Managing Fields

Use the Application Designer page to view existing fields, create new fields, view field dependencies, and copy and delete existing fields.

On this page

View field properties

You can view field properties in 2 different ways.

  1. From the menu, clickAdmin menu> Application Builder > Applications.
  2. Select the application or questionnaire in which you want to view field properties.
  3. In the Layout tab, in the Objects panel, do 1 of the following:
    • Select a field and navigate to the Properties panel.
    • Click Enter fullscreen to maximize the Objects panel. In the Name column, click a field name to open maximized view of the Properties panel for that field.

Updating fields

Some field types allow you to set configuration options. For example, you can set a maximum value for a numeric field.

These field types are:

  • User Groups

  • Record permissions

  • Text

  • Numeric

  • Dates

  • Cross Reference and Related Records

  • Matrix

  • Attachment

  • External Link

  • Images

  • Values List

When you change the configuration options on any of the field types listed above, you must verify existing records match the new configuration values.

  1. Search for existing records for records with the old options.

  2. Update them using inline edit.

Copy fields

If you have create permissions to an application or questionnaire, you can copy the associated fields.

  1. From the menu, clickAdmin menu> Application Builder > Applications.
  2. Select the application or questionnaire with the field to copy.
  3. In the Layout tab, in the Data Fields section, click Ellipsis, and select Copy.
  4. Review each section, and make changes if necessary.

Show Dependencies

You can view details of field dependencies to manage tasks, such as field deletion, or field encryption.

  1. From the menu, clickAdmin menu> Application Builder > Applications.
  2. Select the application or questionnaire to view it's field dependencies.
  3. In the Layout tab, in the Data Fields section, click Ellipsis, and select Show Dependencies.

Delete fields

For basic and advanced field types, deleting a field also deletes all data previously stored in that field. When you delete a system field type, the field is deleted but the data is still stored in the system.

You cannot delete:

  • Fields that are used in an advanced workflow.
  • Key fields

When you delete a field that has trending enabled, all trending data associated with the field is deleted. An asynchronous cleanup job that runs once per day removes both expired trended data and any trended data for fields that the user has disabled trending. After deleting the field, the trending chart related to the field is replaced with a Placeholder layout object with the same span properties on the application layout.

  1. From the menu, clickAdmin menu> Application Builder > Applications.
  2. Select the application or questionnaire with the field to delete.
  3. In the Layout tab, in the Data Fields section, click Ellipsis, and select Delete.
  4. Review the warning and confirm.

  5. Note: Some fields in Archer applications may be locked, allowing administrators limited access. If the Delete option is deactivated, that field is locked and cannot be deleted. It is strongly recommended that you do not delete Tracking ID fields, even if Delete is enabled. By default, a Tracking ID is the key field for a record, and deleting it could impact related records.