glossary

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Fields are the information you want to track about your Items. These may be commonly referred to as “attributes”, “properties”, “columns” (as in a database table), “controls” (for the form components), and often just as “fields”.

Fields are the only necessary tool for saving or retrieving data elements in WorkXpress. A WorkXpress Field combines form elements, input masks, data types, storage methods, storage parts, search comparisons (aka parameters, operators), and display options into a single class of Building Block. Fields are relied upon by all other Building Block types when those Blocks are trying to interact with WorkXpress data.

In particular, a Field must always be associated with either an Item Type or a Relationship Type. The Fields themselves are the stored data, that is, the parameters/attributes about the associated Item Type or Relationship Type.

Most Field settings are global and apply everywhere the Field is found, but some are local.

“Fields” refers to one of the five fundamental Building Blocks. “Field Type” refers to a specific style of Field, for example “Number”, “Short Text”, or “Address”. “Field” refers to a specifc Field Type that was placed in a Layout and is now a part of the application. For example, a builder will put a “Field Type - Address” into a Layout and name this new Field “Billing Address”. “Data”, also “Value”, refers to the specific information stored within a Field about a particular item. For example, “222 Maple Lane” is the data stored in the “Billing Address” field associated with the item “Acme Company” (an Account).

“Creating” a Field refers to the act of adding a Field of some Type into an application.

There are three ways to create a Field:

1. Using the Block Creator Tool's Create tab to drag a Field Type onto a Layout
2. Using the Block Creator Tool's Reuse tab to choose an Item Type or Relationship Type whose Field you want to reuse. Then, drag that Field onto a Layout. (note: you havn't actually created a new Field in this case, you've simply reused an existing Field. This Field could display the same or different data than elsewhere, entirely dependent upon its context).
3. Using the Block Editor Tool for either an Item Type or Relationship Type. We will be adding a mechanism (Q1 2010) to add Fields to an Item Type or Relationship without having to place that Field into a Layout.

Note: Methods 1 and 2 above require the Field to be placed into a Layout. Method 3 will allow the creation of Fields that aren't nested in a Layout.

Wizard Questions vary by Field Type. Please see the individual Field Type for details.

Automations vary by Field Type. Please see the individual Field Type for details.

A Field is always “associated with” either an Item Type or a Relationship Type (aka Item Association), and an actual data element is always “about” a specifc item or relationship of the appropriate type (aka Context). For example, in an application the “Account Website” field is associated with the “Account” item type; therefore, a user will create “www.workxpress.com” (a Field) which is about “WorkXpress” (an Account).

Put differently, whereas a Field is always associated with an Item Type or Relationship Type, a data element contained within a Field is always about a specific Item or Relationship. The former is created by the application builder; the latter by the application user.

The distinction is important because Item Association is about defining the application structure, whereas Context is about knowing how to retrieve data. It is possible for a Field to be associated with a particular Item Type, but to have context from an Item of a different Item Type; hence the distinction.

This Item Association enables the Query Builder Tool to facilitate easy development of data queries across complex Relationships. One uses the Query Builer to develop structures that access specific Fields. At runtime, context is then provided to enable retrieval of elements of data that meet the criteria defined by the Query Builder.

Some Field Types are very simple in nature. For example, “Field Type - Short Text” takes whatever value is entered and stores it in a single location. However, some Field Types are complex; “Field Type - Address” takes the value entered, separates its components, and stores it in muliple special locations; “Street”, “City”, “State”, “Zip”.

Field parts can always be accessed as a group, or separately, depending on the business need. Field parts always vary based on the specific Field Type.

Here is a list of Fields with links to greater depth information:

Address Autonumber Bar Code Calendar Checkbox Currency (US)

Date Date and Time Email Address Evaluated Field Field Grid

File Attachment HTML Content Item Picker - Pick Many

Item Picker - Pick One Item Picker - Select Many Item Picker - Select One

Layout Chooser Link Long Text Number Phone Number Select Many

Select One Short Text Social Security Number Time URL

Each Field Type may have unique form elements–some simple, some complex. “Field Type - Short Text” presents a simple label and entry area to the user. “Field Type - Address” presents a multi-part form Field to the user, in anticipation of identifying the Field parts. The “Field Type - Date/Time” Field Type presents both a calendar chooser as well as hour and minute entry areas, and finally an AM/PM select box.

Form elements always vary based on the Field Type.

Using the Expression Builder Tool, there will commonly be multiple options for how to output the data found in a Field. The display options always vary by Field Type. Some are simple, and some are more complex. For example, a “Field Type - Date” is stored as a numeric string that is not easily legible by the average user. When retrieving a date for use in an expression, a more human-readable format is desired. The Expression Builder presents options for outputting the date such as “MM-DD-YYYY” or “month only”.

All expressions are given the option to output a result as “plain text” or “html”, however, this is NOT a Display Option characteristic of Fields.

Each different Field Type is uniquely assigned a set of available search comparisons by WorkXpress. These search parameters may be simple or complex. Some examples:

A Short Text Field allows searching “is”, “contains” and “starts with”, among other examples. A Number Field allows searching “is greater then” and “is less then”, among other examples. A Date Field allows searching “last week”, “this month” and “this year to date” among other examples.

(more)

Fields may operate in one of three possible modes, view, edit or add. Field modes are generally dictated by the parent Layout, however can remain independent of that Layout in some cases (see Field Settings).

Full Field Security, which enables complete independence of the Field from the Layout, is a planned feature. Post here if you need this feature now!

All Field settings are accessed from the Block Editor Tool. There are two ways to access this Tool for a given Field;

1. Navigate in context to the Field in the application, by finding its page and Layout. Click on the orange Fields block next to the Field you wish to edit. Using this method, all Field settings will be “in context”, meaning that the settings will contain values true and accurate to the point in the application you are currently at.
2. In the Block Creator Tool's Reuse tab, choose the Item Type or Relationship Type with which your Field is associated, find the Field in the ensuing results list, and then click the edit wrench next to the Field. In this case, the Field may not be “in context”, meaning that the settings may contain nonsensical values or, in some cases, no values at all.

Fields have two classes of settings; common settings, and Field Type Specific settings. In addition, some settings are global, and apply everywhere this Field is found, whereas some are local, and only apply in one specific placement of the Field. Some settings are dependent on the type of Layout in which the Field is nested. Each Field Type's specific settings will clarify whether a certain setting is global, Layout local, or Layout Type local.

• Global Settings - the value entered for the setting applies everywhere this Field is found. If changed in one Layout, it will be changed for all Layouts globally.
• Local Settings - the value entered for the setting only applies for this Field in this Layout. If the same Field is placed in a different Layout, this value will not exist there. If this value is changed for one Layout, it will not be changed for any other Layouts.
• Layout Type Settings - Could contain either Global or Local Settings; however, these settings only apply in the context of certain types of Layouts. For example, “column width” only applies if the Field is acting as a column header.

Most Field Types share the following common settings tabs:

• About Me
• Labels and Tooltip
• Values and Auditing
• List and Columns (for use in a list layout only)
• Grid Settings (for use in a grid only)

All other settings are specific to their Field Types, and described relative to them.

Some of the most interesting settings are specific to the type of Field that they are associated with:

• Checkbox Settings
• URL Settings
• Email Settings
• Link Settings
• HTML Area Settings
• File Attachment Settings
• Evaluated Field Settings
• Currency and Number Settings
• Autonumber Settings
• Long Text Settings
• Length and Height Settings
• Bar Code Settings