Text Columns

A Text column is the most versatile column type because you can enter any kind of character into it. Text Columns may contain Customer Names, Product Names, Methods of Payment, etc.

If a column contains data that doesn’t appear or behave the way you want, you can edit the column’s General Properties and the properties defined by the column type.

General properties

If a column contains data that doesn’t appear or behave as desired, you can edit the column’s General Properties.

Text Options

Width

This property allows a user to specify the maximum length of the text field.

Data Entry

This property allows a user to set additional display attributes for a text field. When creating a text column, you should determine which way of data entry better suits your needs. The following options are available:

• Type-in: When you create a text column, the "Type-in" option with a default "Width" of 40 is set. This means the text column functions as a simple text field where you can type in up to 40 characters. To change the maximum length of the text field, specify the desired number of characters in the Width field;
• Drop Down: Select the Drop Down (Single Choice with None) if you want the list of entries to be presented as a drop-down list with the option for "None" in the list;
  
• Radio Buttons: Select the Radio Buttons (Single Choice without None) option to present the list of entries as radio buttons, allowing only one choice from the list. There is no undefined or blank state for radio buttons. If you need an undefined (null) value, consider using the Drop Down option instead.
  
• Check Boxes: Select the Check Boxes (Multiple Choices) option if you want the list of entries to be presented as check boxes with the possibility of multiple selections.
  

The Radio Buttons data entry does not support undefined or blank option. If you need an undefined (null) value, consider setting the Data Entry property to Drop Down.

Choices

This field is used to enter values when one of the following data entry options is selected: Drop Down, Radio Buttons, and Check Boxes. To create a Text Column with choices, select the "Drop Down" (or "Radio Buttons," or "Check Boxes") option and enter the necessary entries in the "Choices" field.

Note that each new entry should begin on a new line. No punctuation marks are required.

You can limit the number of characters, set display attributes, and configure the following properties for choices:

Allow new choices

This checkbox is accessible only when the "Drop Down" (Single Choice without None) option is chosen. Select the "Allow new choices" option if you want to allow users to create new entries in the list of choices.

Display choices in a single line

This checkbox is visible when the "Radio Buttons" (Single Choice without None) option or the "Check Boxes" (Multiple Choices) option is activated. When checked, the options are displayed in a single line.

Sort choices

This property allows a user to set additional attributes for choices in a text field. Select the "Sort choices alphabetically" option to present entries in alphabetical order.

When using a text column with choices for sorting in a view, the system always sorts values alphabetically. If you need to maintain a specific order, please add a prefix to the choice options to achieve the desired order.

Advanced Options

Colorization

To direct users’ attention to specific values, you can apply colorization based on whether the value contains certain text. More details are described in the Column Value Colorization section.

Validation

This option allows you to specify a pattern that will be used as a criterion for data entry validation. You can learn more in the Pattern Validation for Text section.

Help

When the Help text property is filled in, a question mark is displayed near the field name on the View/Edit form. If you hover over this question mark, a pop-up with a tip or a help text message will be shown.