About the Field Editor

Before you start recording and tracking issues, you probably need to customize some of the fields used to collect and display information. For example, the Problem Area and Priority fields should list choices that correspond to your organization's terminology and environment.

You may want to delete unused fields, add new fields to track additional information, or add new tabs. For example, you may want to add a tab for hardware configuration details.

HelpDesk Admin provides a Field Editor for editing fields. To open this editor, click Field Editor on the Project menu. The Field Editor allows you to edit field definitions, but to export fields to Web views use the Web View Editor.

Editing Fields

Click a field in the Field list to edit, copy, rename, or delete the field. The Field list contains all the fields defined in the project.

The buttons beside the Field list allow you to create new fields or copy, delete, or edit the selected field.

Destination Tab

Tabs allow you to group sets of related fields.

Labels

A field has two labels. One label is the field name, which appears in choice lists such as the Field list in any of the HelpDesk Admin editors. The other label is the caption that appears beside the field in a Web view.

Data

Under Data, you specify what type of input the field accepts: text, dates, times, numbers, yes/no values, or choices from a list.

The choices displayed in a choice list field are defined in a choice table. To edit and create choice tables, click the browse graphics/bEdit.png button adjacent to the Table Containing Choices list.

Field Is

The Field Is check boxes give you control over how the field behaves in a Web view. Required fields cannot be left blank. Visible fields appear in a Web view, instead of being hidden. Enabled fields accept user input, while disabled fields are read-only (they display data but do not accept user input).

The Read-Only For list specifies which user groups cannot edit the field.

Show in Choice Lists

This check box controls whether you can use the field to build queries, reports, and other styles.

Maintain Revision History

This check box controls whether Vector HelpDesk tracks revisions to the field, and whether you can use the field for update notifications (update notifications are generated when the value of a field changes).

Applying Changes

To apply changes to fields, HelpDesk Admin must log off the users who are logged on to Web views of the project.

Related Topics

Customizing Fields

Setting Default Values for Fields

Adding Fields

Editing Choice Lists

Removing Fields

Working with Tabs