Error when saving properties even if filled out

Copper Contributor

Hi all,

 

I just discovered something that might be a bug.

 

I have a document library with some custom columns. One column is of type Managed Metadata, and set to be Required. Column name is External Company.

 

After uploading the document, I open the Details pane, and enter a valid label into External Company. Then change focus to another column, and can verify that the new value is saved. 

 

However, if I do the same using the "Edit all" option, I get an error message saying "You can't leave this blank" when hitting the Save button. See screenshot below:image.png

 

I can confirm that the value in the screenshot above is indeed a valid term in the Term Store, and that this error applies to other terms from the Term Store as well. 

 

Has anyone else experienced this?

 

Thanks for any input or insight!

Kind Regards, 

Frank

22 Replies

@Frank-Ove Kristiansen 

 

Hey Frank- I have a user experiencing the same issue.  When I access the document properties I have no problems updating the fields.  I watched the user input as well so I know it is not a user error.  I recommended a restart and clearing browser data to see if that helps *crosses fingers*.

 

Unfortunately I have not found any other info on this one; you are not alone however!

 

-Thomas

@Frank-Ove Kristiansen 

 

I am experiencing the same issue. Hoping that someone with a solution replies soon. :) 

 

Sorry, I don't have the answer, but you are definitely not alone.

@Frank-Ove Kristiansen 

 

I came in here looking for a similar problem that I think is related.  In my case I have a simple modern list with a column in it to hold numbers.  I can go into that item, and change a 2 to a 3, and watch the darn thing change back to a 2 again right as it waves a little "saved" at me when I take my focus away to another field.  But if I go land back in the field a second time, the 3 will pop up again the way I want it to be, and it may or may not tell me for a second time that it has saved, but the 3 will stick.  If I don't actually go back in to check the field, that 3 will still have stuck anyway, but I'm paranoid and want to make sure it's there.  

 

So I would agree there's definitely something buggy going on with the Edit Item dialogue box as it relates to editing fields of data and the save-on-the-fly process.  I've tested with a couple of Win10 machines both IE11 and Chrome, all same buggy behavior.

 

A suggestion for your scenario where it's saying can't be blank ... try landing back into the field again for that second helping of field-level "save" and see if that helps. 

@Frank-Ove Kristiansen 

 

Hi, I do not have the answer but I have the same issue for a client. We had to remove the column required (*) property for the managed metadata columns to be able to save. We still looking for a solution. Thank you! 

@Frank-Ove Kristiansen 

 

Hi, this definitely is an issue - but there is a workaround.

If you click on the 'tag' icons to select a value for your managed metadata column (from the resulting pop-up menu), then you will experience this issue where you cannot save the item as the column is required. 

Workaround: Instead of clicking on the 'tag' icon, if you just just start typing in the value of the metadata column that you require, it will auto-complete - from which you can select the value you want. That method works fine without it incorrectly stating 'You can't leave this blank'. You can now save your item.

@Frank-Ove Kristiansen 

 

Same issue here with a customer. We figured out, that this seems to be related to the "Modern Experience" - changing back to "classic" and we can fill the form without a problem or any strange error-messages.

Hope someone will find a solution for that - makes no sense to switch to classic view :(

@Frank-Ove Kristiansen 

 

I checked today (1st May 2019) and this issue seems to have been resolved. Is everyone else finding this is the case?

 

Regards,

 

AJ

@ashokjingar,

I tried recreating the issue today, but was unable to. So it might seem that this has been fixed.

@ashokjingar i can also confirm that the issue no longer persists for my customer. Great :)

@Dominik_N 

 

Unfortunately this still appears for me.

We have the same issue in a SharePoint Online based Document Management System that has a set of required managed metadata properties. It looks if the value is there, yet the system complains with message: You can't leave this blank.

The issue does not occur in Classic SharePoint.

The issue does not occur when using the File--> Info --> Properties in Word app.

The root cause of this is unclear to me. We have filed a Microsoft Premire Support ticket on this.

Hello @Carry4IT Megens did Premier Support provide a solution, I am seeing the same problem, but not if save the file as Rich Text Format. But even if I save that file into the same (new SharePoint online library) as .docx the managed metadata column will not save changes. Another interesting fact: There is another managed metadata column using the same term set, changes to that column do save!?!?!

Clearing 'custom XML' as explained here, https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/sharepoint/document-column-metadata-not-saving/m-p/1309256, did not work. Note, this particular file has been migrated from a SharePoint 2010 library to SharePoint online (but other files in the same library do not have this problem).

@Tony BROOKS no, not really. Thanks for the suggestion to try Rich Text Format, not really a solution... Keep hammering that Microsoft door, until they acknowledge there is an issue in the Modern implementation of this and solve this thing. Really annoying!!

Thanks @Carry4IT Megens. Agreed, if Microsoft have not said there is a soluton what are we supposed to do for our customers?!
This seems to be an issue if the metadata field name had a space in it. When creating new fields don't add any spaces at first. Then go back and rename the file with the space in it after. This should fix your saving issues. It's an annoying bug that has existed for years.... really can't believe MS hasn't fix it yet.
Too late, fields have been created in the past with spaces in them and now used in 50k document or so. So going back is not an option, would you agree?
But those fields are technically renamed under the hood, like "Published_x0020_Version" or "Publishing_x0020_Date" so no more space involved.
I suspect the issue also has to do with multi valued managed metadata fields.
The bug is in Office and the Property Pane. It also has issues if special characters are used in the field name. It has nothing to do with the multi value type. My suggestion to you is to create a new field with the same name just no spaces.... use Power Automate to copy the value over from the broken field to the new one. Then delete the old one out of the content type and list. Then update the name. It's annoying but the only solution if you want people adding metadata through the Office Desktop App with the least resistance.

Unspoken rules of SharePoint:
1) Never create sites or columns with Spaces... rename them after.
2) Never use special characters like \ or - in the field names.... Office cant use them as linked Quick Parts if you do.
Thanks for the quick reply. Aww, no! Why does Microsoft always make things so difficult. Do not allow spaces. Period. But no, sir, now halfway somewhere things break...