Customizing Fields

You can edit and delete most fields in Vector HelpDesk. For example, if a field is the right data type and size, but has the wrong caption, you can change the caption. Similarly, you can replace some or all of the entries in choice lists.

Before customizing a project, you should familiarize with the fields, and determine:

    Which of the existing fields you can use as is, or by changing the label, choice table, or tab

    Which fields you need to add

    Which the existing fields you want to delete

You should also familiarize yourself with what you can and cannot do when editing fields.

You Can:

    Add new fields.

    Change field labels.

    Change the list of choices for a choice list and update the queries that test the choice values.

If you change the Progress choice list, you should either disable or update the default workflow rules because the default workflow is based on this list.

    Delete most fields.

To delete a field, you must first remove it from any queries, sorts, layouts, reports, and notification that use the field.

Before you delete a field, go through the different queries, sorts, layouts, reports, and notification conditions and either remove the field or delete the style.

    Create linked choice lists so that the contents of one list depends on a selection in another list.

    Move fields between tabs.

    Change tab names, and reorder the tabs.

    Disable fields (make read-only) either for all users or for specific user groups.

    Hide fields. Note that when you hide a field, it is hidden in all Web views.

You Cannot:

    Change field types.

For example, you cannot change a single choice field into a multi-choice field, or a Number field into a Text field.

    Change the field size.

For example, you cannot change the size of a text box from 20 to 30.

    Delete certain fields. Some fields, such as Owner, State, and Progress, cannot be deleted.

When you generate a Web view, you can choose not to include specific fields. So even if you cannot delete them, you can remove them from all views. Of course, the fields still take up space in your database.

    Use multi-choice lists in workflow rules.

    Use multi-choice lists in formulas, charts, or cross-tabs when building custom reports with Crystal Reports.

Notes

    If you need to change the type or the size of a field, the best thing to do is to copy the field and delete the original. When you copy a field, you can edit its type and size. Note that copying a field does not copy the stored data, and deleting a field destroys any stored data.

What Happens to Styles

Styles such as queries and reports are based on fields. For the most part, HelpDesk Admin automatically updates styles when you customize the fields, but there are some exceptions.

When you add a new field, you need to add it to the following reports:

    Current Issue - Detailed

Used to print the current issue in a Web view.

    Notification - Detailed Record, Notification - Summary

Used to format the contents or attachments to e-mail notification messages.

Notes

    In a Web view, these reports show only the fields exported to the view.

When you rename a field

When you change the label appearing on choice lists, HelpDesk Admin automatically updates any reports and layouts that use the field name as a title.

If you change just the Field Caption label, HelpDesk Admin does not update any reports and layouts that use the field name as a title.

If you rename a field such as the Progress field, you may want to rename any sorts, queries, and layouts whose names are based on the name of the field.

When you edit a choice list

If you delete a choice from a choice table (for example, Assigned from tblSubstate, the Progress choice table), then you have to update any queries that test the choice value. The same is true if you change the choice text (for example, from Assigned to Started).

You may also have to update custom reports that use the choice list. For example, when you change the choice text, custom reports that use a specified sort order add the new choice to the Others category.

You should also check the workflow rules if you edit the Progress choice list.

When you delete a field

Custom reports that use the deleted field do not display properly. For example, if a custom report uses the field for calculations, or as a chart axis, then deleting the field invalidates the report. In many cases the report still works, but the data does not make sense.

Related Topics

Editing Fields with the Field Editor

Editing Field Attributes in the Web View Editor

Planning