Adding Fields

The page for adding fields to a Project is accessed by selecting Administration | Project | Field Maintenance from the FootPrints Toolbar.

The following information describes the various options on the Field Maintenance page and the pages that you access from the Field Maintenance page when you are adding a field.

1. Name—Enter a name for the field.  This is the name of the field in all FootPrints forms.
2. Field Type—This defines the type of data the field accepts.  Refer to Field Types for descriptions.
3. Permissions—The permission level chosen here determines both the access and requirement for users for the field.

• Access—This option determines who can see the field and who can write to it.

• Internal—Only internal Agent and administrator users (including custom Agent roles) can view and enter data in the field. The field appears in the Create Issue and Edit Issue pages for internal users only.
• Public Read-Only—Same as internal, plus Customers can view the field data but not write to the field.  The field appears in the Create Issue and Edit Issue pages for internal users.  Customers only see the data in their Requests when it is entered by an internal user.
• Public Read-Write—Same as Internal, plus Customers can view the field data and enter data in the field when creating a new Request.  The field appears in the Create Issue and Edit Issue pages for internal users and in the Customer Submit Request form.
• Public Read-Write-Edit—Same as Public Read-Write, plus Customers with edit access can also update the field. This option is only available if the Customer Edit license is purchased.

• Required—The second drop-down determines whether the field is required.

• Optional—The user has the option to enter or not enter data in the field.
• Mandatory—The user must enter data into the field in order for the page to be accepted if it is submitted.  If a user tries to submit an Issue without data in a mandatory field, an error message is displayed to the user, along with instructions to go back and enter the information.  Mandatory fields appear in red on the Create Issue and Edit Issue pages for internal users and in the Customer Submit Request form.

4. Field Length—This option applies to character single-line, integer, and real number fields only. For these fields, the administrator has the option of defining a field length.  If defined, users must enter data of the specified number of characters when creating or editing an Issue or Request.  Choices for defining field length are:

• Unrestricted—No field length restriction (the default).
• Exactly—Enter a number in the first box for the exact number of characters users must enter in the field.  Leave the second input box blank.
• At least—Enter a number in the first box for the minimum number of characters field data must contain.  Leave the second input box blank.
• At most—Enter a number in the first box for the maximum number of characters field data can contain.  Leave the second input box blank.
• Between—Enter two numbers defining a range of the number of characters accepted for field data.

5. Field Size—Only applies to multi-line character fields. Define the number of rows and column for the text box.  Refer to Display of Multi-line Fields. Multi-line fields are displayed in the same row with other fields based on field size: Fields 69+ columns wide remain alone in a row; fields 46-68 columns wide will occupy a row with 1 other field (2 fields total); fields that are 45 columns or less wide are treated like other fields, and will be displayed with 2 other fields in a row (2 fields total). To force a multi-line character field to take up a whole row regardless of size, insert a <BR> tag in the field header for that field and/or the field after it. for additional information.
6. Define Choices—For drop-down and multi-select field types, choices are defined in a pop-up after adding the field (refer to Drop-down and Multi-select Fields for additional information).
7. Default calendar link—Only applies to Date/Time fields.  From the drop-down, select whether the field will, by default, have no link to the personal or project calendars, be linked to the personal calendar only, or be linked to both the personal and project calendars.

When you have completed making your selections, click Add Field.  The field is added to the Field dialog box on the right.  The field is not added to the Project until you enter you password and click GO.

Manage fields

Note

Restrictions on the number of fields in the Project being added depend on the database being used.  Refer to Field Limit Specification in the chapter on Database Administration.  The FootPrints database only allows 100 fields per project. To add contact fields, refer to Address Book Field Maintenance.

Adding a Date/Time Stamp to Internal Fields

You can add a date/time stamp to multi-line character fields.  The date/ time stamp is displayed beside the field when you edit the Issue or view the Issue on the Details page.  When you create a multi-line character field by selecting Character (Multiple Line) as the Type or edit an existing multi-line character field, a checkbox labeled "Add timestamp to field data" is displayed.  Checking the box adds the date/time stamp.

If you use the date/time stamp option, the field acts like the Description field in that you cannot edit existing data in the field, only add to it.