Content type column addition not showing in List modify view

Question

I am learning sharepoint and this is probably a very starter question. I have sharepoint site with various content types and lists. I have a list say "Test" which is coming from contentType "TestContentType" If I add a column to content type will this column become automatically available to all lists and in ModifyView functionality of theirs? Because currently its not. It probably will If i add that column to list by using Add from existing site columns options?

I had understood that any changes to content type columns are propagated to lists. Please enlighter.

Thanks

Answer 1

When you are adding a column to the content type you get the following option.

On selection of yes all the existing lists from the content types will get updated with the new column. This option is available during the creation of new column as well as adding existing site column to the content type and hence will be available in Modify View functionality .

Answer 2

The answer depends on where you add column to the Content type - on site or list level. If former, you can update all inherited list content types. Also in this case any customizations you have made to any derived content type will be lost. If latter, you cant.

Take a look at this msdn article. It has great explanation how this mechanism works

The fact that list content types are often derived from site content types has implications for change management. One consequence is that customizations to list content types cannot easily be applied to other lists. For example, a user might edit a list content type by adding a new column. This change would be limited to the content type on the list. The new column would not be added to the site content type from which the list content type derives, nor would any other changes carry over. Changes to a derived content type are never pushed up to the parent content type.

However, a list content type can be affected by changes that are made to its parent. For example, a user could edit a site content type, perhaps by adding a column, and then choose to update all content types that inherit from it. The result could overwrite customizations that users have made to derived site and list content types. It is possible to protect a content type from receiving changes that are made to its parent, but this step has implications for content type management. For more information, see Content Type Change Control.