How can I set a User field to a default value of a user currently logged in through XML in Sharepoint 2010?

Question

I'm trying to create an field definition in XML for a field of a User type and need to set its default value to a user currently logged in. How do I do that?

Thanks a lot in advance.

Solution 1

Here is the closest I've ever come:

<Field ID="{99ced9dc-5715-47a7-9ede-1733f027eeb4}" 
    Name="MyField" 
    DisplayName="My Field" 
    Type="User" 
    List="UserInfo" 
    UserSelectionMode="PeopleOnly" 
    Required="TRUE">
    <DefaultFormula>=";#"&amp;Me</DefaultFormula>
</Field>

It doesn't blow up, but it doesn't give the desired result either. The problem is that Me will give the name of the user, but since the User Field is a special type of Lookup Field, the name is ignored. All that is needed is the ID, but I haven't been able to find anything that will give me that value.

Here are some possible workarounds:

• Custom Field: Current user as default value for a SharePoint Person or Group field
• Event Receiver: Add current user to person field default value with event receiver ItemAdding–SharePoint
• Javascript: Current user as default value for a SharePoint Person or Group field

Solution 2

I do not think so there is any constant for the current logged in user similar to [today] constant for DateTime type. So you probably have to create your own field inherited from SPFieldUser and parse the default value constant introduced by you, e.g. [current]. Then your field xml definition can look like

<Field Type="MyCurrentUser" Name="MyCurrentUser" ID="{...}">
    <Default>[current]</Default>
</Field>