I would have to remap all every single item in the list individually.
Any help would be appreciated.

You will need to modify your BCS Model to reflect the new location of your ERP database. Another option is to use SQL Aliases, which will allow SharePoint to think the new location is still by the old name.
http://mmman.itgroove.net/2012/07/setting-up-a-sql-server-alias-with-sharepoint-server-2010/
This is assuming that you are retiring the old database server.
Dimitri Ayrapetov (MCSE: SharePoint)

Error : External Content Type Failed to SAVE

Hello All,
Im trying get connect the sqlserver tablt to Sharepoint List using BCS services + Sharepoint Designer.
i have created the external content type using SPD, creating all permission to table, operation properties, parameter, filter parameter every thing is fine.
then here i have to SAVE the external content type, im getting error: External Content Type Failed to SAVE
detailed Error:
An unexcepted internal error occured in the Business Data Connectivity Sahred Service: Access to the temp directory is denied. identity 'NTAUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE' under which xmlserializer is running does not have sufficient permissions to access the
temp directory. CodeDom will use the user account to process is using to do the compilation, so if the user doesnot have access to system temp directory, you will not to be able to compile. Use Path.GetTempPath() API to find out the temp directory location
Before this i created sample external content type which is working correctly. Any suggestion regarding this..
Advance thanks..
NS

Hi,
I understand that when you save the external content type, there is an error.I have seen similar errors, you can try the steps below:
Open C::\Windows\Temp.
Right click on Temp folder and choose Properties>Security.
Add the Network Service with Full Control permisison.
Thanks,
Entan Ming
Entan Ming
TechNet Community Support

Using the External Content Type as a column lookup

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