Changing the status field in the Helpdesk or call center template

I'm a big fan of the Microsoft Application Templates for Windows SharePoint Services 3.0.
I think they are a great example of what can be done on top of SharePoint without writing code.

A little time ago I was asked what I thought was an easy question. A customer using the call center template wanted to change the values in the status drop down.
Being SharePoint I figured it would be dead easy so went to the column settings for the content type clicked on the status field and found there was just a field name and nothing at all that could be changed.
So then I started to wonder where these field values were coming from !
Here's how I finally worked it out.

I started my investigation in the site template definition file at C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\TEMPLATE\SiteTemplates\callcenter\xml\onet.xml
In there it lists a number of features towards thet bottom which pointed me in the direction of where the list was defined (btw the commenting in this file is great, very good idea if your doing your own ).

I then navigated to the template for the list which was at C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\TEMPLATE\FEATURES\CallCenterServiceRequestsList\ListTemplates\ServiceRequest.xml
The XML in there said that the list was called service request

So then I navigated to the XML file for the service request list at
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\TEMPLATE\FEATURES\CallCenterServiceRequestsList\servicerequest\schema.xml

The status field was down in the page and each of the options looked like this

$Resources:hlpdsk,SRStatus_Choice1;

What that meant is that they use a resources file.
Resource files are stored here C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\Resources
So I opened the English on for the help desk template htlpdsk.resx and finally in there I found the status fields.

I changed the field name, restarted IIS and the changes appeared on the site :)
Only problem is as they are in the resx file that means that this change would take effect for any site based on the call center or help desk template.

I'm still here !

Ok. Ok I know I haven't posted for far too long.
Same old poor excuse I got way too busy, with various stuff a lot of it work related.
But now I'm back :)

On that note I'd like to wish William Cornwill aka Code Jedi best of luck in his new role at Microsoft, we were very sad to see him leave the SDM team but I'm excited to see all the great stuff he does in his new role !

One of the other things that has been keeping me so busy is all the new people we have had joining our team, we are still growing quite fast which has meant it's been a big challenge to find the right good quality people.

Plus been plenty busy doing lots of good SharePoint work too !