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Custom Fields – General Information

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=Overview=

A '''Custom Field '''is the basic unit of data storage, created on an as-needed basis for your system, and is associated with a [[SmartSimple]] [[entity]] such as a [[User|contact]], [[Organization|organization]], [[User Role|role]], or activity. These fields can be accessed and controlled from either the [[Global Settings]] area of your system, or on the Entity-based '''Settings '''page within a {{UTA}}. New custom fields are added on a regular basis - we currently have over 50 field types that can be used to capture and store data. ~~Check~~ For a full list of Custom Fields, see [[:Category:Custom Fields#Types of Custom Fields|Types of Custom Fields]]. You can also check the [[Upgrades]] section of our Wiki for continuous notice of the latest field types.

'''Custom Fields '''are used in ~~contrast to~~ addition to [[Standard Fields]], which are automatically built into your system (for example, '''Name '''or '''Address '''are typical Standard Fields). While '''Custom Fields '''can be added, removed, and customized, as a general rule Standard Fields cannot be changed, although they might be renamed or modified.

All fields display data in configurable ways: for example, they can be grouped into tabs or displayed in multiple columns to avoid cluttering the page.

* The maximum number of custom fields that can be displayed on a single page is 400 total.

==Accessing Custom Fields==

1. Click the 9-square menu icon on the top right of your page.

When you click into a '''Custom Fields''' hyperlink from the '''Global Settings''' area, you will be brought to a [[List View Overview|list display]] of all available custom fields relating to that part of the system. In order to modify a Custom Field, you can simply select the '''pencil icon''' to the left side of the custom field name, as shown below::: [[File:Edit custom field.png|950px|border]]: :* Using the '''Search''' function on the top right, you can search through all '''Object Entities''' or through the fields of specific {{UTA}}s. Simply select or deselect to control your results.:* '''Tip: '''A Search-based strategy for troubleshooting is to clear your past search, select '''All Object Entities '''within the search bar, then click on the '''Last Modified '''field in the list view so that it is in descending [[Sort By|Sort Order]] and you can see the date that a custom field was changed, added, etc. :* You can also access all deleted fields by clicking into the second tab. There is no time limit within the system that removes deleted records; therefore, you can simply select and restore or purge these previously deleted fields.:* There should be no reason to purge as Custom Fields do not take up much space within the system.:* When you restore fields, there is no loss of data. =Configuration - Essentials=<pre>This page will serve as the main repository for setup information that is shared between most field types. To find setup options that are specific to a certain field type, look into the Wiki page for that field type itself. </pre>==Common Custom Field ~~Options~~Functions==On the top left of the Custom Field record will be a row of buttons, each with different functions relating to the field. ::: [[File:Custom field menu buttons.png|200px|border]] The following table describes the functionality of each button from left to right: {| class="wikitable"|-||'''Custom Fields [[List View Overview|list]]'''||Clicking this '''list chart '''icon will bring you to the list of all custom fields available in this part of the system. For example, if you are on a Custom Field that is found under the '''Organizations '''tab of '''Global Settings, '''you will be brought to a comprehensive list of all custom fields relating to '''Organizations. '''|-||'''New Custom Field ''' ('''+ icon''') ||Clicking this '''plus icon '''will allow you to create a '''New Custom Field''' in this part of the system. To understand how to create a new custom field by appropriately filling out the different settings, keep on reading the sections in this page below. |-||'''[[Field Data]] ''' ('''stack of coins icon) ''' ||Clicking this will open up a page that displays all the values that have been saved to the field. Custom Field Data consists of two general types: '''text type '''fields (saved as a text string) and '''object type''' fields (consisting of any files such as documents or images).''' ''' |-||'''[[Update History]] ''' ('''reload icon''') ||Clicking this will open up a page with a [[List View Overview|list]] of all of the updates to field settings that have been made on this field. |-||'''Search Reference''' ('''magnifying glass icon''') ||Clicking this will display all of the locations where the custom field is referenced in the system. For more information, see [[Custom Fields – General Information#Custom Field References]]. Fields are fully searchable for any related application. For example, [[User Role|role]]-level fields can be searched through the '''Search People '''feature or any application that provides access to contact data. You can also search and replace these values in bulk by using the '''Field Data '''button and specifying the old and new value required. |}

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{{ FieldOptionsINFO }}</span~~>~~~~{{ DisplayINFO }}</span~~></span~~>~~{{ ValidationINFO }}~~</span~~>{{ FieldOptionsINFO }}~~{{ FeatureOptionsINFO }}~~<~~@@TPL2@@@" data-bs-name=" DisplayINFO" data-bs-type="template" data-bs-id="2">{{ DisplayINFO }}{{ ValidationINFO }}{{ FeatureOptionsINFO }}{{ ValueStorage }}~~{{ ValueStorage }}

-->

The following settings are common to nearly all [[Custom Fields|Custom Field]] types:

<!--

[[Image:Cf1.png]]-->

<!--===Field Name and Field ID===

* The field name is mandatory and can be up to ~~255~~ 50 characters in length.

* The name should not include special characters that could be misinterpreted by the [[Browser|browser]].

* The Field ID is automatically generated by the system as a number value and is displayed to the right when viewing the list of custom fields.

The syntax for these field types varies (some are processed on the server and other in a JavaScript in the client) and is explained for the individual field type.-->

==Permissions & Availability==

The second tab available when opening a '''Custom Field '''is usually the '''Permissions & Availability '''section. Although the sectioning of permissions and availability will differ depending on what type of Custom Field it is, as well as to what part of the system it is attached to, the '''Permissions & Availability '''options might look something like this: ::: [[File:Custom fields permissions and availability.png|500px|border]]Access to a [[Custom Field|custom field]] is controlled by permissions. These can be found and set in any custom field, on the Permissions and Availability tab. You can set only certain roles to be able to see/edit a field, or you can do the same thing with statuses. An example would be denying the '''Applicant ~~role permission~~ ''' role permission to see ~~the Decision~~ the '''Decision '''custom field(as this would reveal pre-emptively whether or not their application has been approved or denied).

{| class="wikitable"|-||'''Role - Field Permissions'''||'''Allow View Field: '''Click into this text box to select which roles will have the permission to ''view ''this field. When they open up a record in the system that has this field, they will be able to see the field and any content already inputted into it. '''Allow Modify Field: '''Click into this text box to select which roles will have the permission to ''modify ''this field. When they open up a record in the system that has this field, they will be able to see the field as well as modify any content that is inputted into it, or put content if there is nothing inputted already. '''Deny View Field: '''Click into this text box to select which roles will be ''denied ''permission to view this field. If they open up a record in the system with this field attached, they will not be able to see it on the record details. '''Deny Modify Field: '''Click into this text box to select which roles will be ''denied ''permission to ''modify ''this field. If they open up a record in the system with this field attached, they will be able to view this field but ''not ''have the ability to modify its content at all. |-||'''Organizations Status - Field Permissions'''||'''Allow View Field: '''Click into this text box to select which [[Status|statuses]] will have permission to ''view ''this field. In this case the status must be relating to the organization - that is, only an organization that ''is ''in the selected statuses will be able to see this field when opening a record. '''Allow Modify Field: '''Click into this text box to select which statuses will have permission to ''modify ''this field. '''Deny View Field: '''Click into this text box to select which statuses will be ''denied ''permission to view this field. For example, an organization that is in '''Inactive ''''''Status '''might be denied permission to view fields as there is no need for them to know that information. '''Deny Modify Field: '''Click into this text box to select which statuses will be ''denied ''permission to ''modify ''this field. |-||'''Category - Field Availability'''||'''Include Field For: '''Click into this text box to select which [[Client Categories|organization categories]] will have permission to have this field to fill out. '''Exclude Field For: '''Click into this text box to select which [[Client Categories|organization categories]] will not have permission to have this field to fill out. |} See [[Role Field Permissions]] , [[Field Permissions]], or [[Status Field Permissions]] for more information.

<!--'''Special Field Name Syntax'''

||Categories

|-

||UTA {{ l1 }} Entities

||UTA Level 1 Template Entities

|}

===Visibility Condition===

The '''Visibility Options '''section when opening a Custom Field is available under the '''Permissions and Availability '''tab once the '''Advanced Options '''feature has been enabled. ::: [[File:Custom fields visibility.png|500px|border]]In order to enable '''Advanced Options, '''you must toggle on the feature from the top right of your page. ::: [[File:Advanced options.png|150px|border]]Whether or not a [[Custom Field|custom field]] is visible can be controlled using conditional statements in this box.~~(Appears~~ You are able to set this visibility condition for new records based on the ~~Permissions and Availability tab~~following options: '''Always Display, Hide on New Record, ~~once the Advanced Options are enabled~~ '''or '''Only Show on New Record.)'''

See [[Visibility Condition]] for more information.

==Classic Options==

~~===Common~~ The last tab available when opening a Custom Field ~~Settings===Each custom field contains buttons at the top that link to the following functions:~~record is usually the '''Classic Options '''section.

* ::: [[~~Field Data~~File:Custom fields classic options.png|750px|border]] ~~- displays all the values that have been saved to the field.~~ {| class="wikitable"* [[Update History]] |- ~~displays all the updates to field settings.~~* Search Reference - displays all locations where the custom field is referenced in the system. (see ||'''Tab Name'''~~Custom Field References~~||If you add a text value to the '''Tab Name, ~~farther down~~ '''this ~~page~~field will be displayed on that tab.)

~~===Tab Name===~~* If you add a text value to the tab Name, the field will be displayed on that tab.:* The tab name can be any text string.:* Custom ~~fields~~ Fields that are not associated with a tab will be displayed on a tab ~~named~~ that is labelled '''Default.''':* ~~The~~ The '''Tab ~~Name~~ Name '''option only appears once ~~the~~ the '''Advanced ~~Options~~ Options '''are enabled, on ~~the~~ the '''Classic ~~Options~~ Options '''tab.~~~~

~~<!-~~|-~~~~||'''Custom HTML Tag'''||Use this field for additional attributes to the field HTML tag. For example, you can add HTML such as '~~How Field Data is Stored~~'style="background-color"=00ff00 ''~~~~in order to color the background for this field box.

~~Custom field data consists of two general types –~~ '''~~text type~~Searchable - ''' ~~fields and '''object type''' fields.~~

* Text Types fields are stored in the database as text strings.'''Read Only - '''

~~These fields are fully searchable to any related application. For example,~~ '''Enable [[~~Role|role~~KML]] ~~level fields can be searched though the '''Search People~~- ''' ~~feature or any application that provides access to contact data.~~

~~You can also search and replace these values in bulk by using the~~ '''~~Field Data~~Disable Quick Edit - ''' ~~tab and specifying~~ Toggling on this option will not allow the ~~old and new value required~~user to modify this field using the system's [[Quick Edit]] functionality.

'''Disable Field from Global Search - '''Toggling on this option will remove this field from any results that appear with the system's [[~~Image:Cf9.png~~Global Search]]functionality.

* '''Object Type''' fields are stored on the server in a resource folder on the server. These fields can consist of files of any type such as documents or images. Document type fields are searchable provided the '''File Index''' option is selected (this option is only available for these types of fields). -->|}

===Custom Field References===

This feature is intended to help determine the impact of a custom field change by highlighting where the custom field is referenced within the system.

When used, the feature will search references to this custom field via variable syntax in various areas, including:

:* Other custom field options/visibility condition, including [[JavaScript Validation]], [[Visibility Condition]], [[Custom Field Type: Special – Calculated Value|calculated values]], etc.:* [[Template / Type Formula|Template formulas]]:* [[Submit buttons]]:* [[Submit Logic]]:* [[SmartCheck Validation]]:* [[Workflow Task]]:* [[Creating_a_Single_Step_Workflow#Connecting_Tasks|Workflow connectors]]:* Data class policy

[[Image:SearchReference2.png|border]]

The majority of field settings will be included in the copied fields. Exceptions include:

:* any [[Field Permissions]]:* any [[Field Permission Matrix]] assigned to the original custom field:* any [[Value Stores To]] setting assigned on the original custom field:* the ''Description'' setting

However, [[Field Permissions]] and [[Field Permission Matrix|Field Permission Matrices]] can be assigned to the new fields using the [[Batch Update]] feature.

==See Also==

:* [[Batch Update Custom Field Settings]]:* [[Reporting on Custom Fields]]

[[Category:Custom Fields]]

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Ciaran Donnelly

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Custom Fields – General Information

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