Step By Step External Content Type and External List

Steps to create External Content Types using SQL Server Table.

Open Central Administration > Application Management > Manage Service Applications

Select Business Data Connectivity Sevice and click "Manage"

We first need to give permissions to the user. Click "Set Metadata Store Permission". This will open up a Modal Window. Add required user set all permisions and click "OK".

Open SharePoint Designer 2010.

Open your site in SharePoint Designer.

Click "External Content Type" under Left Navigation.Click "New External Content Type".

Enter "Name" and "Display name" of new content type.Select "Generic List" for "Office Item Type"

Under "External Content Type Operation" click on "Click here to discover external Data source and define operations".

Click Add Connection.

Select "SQL Server" for "Data Source Type" and Click Ok

Enter SQL Server and Database Detail and click "OK"

Under "Data Source Explorer" select Table

Right Click Table and click "Create All Operations". This will open up operation creation window. Click Next.

Under Properties check "Show in Picker" and click Next.

On this screen you can set "Filter" if so required. Click Finish. Save External Content Type.


Steps to create External List using External Content Types created above.

Right Click External Content Type and Click "External List".

This will open a window. Enter "Name" and "Description" of new external list name.

Thats all a new External List is created will all Operations.