This article covers the following data field settings:
- Caption;
- Description;
- Category;
- Calculated;
- Field Type;
- Number of Decimals;
- Required;
- Hidden;
- In Use;
- Include in List;
- Sort Order.
The Data Field Add and Data Field Edit pages show all information related to the data field. Below are explanations of each one of the data field settings in detail.
Caption
The caption is the title of the data field and will be the word / phrase shown on the left hand side of each view page in PPO as well as at the top of each column on tables on list pages and reports.
You should try to keep the length of the name as short as possible while still being descriptive to prevent the column headings from being truncated as highlighted above.
Description
The description places the field in context and provides an indication of the information that should be provided. The description can be seen from the front-end of PPO when you hover over the field caption (tooltip function).
Category
Categories are used to group data fields together, for example, showing all data fields relating to basic issue information together and those relating to issue classification together.
Categories can be created on the Data Field Edit page. To do this, click on the Add button next to the category field on the Data Field Edit page.
The listed category will disappear and the user will be able to enter a new category.
Once the name of the new category has been entered, click on the apply changes (check) to save the new category.
Once a category has been added it will be available in the category drop-down list.
To move a category, rearrange the sort order of the fields on the entity. The categories will keep the fields grouped together but will still maintain the overall sort order of the fields on the entity.
To delete a category, simply move all fields out of the category. Once a category has no fields in it, it will disappear and will no longer be available from the category drop-down list.
Calculated
PPO allows you to define fields that do not require manual input by a user. These fields can be defined by a calculation or formula, based on other data, within PPO.
When the calculated field is added, a box for the formula will be available underneath the calculated check box.
For more information on calculated fields and how to implement them, please access the following knowledge base article.
Field Type
PPO allows for different types of data to be captured by using different types of data fields.
For more explanations on all the different types of data fields access the following knowledge base article.
Number of Decimals
For Currency, Decimal, and Percentage field types you have the ability to specify the number of decimals. The maximum decimal places allowed is 11.
Required
The required check box shows whether a field needs to be populated before the user can submit the record or whether the fields may be left blank. Required fields will be shown with a grey background (rather than the white background for non-required fields).
If a user neglects to specify a value for a required field, they will see a message similar to the one below when they submit, and will not be permitted to continue unless values are specified for the required fields:
Note that certain standard data fields are by default required and cannot be made non-required without the assistance from the PPO Support Team. The reason they are by default required is, because they are used on standard reports and dashboards, and also in certain calculations.
Hidden
If required, calculated fields can be hidden. This means the field will no longer appear on the front-end of PPO. This can be used where calculated fields are required for event handlers or validation rules.
In Use
For a field to become active, available and visible from the front end of PPO, the In Use field must be checked. If the In Use field is unchecked, the field will not appear on the front end and will not be able to store any data.
Also note that if a field is taken out of use, all data stored in that field up to date, will be lost. It is therefore a good idea to check where a field is being referenced before it is taken out of use. PPO has functionality to help you understand where a field is being used.
To take a field out of use, uncheck the In Use check box on the Data Fields Edit page.
Include in List
The include in list setting indicates whether the field should appear as a column on the list page by default.
Note: the setting above is only to provide a default setting to all users on the instance. The user can set their own list preferences by clicking on the Settings icon.
Sort Order
The sort order defines the order in which the fields appear within the entity. The sort order can be specified manually from this field, or by using the Fields Sort Order icon.
More information
For more information on Data Fields you can refer to this knowledge base article.