LincDoc provides a rich set of field types to choose from. Setting the field types is a critical step in the forms setup process, because it will dictate how each field can be used in the DANG system.
TIP: the field types for all fields should be assigned very early on in the setup process, as changing field types later in an eForm can lead to confusing behavior, in particular when the field is used in calculations for other fields.
The field types fall into these basic categories:
strings/custom strings
numbers
dates/times
checkboxes
signatures
barcodes
upload files
Strings
text: alphanumeric entries such as names, addresses, etc.
text area: use this to capture larger text inputs, e.g., a field to type in comments; allows for multiple lines of input
Custom strings
codelist: codelists display as a drop down choice list to the user; see here for more detail
codelist-custom: same as a codelist, but also allows the user to type in a value that does not appear in the list
email: requires entering a string that matches an email address
phone number: for convenience, numbers can be typed with no dashes/punctuation and the system will format it automatically; for example, typing in 5855551212 the system will reformat it to (585) 555-1212.
social security number: similar to phone number, the SSN will reformat 111223333 to 111-22-3333
state: US state or territory
zip: US ZIP code
Numbers
currency: currency values (uses 2 digits after decimal place)
decimal: numeric with a decimal point
integer numeric entries only.
Dates/Times
date: gives the user access to a calendar widget. Dates are formatted as month/day/4 digit year.
time: the time field accepts and auto-converts abbreviated inputs; for example, entering 9a the system will convert this to 9:00 AM
Checkboxes
Checkboxes are not directly selectable as a field type. See here for details.
Signatures
See here for an in depth coverage of signature fields.
Barcode
Code 128, Code 39, and PDF 417 barcodes are supported; use a calculation to control the data going in to the barcode.
There are options also for orientation, alignment, and scaling. Generally the defaults are acceptable.
File upload
This allows users to upload a file.
NOTE: uploaded files are NOT inserted into the generated document, only the names of the files will show.