ONET.XML defines the project and list defaults, as well as the base types for fields. It contains a definition of list templates available for creating new lists, the default items on the top link bar of a project, the document templates available, and the required base fields for all list types (defined in the BaseTypes section). During provisioning, or when a new list is created, the definitions in this file combine with those in a given list's SCHEMA.XML file in order to create the list's schema in the database. ONET.XML is located in the Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\50\Templates\1033\xml directory.
This file can be modified to change the list defaults, add more list templates, and add more default fields for a given list base type.
The most frequent changes you will probably need to make involve four top-level elements in ONET.XML, as follows:
TopMenuItems — Allows customization of the top link bar.
ListTemplates — For making custom lists available on the Create page in a Web site based on SharePoint Team Services from Microsoft.
DocumentTemplates — Allows you to specify document types for the New Document Library page in SharePoint Team Services.
BaseTypes — For customizing the base types of all your lists. Possible settings for base types are the following:
0 — Basic List
1 — Document Library
2 — unused
3 — Discussion List
4 — Survey
In the ListTemplates section, the SecurityBits attribute specifies the default security settings for lists, which can be set to allow full editing, read-only, or schema design roles for the members of a team Web site.
When you install Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, six Onet.xml files are placed within the setup directory, one in \Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\12\TEMPLATE\GLOBAL\XML that applies globally to the deployment, and five in different folders within ...\TEMPLATE\SiteTemplates that apply to each of the five site definitions that ship with Windows SharePoint Services 3.0. They are Blog sites, the central administration site, Wiki sites, Meeting Workspace sites, and team SharePoint sites. Only the last two of these families contain more than one site definition configuration in Windows SharePoint Services 3.0.
The global Onet.xml file defines list templates for hidden lists, list base types, a default definition configuration, and modules that apply globally to the deployment. The five Onet.xml files in the \SiteTemplates directory define navigational areas, list templates, document templates, configurations, modules, components, and server e-mail footer sections used in the five site definitions.
Depending on its particular use, an Onet.xml file can serve multiple functions, such as the following:
Define the top and side navigation areas that appear on the home page and in list views for a site definition.
Specify the list definitions that are used in each site definition and whether they are available for creating lists on the Create page.
Specify document templates that are available in the site definition for creating document library lists on the New page, and specify the files used in the document templates.
Define the base list types from which default Windows SharePoint Services lists are derived. (Only the global Onet.xml file serves this function.)
Specify the configurations of lists and modules that are used within each site definition.
Specify Windows SharePoint Services components.
Define the footer section used in server e-mail.
The following kinds of tasks can be performed in a custom Onet.xml to create a custom site definition:
Specify an alternate cascading style sheet (CSS) file, JavaScript file, or ASPX header file for a site definition.
Modify navigation areas for the home page and list pages.
Add a list definition as an option to the Create page.
Add a document template for creating document libraries.
Define one or more configurations for the site definition, specifying the lists, modules, files, and Web Parts that are included when a site definition configuration is instantiated.
 Caution |
|---|
Making changes to an originally installed Onet.xml file on a server running Windows SharePoint Services can break existing sites, and the changes may be overwritten when you install updates or service packs for Windows SharePoint Services, or when you upgrade an installation to the next product version. Always create a new Onet.xml; do not modify the original file. For more information, see How to: Create a Custom Site Definition and Configuration. |
The following sections define the various elements of the Onet.xml file.
Project Element
The top-level
Project element specifies a default name for sites that are created through any of the site configurations in the site definition and specifies the directory that contains subfolders in which the files for each list definition reside.
 Note |
|---|
Unless indicated otherwise, excerpts used in the following examples are taken from the Onet.xml file for the STS site definition.
|
<Project
Title="$Resources:onet_TeamWebSite;"
Revision="2"
ListDir="$Resources:core,lists_Folder;"
xmlns:ows="Microsoft SharePoint">
| Note |
|---|
In all the excerpts in this topic, the strings that begin with "$Resources" are constants that are defined in an .resx file. For example, "$Resources:onet_TeamWebSite" is defined in core.resx as "Team Site". When you create a custom Onet.xml file, you can use literal strings.
|
This element can also have an AlternateCSS attribute that specifies an alternate CSS file for style definitions, a CustomJSUrl attribute specifies an alternate JavaScript file for custom script, and an AlternateHeader attribute specifies an ASPX file for alternate headers.
The
Project element does not contain any attribute identifying the site definition that it defines. Each Onet.xml is associated with a site definition by virtue of the directory path in where it resides, which (except for the global Onet.xml) is
Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\12\TEMPLATE\SiteTemplates\site_type\XML\ , where
site_type is the name of the site definition, such as STS or MPS.
NavBars Element
The
NavBars element contains definitions for the top navigation area that is displayed on the home page or in list views, and definitions for the side navigation area that is displayed on the home page.
| Note |
|---|
A NavBar is not necessarily a toolbar. It can be, for example, a tree of links. |
<NavBars>
<NavBar
Name="$Resources:core,category_Top;"
Separator="&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"
Body="<a ID='onettopnavbar#LABEL_ID#' href='#URL#' accesskey='J'>#LABEL#</a>"
ID="1002" />
<NavBar
Name="$Resources:core,category_Documents;"
Prefix="<table border=0 cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0>"
Body="<tr><td><table border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td><img src='/_layouts/images/blank.gif' ID='100' alt='' border=0>&nbsp;</td><td valign=top><a ID=onetleftnavbar#LABEL_ID# href='#URL#'>#LABEL#</td></tr></table></td></tr>"
Suffix="</table>"
ID="1004" />
...
</NavBars>
A
NavBarLink element defines links for the top or side navigational area, and an entire
NavBar section groups new links in the side area. Each
NavBar element specifies a display name and a unique ID for the navigation bar, and defines how to display the navigation bar.
ListTemplates Element
The
ListTemplates section specifies the list definitions that are part of a site definition.
| Note |
|---|
The ListTemplates section is not included in the Onet.xml file of the standard Windows SharePoint Services site definition, which instead uses list definition Features and element .xml files to define its list templates. The following example is taken from the Onet.xml file for the Meetings Workspace site definition.
|
<ListTemplates>
<ListTemplate
Name="meetings"
DisplayName="$Resources:xml_onet_mwsidmeetingDisp;"
Type="200"
BaseType="0"
Unique="TRUE"
Hidden="TRUE"
HiddenList="TRUE"
DontSaveInTemplate="TRUE"
SecurityBits="11"
Description="$Resources:xml_onet_mwsidmeetingDesc;" Image="/_layouts/images/itevent.gif">
</ListTemplate>
<ListTemplate
Name="agenda"
DisplayName="$Resources:xml_onet_mwsidagendaDisp;"
Type="201"
BaseType="0"
FolderCreation="FALSE"
DisallowContentTypes="TRUE"
SecurityBits="11"
Description="$Resources:xml_onet_mwsidagendaDesc"
Image="/_layouts/images/itagnda.gif">
</ListTemplate>
...
</ListTemplates>
Each
ListTemplate element specifies an internal name that identifies the list definition. The
ListTemplate element also specifies a display name for the list definition and whether the option to add a link on the
Quick Launch bar appears selected by default on the
New page. In addition, this element specifies the description of the list definition and the path to the image representing the list definition, which are both displayed on the
Create page. If
Hidden="TRUE" is specified, the list definition does not appear as an option on the
Create page.
The
ListTemplate element has two attributes for type,
Type and
BaseType. The
Type attribute specifies a unique identifier for the list definition, while
BaseType identifies the base list type for the list definition and corresponds to the
Type value specified for one of the base list types defined within the global ONET.XML file (
\TEMPLATE\GLOBAL\XML).
DocumentTemplates Element
The
DocumentTemplates section defines the document templates that are listed on the
New page.
<DocumentTemplates>
...
<DocumentTemplate
Path="STS"
DisplayName="$Resources:core,doctemp_Word;"
Type="121"
Default="TRUE"
Description="$Resources:core,doctemp_Word_Desc;">
<DocumentTemplateFiles>
<DocumentTemplateFile
Name="doctemp\word\wdtmpl.dotx"
TargetName="Forms/template.dotx"
Default="TRUE" />
</DocumentTemplateFiles>
</DocumentTemplate>
...
</DocumentTemplates>
Each
DocumentTemplate element specifies a display name, a unique identifier, and a description for the document template. If
Default is set to
TRUE, the template is the default template selected for document libraries that are created in sites created with a configuration in the site definition that the Onet.xml is specifying. Despite its singular name, a
DocumentTemplate element actually can contain a collection of
DocumentTemplateFile elements. The
Name attribute of each
DocumentTemplateFile element specifies the relative path to a local file that serves as the template. The
TargetName attribute specifies the destination URL of the template file when a document library is created. The
Default attribute specifies whether the file is the default template file.
BaseTypes Element
The
BaseTypes element of the global Onet.xml file is used during site or list creation to define the five list types on which all list definitions in Windows SharePoint Services are based. Each list template that is specified in the list templates section is identified with one of the base types:
Generic List,
Document Library,
Discussion Forum,
Vote or Survey, or
Issues List.
| Note |
|---|
In Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 the BaseTypes section is implemented only in the global Onet.xml file (\TEMPLATE\GLOBAL\XML), from which the following example is taken.
|
<BaseTypes>
<BaseType
Title="Generic List"
Image="/_layouts/images/itgen.gif"
Type="0">
<MetaData>
<Fields>
<Field
ID="{1d22ea11-1e32-424e-89ab-9fedbadb6ce1}"
ColName="tp_ID"
RowOrdinal="0"
ReadOnly="TRUE"
Type="Counter"
Name="ID"
PrimaryKey="TRUE"
DisplayName="$Resources:core,ID"
SourceID="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/v3"
StaticName="ID">
</Field>
<Field
ID="{03e45e84-1992-4d42-9116-26f756012634}"
RowOrdinal="0"
Type="ContentTypeId"
Sealed="TRUE"
ReadOnly="TRUE"
Hidden="TRUE"
DisplayName="$Resources:core,Content_Type_ID;"
Name="ContentTypeId"
DisplaceOnUpgrade="TRUE"
SourceID="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/v3"
StaticName="ContentTypeId"
ColName="tp_ContentTypeId">
</Field>
...
</Fields>
</MetaData>
</BaseType>
...
</BaseTypes>
| Caution |
|---|
Do not modify the contents of the global Onet.xml file (file ( \TEMPLATE\GLOBAL\XML), because doing so can break the installation. Base list types cannot be added. For information on how to add a list definition, see How to: Create a Custom List Definition. |
Configurations Element
Each
Configuration element in the
Configurations section specifies the lists and modules that are created by default when the site definition configuration is instantiated.
<Configurations>
...
<Configuration
ID="0"
Name="Default">
<Lists>
<List
FeatureId="00BFEA71-E717-4E80-AA17-D0C71B360101"
Type="101"
Title="$Resources:core,shareddocuments_Title;"
Url="$Resources:core,shareddocuments_Folder;"
QuickLaunchUrl="$Resources:core,shareddocuments_Folder;/Forms/AllItems.aspx" />
...
</Lists>
<Modules>
<Module
Name="Default" />
</Modules>
<SiteFeatures>
<Feature
ID="00BFEA71-1C5E-4A24-B310-BA51C3EB7A57" />
<Feature
ID="FDE5D850-671E-4143-950A-87B473922DC7" />
</SiteFeatures>
<WebFeatures>
<Feature
ID="00BFEA71-4EA5-48D4-A4AD-7EA5C011ABE5" />
<Feature
ID="F41CC668-37E5-4743-B4A8-74D1DB3FD8A4" />
</WebFeatures>
</Configuration>
...
</Configurations>
The
ID attribute identifies the configuration (uniquely relative to the other configurations in the site definition) and corresponds to the
ID attribute of a
Configuration element in
WebTemp.xml.
Each
List element specifies the title of the list definition and the URL for where to create the list. The
QuickLaunchUrl attribute can be used to set the URL of the view page to use when adding a link in the
Quick Launch to a list created from the list definition. The value of the
Type attribute corresponds to the
Type attribute of a template in the list templates section. Each
Module element specifies the name of a module defined in the modules section.
The
SiteFeatures and
WebFeatures elements contain references to site collection and site–scoped Features to include in the site definition.
For post-processing capabilities, use an
ExecuteUrl element within a
Configuration element to specify the URL that is called following instantiation of the site.
Modules Element
The
Modules collection specifies the modules to include by default in creating a site collection. Each
Module element in turn specifies one or more files to include, often for Web Parts, which are cached in memory on the front-end Web server along with the schema files. You can use the
Url attribute of the
Module element to provision a folder as part of the site definition.
<Modules>
<Modules>
<Module
Name="Default"
Url=""
Path="">
<File
Url="default.aspx"
NavBarHome="True">
<View
List="$Resources:core,lists_Folder;
/$Resources:core,announce_Folder;"
BaseViewID="0"
WebPartZoneID="Left" />
<View
List="$Resources:core,lists_Folder;
/$Resources:core,calendar_Folder;"
BaseViewID="0"
RecurrenceRowset="TRUE"
WebPartZoneID="Left"
WebPartOrder="2" />
<AllUsersWebPart
WebPartZoneID="Right"
WebPartOrder="1"><![CDATA[<WebPart
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WebPart/v2"
xmlns:iwp="http://schemas.microsoft.com
/WebPart/v2/Image">
<Assembly>Microsoft.SharePoint, Version=12.0.0.0,
Culture=neutral,
PublicKeyToken=71e9bce111e9429c</Assembly>
<TypeName>Microsoft.SharePoint.WebPartPages.ImageWebPart
</TypeName>
<FrameType>None</FrameType>
<Title>$Resources:wp_SiteImage;</Title>
<iwp:ImageLink>/_layouts/images/homepage.gif
</iwp:ImageLink>
<iwp:AlternativeText>$Resources:core,sitelogo_wss;
</iwp:AlternativeText>
</WebPart>]]>
</AllUsersWebPart>
<View
List="$Resources:core,lists_Folder;
/$Resources:core,links_Folder;"
BaseViewID="0"
WebPartZoneID="Right"
WebPartOrder="2" />
<NavBarPage
Name="$Resources:core,nav_Home;"
ID="1002"
Position="Start" />
<NavBarPage
Name="$Resources:core,nav_Home;"
ID="0"
Position="Start" />
</File>
</Module>
...
</Modules>
The
Module element specifies a name for the module, which corresponds to a module name that is specified within a configuration in ONET.XML.
The
Url attribute of each
File element in a module specifies the name of a file to create when a site is created. When the module includes a single file, such as default.aspx,
NavBarHome="TRUE" specifies that the file will serve as the destination page for the
Home link in navigation bars. The
File element for default.aspx also specifies the Web Parts to include on the home page and information about the home page for other pages that link to it.
Components Element
The Components element specifies components to include in sites created through the definition.
<Components>
<FileDialogPostProcessor ID="BDEADEE4-C265-11d0-BCED-00A0C90AB50F" />
</Components>
ServerEmailFooter Element
The
ServerEmailFooter element specifies the footer section used in email sent from the server.
<ServerEmailFooter>$Resources:ServerEmailFooter;</ServerEmailFooter>
