This article focuses on the functionality of the various fields and options available when creating a new section in the Custom Fields module in ChilliDB. To get an overview of the basic process first, please go to the 'Quick Start' article.
Creating Fields
After creating a section, the next step is to get the fields in place in that section which are needed to collect the data that is required. To do so, click on the name of the section you wish to add fields to. In this case, it is 'Volunteering Days'. This will make the 'Fields in Section: Volunteering Days' information visible underneath the section details. On the right-hand side of the screen, click on the 'Add New Field' link to start adding fields to the section.
i) Configuring a New Field
After clicking the link to add a new field to your system, a new window opens to allow you to configure the field that is being added. Depending on the field type, the fields available in the 'Field Settings' screen will be slightly different, but for the example below, we are adding a lookup list / checkbox list type field to the 'Volunteering Days' section, so the fields available are those that we see in this instance.
The main fields users need to be aware of in the 'Field Settings' window when creating a new field for a record are:
i) Field Name: users enter the name of the field here.
ii) Label: automatically fills with the field name from the field above. However, users are able to change the label name to something else. If they do so, this is the name that will be seen when users are creating a record in ChilliDB.
iii) Field Type: this is where users choose the type of field they are adding. There are a number of choices here, and they will be outlined below in a separate section.
iv) Section: this field is pre-filled with the section the user originally selected to add the field to. However, it is editable, so if while creating the field, it is decided it would be better in another section, that change can be made on the run.
v) Field Order: the order of this field in the section it is being added to. This can be edited later, if needed, to rearrange the fields as desired.
vi) Layout: this field allows the user to dictate how the field is placed according to the fields around it and the overall layout of the section. The options are as follows:
a) Single width, automatic placement: places the new field in the next available space in the record.
b) Single width, starts new row: forces the new field to drop down to a new row.
c) Double width, starts new row: extends the field across the whole screen on a new row - this means there will only be room for one field in this row.
vii) Is Visible: controls the visibility of the field. The default value is 'Yes'. Choosing 'Conditional' allows the user to tie the visibility of the field to a response in another field. In the example below, we are setting up the 'Days Available' field so it won't be seen unless the user indicates that the contact they are entering is a volunteer by checking the box for 'Yes' in that field first.
viii) Is Required: dictates whether a response is required for the field. Default value is 'No'. As with the field above, this field also has a 'Conditional' option that can be tied to another field, making it a required field under certain circumstances. In the example below, the field becomes required if the answer to the 'Is Volunteer?' field is 'Yes'.
ix) Is Read only?: if 'Yes' is selected here, the field can be viewed but not edited. This might be useful in situations where, for example, you are pulling information from elsewhere in the system to display it against the record, but you don't wish for it to be changed by the user. There is also a 'Conditional' option for this field that functions in the same way as the examples above.
x) Multiple Select: if this box is ticked, users can make multiple selections from the options available in a lookup list / checkbox list type field instead of just one.
xi) Show Lookup Codes: displays the lookup code designated to each lookup value in a lookup list / checkbox list type field when making a selection in this field in a record if the box is ticked. In the example below, the 'MON' and 'TUES' displayed before the option are the codes entered in the 'Lookup Code' column when creating this field.
xii) Default Value: users can set a default value for the field here. If this is done, this value automatically displays as the initial value for this field when a record is created.
xiii) Parent Field: the Parent Field option allows users to tie a dropdown / checklist response, and its options, to another dropdown / checklist in the system. This is useful when you want to be able to vary the responses available in one of these checklists based on answer chosen previously. An example of this might be if you are organising volunteers for different days of the week, and the programs available from day-to-day vary.
In this scenario, the first thing to do is to set up your two dropdown / checklist type fields.
In this case, I have created a 'Days Available' field with a dropdown listing each day of the week.
Note: Parent fields must be single select, otherwise users won't be able to create a parent / child relationship between fields.
I have also created a 'Programs' field with a multi-select checklist that has the 'Days Available' field linked as the parent field. When this is done, users can allocate a particular day or days to each option that is added to the lookup value list.
When your Parent / Child field have been set up and linked appropriately, the fields themselves function as set out below - when a certain day is chosen from the Parent field ('Days Available') dropdown, the relevant options are displayed in the 'Programs' field that is linked.
Completing the Example Field Setup
For a lookup list / checkbox list type field like the one we are creating here, the last task that has to be completed before the field is ready to use is adding some options to the 'Lookup Values' section at the bottom of the screen. There are 2 ways to do this: either by clicking the 'Create' option, which adds the options one by one to the list, prompting users to name them as they go; or by clicking 'Import', which allows the user to list the values to be added down the page (either manually or by copying and pasting from an existing list) and then click 'Import' to bring them all in at once.
User's tip: the 'Import' option is the most efficient way of getting your options into a lookup field if you are creating more than 1 option.
When your field is configured so it will function in the way you wish it to, click 'Save' to add it to the list of fields available for you to add data to in this section/module.
ii) Working with Fields That Have Been Added to ChilliDB
Once a field has been added to a module in ChilliDB, it can be interacted with in several different ways:
a) Editing a field: to edit an existing field, click on the field name - e.g.: in the example above, to edit the 'Days Available' field, we would simply click 'Days Available'.
Note: Users cannot change the 'Field Type' for a field that has been created previously. If they want to do this, they have to create the field from scratch again. If there is already data in the original field, a change of fields may require a data upload instead of a simple field change.
b) Expiring / deleting a field: to expire / delete a field, users click on the red 'X' next to the field.
Note: fields that have been linked to via the 'Conditional' setting for either the 'Is Required'; Read only; and/or Visible fields are not able to be deleted.
c) Moving a field: to move a field to a new section, click the 4-way arrow next to the expire / delete option. Users are then prompted to choose the New Section the field is to be moved to from the dropdown menu. When 'Save' is clicked, the field will be transferred to its new section.
Note: If you want to move a field into a newly-created section, the section must be created first before moving the field.
If you have any further questions regarding the process of setting up fields in ChilliDB, please don't hesitate to get in touch, either through our Help Desk or by contacting us at info@chillidb.com
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