Setting Default Metadata Values in SharePoint 2010

I match the folder structure of my file share. If I wanted a different structure, I would do that here but in this case, I am migrating data into SharePoint and changing it from unstructured data to proper content types with searchable metadata.

I click the Library Tab and then the Library Settings icon in the ribbon.

I click on Column default value settings under General Settings on the List Settings page.

I select the Cisco folder since this is the first one I want to set the default values for.

I select Instructor by clicking on the Column link.

I choose the radio button Use this default value: and add in Mark Jacobs (the Cisco Instructor) Then click OK.

I click the link for technicalDepartment (notice the green icon now on the Cisco folder since a default value has been set for this location.)

I select the radio button to Use this default value: and then set the Default value to Cisco. It is important to set the value to the exact match for one of the values in the choice column. Then I click OK.

I repeat the process I used for setting the values in the Cisco folder but this time I click the Development folder in the Location to configure column and set the default values appropriate to development outlines.

I repeat the process I used for setting the values in the Cisco and Development folders, but this time I click the SharePoint folder in the Location to configure column and set the default values appropriate to sharepoint outlines.

I repeat the process I used for setting the values in the Cisco, Development, and SharePoint folders, but this time I click the Systems folder in the Location to configure column and set the default values appropriate to systems outlines.

Using the breadcrumb, I return to the courseOutlines document Library which is now properly set up.

I click on the Cisco folder to get into it.

I click the Add document link.

I click the Upload Multiple Files link (notice that I could have just done this from the courseOutlines document library because you can choose a folder in this modal window).

You can drag files into the Drag Files and Folders Here Silverlight control or you can click Browse for Files instead. You can only upload up to 100 files at a time in this way.

I select the top document and then holding the shift key down select the bottom document which selects them all then click the Open button.

I verify the items in the window then click OK.

I verify that the status shows done, then I click the Done button.

I check to make sure that the instructor column has the value Mark Jacobs and that the technical department is now Cisco. I will then repeat the process for the other folders.

I repeat the steps for adding documents to the Cisco folder but this time I upload the documents from the Development folder on the file share to the Development folder in the courseOutlines document library.

I repeat the steps for adding documents to the Cisco folder but this time I upload the documents from the SharePoint folder on the file share to the SharePoint folder in the courseOutlines document library.

I repeat the steps for adding documents to the Cisco folder but this time I upload the documents from the Systems folder on the file share to the Systems folder in the courseOutlines document library. I have now successfully uploaded many documents from the unstructured world of the file share into the content type structured world of SharePoint 2010 using default column value settings!