Add Elements to a Form

Modified on Wed, 10 Sep at 10:29 PM

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Form Elements
Adding an Element to a Form
Element Types
Additional Fields by Element Type
Auto-Populating Fields

Form Elements

Admin users can populate a form with data elements that must be completed by end users within the system. Elements define the type of information to be collected, how it is displayed, and what rules apply to input and validation.

Adding an Element to a Form

To add an element:

Navigate to the Admin Tools area.
Select the form you want to add the element to.
Click Add Element.
Complete the following standard details:

Label – The element label displayed to the end user.
Type – Select the element type. (See below for information on Element Types.)
Allow Filter – (Checkbox) Allows the metadata chosen to be used for filtering by end users (e.g., a Countrydrop-down can be used as a search filter).
Allow Clone – Enables fields at both the Project and the Item levels to be copied across. Works with groups and grids as well.
Prompt Text – Placeholder text shown before the user enters a value.
Help Text – Tooltip guidance for the user.
Prefix – Text shown before the input (e.g., “$” for currency).
Default Value – Pre-populated default value (string, number, date).
Mandatory – (Checkbox) Requires the end user to complete this element.
Globally Unique – Ensures values entered here are unique across all forms of this type (e.g., unique usernames).
Error Text – Message displayed when input is invalid.
Width – Defines form layout (100%, 50%, 33%, or 25%).
Specified Width – For grid columns, width can be set in pixels.
Style (Grid Columns) – Background color formatting.
Text Align (Grid Columns) – Left, center, or right alignment.
Task Milestone – Map the element to project milestones dynamically.
Milestone Name/Number – Define the milestone name/number. If not set manually, system defaults (1, 2, 3, …) are used.

Element Types

The table below outlines available element types. Additional configuration fields may appear depending on the type selected.

Field Type	Description
Text	Single-line text entry field.
Text Area	Multi-line text entry field.
Number	Input field with numeric validation.
Calculation	Performs calculations across multiple fields.
Date	Calendar picker for date selection.
Email	Input validated as an email address.
URL	Input validated as a web address.
Checkbox	Multi-select checkboxes.
Radio Button	Single-select radio options.
Drop Down	Single-select drop-down list.
Instruction	Form titles/instructions to guide users. Supports limited HTML tags: `<hr>` for a line, `<br>` for a line break.
File	Allows file upload. Extensions and size can be configured.
User	Dropdown of users in the application (can filter by groups).
Group	Dropdown of groups created in User Manager.
Linked Form	Link to another project’s form.
Linked Item	Pull values (e.g., Project Title, Start/End Date) from another form.
Form Code	Auto-generates an incremental project number.
Pattern (Expert use only)	Input must match a regular expression.
WYSIWYG Text Area	Rich-text entry with formatting.
Attribute Tree	Links to attribute trees configured in Attribute Manager.
Form ID	Displays Project ID (I_Node). View mode only.
Form Status	Displays Form Status. View mode only.
DB Text Validation	Validates input against an attribute list.
Colour Picker	Enables color selection.
Attribute Matrix	Links to a configured attribute matrix.
Matrix Input	Defines values based on prior selections.
Matrix Output	Outputs defined values, with configurable height.

Additional Fields by Element Type

Depending on the element chosen above, the following additional configuration may be available:

Columns (Checkbox/Radio) – Defines the number of columns displayed.
Option Source – Source of selectable values (attribute manager).
Options – Manual options (one per line).
Other Option Label – Prompts users to add an “Other” option.
Auto Add Other Value – Automatically adds “Other” values to the attribute list.
Form Element / Variables (Calculation) – Define variables and equations for calculations.
Form, Search Data View (Linked Form) – Drop-down list of all other projects available to link to.
Form Field/Location/Behavior (Linked Item) – Select a field to link to from another form type.
Max File Size / Allowed File Extension (File) – Define upload rules.
User Group / Hide Current User (User) – Refine user selection.
Access / Group Tags / My Groups (Group) – Control group visibility and permissions.
Pattern Error Message – Custom error for invalid inputs.
Attribute Trees / Labels – Configure attribute tree display.
Element Height (Matrix Output) – If the element selected is Matrix Output AND the width is set to 100%, an option called ‘Element Height (for Matrix Outputs)’ will open to set the number of lines the output can appear over. By default, this is set to one, but can be up to five.

Auto-Populating Fields

It is possible to auto-populate a form field with combined values from two or more other fields.

To configure:

Add a Calculation field.
Wrap the calculation in double quotes ("") to ensure it is treated as a string, not a numeric expression.
Reference other fields or add text directly.

This allows you to dynamically build text strings across multiple fields within the same form.