The List cannot be displayed in Datasheet view

SharePoint Lists are very useful in so many ways as it has the functionality of copy and paste.

We can use the SharePoint List in 2 ways:

1. Graphical User Interface (GUI)/ Standard View

2. Excel Spread sheet view /Datasheet View

Excel Spread sheet view is very powerful as we can easily transfer the data from your machine to SharePoint list by simply using copy and paste.

When we tried to switch from standard view to datasheet view then most of the users face the following error message:

The List cannot be displayed in Datasheet view for one or more of the following reasons:

-A datasheet component compatible with windows SharePoint services is not installed.

-Your Web browser does not support ActiveX controls

-Support for ActiveX controls is disabled.

Note: I have seen that most of the users face this kind of issue if they are using Internet Explorer 6.0 (IE 6). 

Please follow the below mentioned steps to resolve the issue:

Resolution Steps:

1. Windows SharePoint Service Support options for Microsoft Office should be installed (applicable for Office 2003 as well as for Office 2007)

How to enable this option:

A.   Start-Control Panel-Add or Remove Programs-click on Microsoft Office and then Change

B.   Add/Remove Features

C.   Expand the Office Tools category.

D.  Next verify that you have both the Microsoft Office Access Web Datasheet Component and the Windows SharePoint Services Support component installed.

E.   If these components are not installed choose to run them from your computer and then click the Continue button and go through the installation process. You may need your Office 2007 install media.

2. Next you want to verify that you can run ActiveX controls in Internet Explorer. To do this open IE and go to the Tools menu > Internet options

3. Next click on the Security tab and for your Trusted sites click (choose Internet if you do not add your SharePoint sites to your Trusted Sites) on the Custom level button

4. Verify that you can use previously unused ActiveX controls.

5. Verify that you can download signed ActiveX controls and that you can run ActiveX controls and plug-ins.

6. The next setting is –> select "Enable" for Script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting.

7. Adjust these settings accordingly and then click OK twice to return to Internet Explorer.

8. You may need to close Internet Explorer and re-open the program before your new settings take hold and become active.

If you have any queries/questions regarding the above mentioned information then please let me know, Thank you.

The formula contains a syntax error or is not supported. Troubleshoot issues with windows SharePoint services.

Hello Everybody,

This is regarding the above mentioned error message. Working on SharePoint from last few years, i had seen customers used the date functions on regular basis inside their SharePoint list and libraries.

Depending the same, i worked on similar case which was weird in the start but finally the issue has been  resolved with some perfect break-fix.

Let me describe the issue first:

-User had created one custom list.

-Created three columns: two were custom and one is calculated.
    Custom Columns:  Date1 and Date2 with content type Date and Time.
    Calculated Column:CalcDate with content type calculated.

-User wanted to use basic date functions as difference between two dates, TEXT Function,DATE(year,month,day) etc...

-Custom columns has been created without any issues but when he were using a formula inside calculated column then he got the following error message: 

Troubleshooting done:

-Created a same list on my personal mysite and used the same functions, it worked without any problems...
-Compared features between my site and user's site. Found only difference i.e. publishing feature was activated on my site but wait wait....this is of no use because after deactivating the publishing feature also, i can use the same date functions.
-We have site collections created under so many domains, so i had used a site collection which belongs to different domain & still i can use the date functions without any issues...
-I had used different site collection which belongs to same domain which is used by user also, and here also i can use without any problems...

Workaround:

-Save the SharePoint list as template on which we can use the date functions without any problems.

Next step is very simple, go to the affected site collection list gallery and upload ( please refer the following steps):

-open the site collection
-site actions
-site settings
-Galleries
-List Templates

Resolution:

You just have to use ";" instead of "," it works fine without any issues..

Examples:
+Calculate the difference between two dates:

=DATEDIF([Column1]; [Column2];"d")

Please refer the below mentioned Microsoft published article which is excellent as it contains a basic functions that we can use in SharePoint.
 
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-sharepoint-services-help/examples-of-common-formulas-HA010105479.aspx?CTT=3

If you face any queries /questions regarding the above mentioned procedure/information then please let me know...

I would be more than happy to help you as well as resolves your issues. Thank you very much once again :-)