When using the default list forms and they include a people picker field, the dropdown list of options as you type to search for people works as expected. If you create a new custom list form in SharePoint Designer, the same people picker field does't have the dropdown list of options as you type. This basically forces the person completing the form to use the address icon to then search for the person, select them, and then acknowledge that's who they want.  Anyone know what to replace the form field with so that it restores the in-line dropdown option? Here's the default code in a new list custom form for a people picker field:

<SharePoint:FormField runat="server" id="ff6{$Pos}" ControlMode="New" FieldName="Attendee" __designer:bind="{ddwrt:DataBind('i',concat('ff6',$Pos),'Value','ValueChanged','ID',ddwrt:EscapeDelims(string(@ID)),'@Attendee')}"/>
<SharePoint:FieldDescription runat="server" id="ff6description{$Pos}" FieldName="Attendee" ControlMode="New"/>

Any help would be greatly appreciated ;)

Hi,

According to your post, my understanding is that People picker functionality changed for custom list forms.

People picker loses its autocomplete functionality and defaults to the old style on a form page other than the default form.

To keep autocomplete functionality on custom form pages, we can use JavaScript to autocomplete for people picker fields.

More information:

Autocomplete for text and people picker fields | SharePoint JavaScripts

Autocomplete for SharePoint people picker

SharePoint 2013 PeoplePicker Auto-Complete via JavaScript

Best Regards,

Linda Li

Thanks for the reply Linda. I looked through those links and didn't come up with a simple solution. They seem to focus on setting the value of the people picker or are for older versions of SharePoint. 

I found a post elsewhere that mentioned changing the default code of <SharePoint:FormField to <SharePoint:ClientPeoplePicker results in the functionality returning. It does do that, but the value doesn't appear to be saved when the form is saved. 

So I'm closer as the functionality is there. Now I just need to figure out how to ensure the data is saved. Any ideas? Here's my current code:

<SharePoint:ClientPeoplePicker runat="server" id="ff12{$Pos}" ControlMode="Edit" FieldName="Supervisor" __designer:bind="{ddwrt:DataBind('u',concat('ff12',$Pos),'Value','ValueChanged','ID',ddwrt:EscapeDelims(string(@ID)),'@Supervisor')}"/>

I should note that the value is not saved. But also, when opening the edit form, the value of the Supervisor field is currently set to is not reflected in the people picker. It's just blank in the edit form. Even though there is a value in the display form. I've confirmed that the value doesn't change after saving the form so it's not just that it doesn't show up in the edit form, it's not saving the value as well. So my guess is the binding of this control is not correct and I'm unsure  how to bind it to the correct list column so that the value is saved and displayed in the edit form. 

• Edited by SJNBham Friday, April 11, 2014 9:48 PM

I found this post, but am unsure where to place the code:

http://sharepointerthilosh.blogspot.com/2013/07/add-data-to-people-picker-field.html

I'm using SharePoint Designer 2013, so am hoping for a solution that could be achieved using SPD.

Hi,

The post you gave was achieved using Visual Studio.

You need to add the code to the files in the Visual Studio rather than SharePoint Designer.

As a workflow around, you can add the JavaScript Code to the form page in the SharePoint Designer to add autocomplete functionality.

For more information, you can refer to:

SharePoint 2013 PeoplePicker Auto-Complete via JavaScript

Best Regards,

Linda Li

I just plain hate it, when Microsoft staff mark each other's posts as answers. Whenever this happens In almost all cases you can be sure that it's NOT an answer.

I'm also still trying to figure out a solution to this problem. There are lots of similar questions around the web, but it seems that no one has found a solution yet (though in this forums there are lots of so called answers, see above).

So just again: has anyone found a solution?

Thanks in advance

Andi

Looking for how to do this in SharePoint Designer. Do you have the sample JavaScript code that needs to be added to the form using SPD?

• Edited by SJNBham Tuesday, September 02, 2014 4:43 PM

I am having the same issue and would like a work around.

Hi,

i am havinge the same issue.

change the "<SharePoint:FormField" to "<SharePoint:ClientPeoplePicker" in the custom form.

it works fine.

regards

• Proposed as answer by Jeffrey, James 3 hours 40 minutes ago

Dennis, are you not experiencing the same issue I noted earlier in the thread of the value not being saved when using ClientPeoplePicker ?

Hi

Has anyone managed to find a suitable way to implement the ClientPeoplePicker using SharePoint Designer? I have the exact same issue. I've changed the form field as described, but it doesn't populate or save.

Duncan

Had the same issue. This fix worked for me. Thanks Dennis.