Content Type in SharePoint

A content type is a group of reusable settings that describe the shared attributes and behaviors for a specific kind of content. Content types can be defined for any item type, including documents, list items, media files, and folders. 

You can specify the following attributes for each content type:

• The columns (metadata) that you want to assign to items of this type.
• The custom New, Edit, and Display forms to use with this content type.
• The workflows that are available for items of this content type.
• The custom solutions or features that are associated with items of this content type.
• The information management policies that are associated with items of this content type.
• The Document Information Panel, that displays in compatible Microsoft Office programs for items of this content type.
• The document template for new items of this type (document content types only).
• The document conversions that are available for items of this content type (document content types only).

The base type of a content type could be an existing content type like:

• Item
• Document
• Folder
• Event
• Task
• Message
• Comment
• Post

Some more information on Content Type:

Base Type: The base type of the Content Type is System with Id 0x.

Example: If you need a common list format or document format across sites then Content Type is advisable.

Groups: The content types are organized in groups, for example, List Content Types, Document Content Types, and Folder Content Types.

Three important Content Types: Item, Document, and Folder.

Feature: A Content Type can be deployed as a feature.

Scope: The scope of a Content Type could be specified in the feature as Site, Web etc.

There are two basic types of content types: site content types and list content types.

Site content types    Content types that are defined at the site level are called site content types, and they are managed in the Site Content Type Gallery for a site. Site content types are available for use in any subsites of the site for which they have been defined. For example, if a site content type is defined in the Site Content Type Gallery for the top-level site in a site collection, it is available for use in lists and libraries in all sites in that site collection. If content type publishing has been configured and this site collection is a hub for content type publishing, then these site content types can be published to subscribing site collections and Web applications. Site content types can be added individually to lists or libraries and customized for use in those lists or libraries.

List content types    When you add a site content type to a list or library, it is called a list content type. List content types are children of the site content types from which they are created.