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Input Box

An Input Box is a graphical user interface that allows the user to input information to be used by an Application. The different types of data that can be populated in a Input Box are:

  • String (text)
  • Integer
  • Decimal
  • Boolean (true/false)
  • Date
  • Time
  • Date/Time
  • Duration

Adding an Input Box to the Form

  1. In the Form Editor, drag the icon from the Form Widgets Palette and place it onto the form. A new Input Box widget is added in the canvas.
  2. Enter a Label for your Input Box. Notice that the Data Field in the Data section is now populated with the label name but without spaces.

    The Data Field should not contain any spaces and should be a unique name within the Collection.
  3. The Properties section of the Form Editor will allow you to customize the data properties of your widget.
  4. Under Data Type choose the type of data that will be stored in your Input Box.
  5. Select either the Simple, Calculated or Aggregate radio button. Simple will only take user input. Selecting Calculated will populate the field based on an expression defined using the Expression Builder. Notice that when you select the Calculated radio button the Properties section will change, allowing you to enter an expression in the Value box.

    Aggregate allows you to perform summary calculations on records from another collection. Notice that when you select the Aggregate radio button the Properties section will change, allowing you to define a linked collection, a filter, a function and an expression for the aggregate field.
  6. Click the button next to Possible and Default values to define a default value for the Input Box.
  7. The Required Field radio button allows you to determine if the field needs to be filled out before a user is able to save the record. If the field is marked as a required field, it will be designated with a red asterisk (*) in the form.
  8. The Display this field in the default collection view checkbox allows you to add this field as a column in the collection tab's view without having to enter the View Editor.
  9. When finished, save your changes in the Form Editor. Refer to the section on Version Management for more information.
  10. Click Exit to close the Form Editor and to return to the Collection page.

Using Data Types and Display Properties

In the Data Type drop down located in the Properties section of the Form Editor, you can choose to change data type of an Input Box. Each Data Type has its own formatting properties which determines how the data is displayed in the widget.

  • String (text)
  • Integer
  • Decimal
  • Boolean (true/false)
  • Date
  • Time
  • Date/Time
  • Duration
String (Text)

You can format a String formatted Input box to be multi-lined. In order to make use of rich text functionality use the Text Area widget.

  1. With the Input Box highlighted, select String as the Data Type in the Properties section of the Form Editor.
  2. To bring up the display properties for the Input Box, select the Widget tab in the Properties section of the Form Editor. Select "True" from the drop down next to Multiline.
  3. To change the height of the Input Box, go to the Properties section of the Form Editor and next to Height input the size you want to change the size of the input box to.
Integer
  1. With the Input Box highlighted, select Integer as the Data Type in the Properties section of the Form Editor.
  2. In the Properties section of the Form Editor, select the Widget tab and select the button next to Format.

  3. You can change the format of your integer by clicking on the appropriate radio button. Selecting the Digit Grouping Symbol checkbox will add a comma to separate your number. For Example 1,000 instead of 1000.

Decimal
  1. With the Input Box highlighted, select Decimal as the Data Type in the Properties section of the Form Editor.
  2. In the Properties section of the Form Editor, select the Widget tab and select the button next to Format.
  3. You can change the format of your integer by clicking on the appropriate radio button or change the number of decimal places displayed by selecting a number from the Decimal Number drop down menu. Selecting the Digit Grouping Symbol checkbox will add a comma to separate your number. For Example 1,000 instead of 1000.
Boolean (True/False)
  1. With the Input Box highlighted, select Boolean as the Data Type in the Properties section of the Form Editor.
  2. A Boolean data type will display either 'True' or 'False'. This type of data field is typically used as a hidden flag which can be used for complicated calculations.
Date, Time, or Date/Time
  1. With the Input Box highlighted, select either Date, Time, or Date/Time as the Data Type in the Properties section of the Form Editor.
  2. In the Properties section of the Form Editor, select the Widget tab and select the button next to Format.

  3. Under Date Format select the format you want the date to display in the widget, if you select a Date data type this will be the only option. Under Time Format select the format you want the time to display in the widget, if you select a Time data type this will be the only option.
Duration
  1. With the Input Box highlighted, select Duration as the Data Type in the Properties section of the Form Editor.
  2. Click on either the dayTime Duration or yearMonth Duration radio button to determine the format of the data. A dayTime Duration field will appear in the format "2 Days 5 Hours 10 Minutes 30 Seconds" where a yearMonth Duration field will appear as "3 Years 5 Months".
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