Types of Custom Fields

The ability to add custom fields gives you flexibility and power. You can add custom fields to user profiles, workspaces, and applications (both native and dynamic) to fit your business and organizational needs. For information on managing custom fields, including how to add them in PPM, see Managing Custom Fields.

The table below lists the field types available and where they are applicable. Not all field types are valid for every situation.

Note: When editing existing custom fields, when changing field types, you can only change from one field type to a similar type. (opens in pop-up window)

Field Type

Description

Options

Aggregate

Applies to: Workspaces.

A read-only field that displays a value "aggregated" from values of other fields. Aggregation calculation options are listed in the Options column.

The aggregate value displayed depends on the calculation you specify for the field and on options you select for source fields and source workspaces.

Note: Options vary, depending on the type of aggregate field selected.

Data Types (and Calculation options):

Currency creates a currency field and adds a currency symbol to the calculation.
Calculations:
Average calculates the average of the aggregated fields
Sum
Min
Max
Date creates a field that displays a date.
Calculations:
Min
Max
Date Time creates a field to display a date and time.
Calculations:
Min
Max
Decimal creates a number field with decimal places.
Calculations:
Average
Sum
Min
Max
Integer creates a field to display whole numbers.
Calculations:
Average
Sum
Min
Max

Note: The calculation that populates the custom field is defined in the Create Custom Field wizard or the Create Dynamic Application wizard.

Assignee

Applies to: Dynamic applications

Enables users to select members to whom items are assigned.

Note: A native Assignee field exists in the Tasks application. This is not the same as the custom Assignee field.

None

Calculation

Applies to:Workspaces, Users, Native applications, Dynamic applications.

A read-only field that displays the result of a calculation performed against other fields within the same Workspace, application, or user profile.

Note: Options vary, depending on the type of calculation field selected.

Options:

Select Standard to create a standard number field.
Select Currency to add a currency symbol to the calculation.
Select Percentage to add a % to the calculation.
Select Concatenation to create a field to store string concatenations of other custom fields and text. Available for workspace custom fields only.
Select Date Difference to create a field that displays the difference between two date fields. Not available as an option for dynamic applications.

Use 1000 Separator: Select this to use a separator in numeric values larger than 999. Note: The specific separator used depends on your user culture setting (for non-currency fields) or the enterprise currency setting (for currency fields).

Negative Format: Select the desired format for display of negative numbers in the calculation field.

Decimal Places: Specify the number of decimal places to which the calculation is displayed (not an option with concatenation or date difference fields).

Note: The calculation that populates the custom field is defined in the Create Custom Field wizard or the Create Dynamic Application wizard.

Count

Applies to: Workspaces

A read-only field that tallies the data in an application that meet user-defined criteria.

Count fields can tally data in the following types of application field:

Short text
Numeric
Date
Single-select pick list

To set up a count, select an operator and define a comparison value. The available operators varies by field type:

Short Text: Equal to, Not equal to, Contains, Does not contain, No value
Numeric: Equal to, Not equal to, Greater than, Greater than or equal to, Less than, Less than or equal to, No value
Date: On, Not on, After, Before, On or after, On or before, No value
Single-select Pick List: Equal to, Not equal to, No value

Create Date

Applies to: Dynamic applications.

Displays, in a read-only field, the date that an item was created.

None

Note:The system-generated Created On field duplicates this, but is not available in the workspace-level Item List.

Creator

Applies to: Dynamic applications.

Displays, in a read-only field, the name of the person who created an item.

None

Note: The system-generated Created By field duplicates this, but is not available in the workspace-level Item List.

Cross-Reference

Applies to: Native applications, Dynamic applications.

Displays a read-only field from another workspace-level application so that data does not need to be duplicated in multiple locations.

Note: If you delete a cross-referenced item, values in existing records will not be changed until you clear the field or choose a new value.

Application Type: Select an application from which to cross-reference a field.

Field to Reference: Select the cross-referenced field.

Note: To appear in the Field to Reference list, a field must be required and be a Decimal, Percent, Currency, Text, Hyperlink, or Integer type field.

Always Map To: Select the check box and a workspace to specify that the field is always referenced from the selected workspace.

Currency

Applies to: Workspaces, Users, Native applications, Dynamic applications.

Enables user to enter a currency value.

Default Value: Specifies the default value for the custom field.

Date

(note: called Short Date for dynamic applications)

Applies to: Workspaces, Users, Native applications, Dynamic applications.

Input field for user to select a date. User can manually type a date, or use the Date Picker to select a date.

Date is displayed in a format specified by your culture setting. The culture setting is a user-specific setting. For more information, see Editing Your User Settings.

Default Value: Specifies the default value for the field.

Type:

Select Date to create a date-only field.
Select Date and Time to create a date and time field.

Decimal

Applies to: Workspaces, Users, Native applications, Dynamic applications.

Input field for numbers that may include decimals.

Default Value: Specifies the default value for the field.

Decimal Places: Specifies the number of decimal places accepted in the field.

Use 1000 Separator: Select the check box to use a comma in values of 1000 or greater.

Negative format: Specifies whether to display negative values with a minus sign or in brackets.

Integer

Applies to: Workspaces, Users, Native applications, Dynamic applications.

Input field for whole numbers (no decimals).

Valid value: -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647

Default Value: Specifies the default value for the field.

Use 1000 Separator: Select the check box to use a comma in values of 1000 or greater.

Negative format: Specifies whether to display negative values with a minus sign or in brackets.

Item Number

Applies to: Workspaces, Dynamic applications.

Read-only field that displays an automatically generated number when an item is created

None

Member

(note: called Members for dynamic applications)

Applies to: Workspaces, Users, Dynamic applications.

Input field with a drop-down menu that lists all the active workspace members for the current Workspace. Users can select the name of a workspace member from the list.

None

Percent

Applies to: Workspaces, Users, Native applications, Dynamic applications.

Input field for numbers to be displayed with a % next to them. The numbers may include decimals.

Default Value: Specifies the default value for the field.

Decimal Places: Specifies the number of decimal places accepted in the field.

Use 1000 Separator: Select the check box to use a comma in the values of 1000 or greater.

Negative format: Specifies whether to display negative values with a minus sign or in parentheses

Pick List

Applies to: Workspaces, Users, Native applications, Dynamic applications.

Input field with a predefined list of values for selection. List contents are defined during field creation.

List Type:

Select Custom List to create a list whose options you define:

Single Select: Specifies a pick list that requires user to select one and only one option from the list.
Single Select With Values: Specifies a pick list that requires user to select one and only one option from the list, with each option associated with an integer value you configure.
Multiple Select: Specifies a pick list that allows user to select one or more options from the list.

Select Pre-defined List to create a list with pre-defined options.

Options: Specifies what is displayed for each option in the list. (Available for Custom Lists and edited Pre-defined lists.)

Pre-defined List: Specifies which pre-defined list to use. (Available only with Pre-defined lists.)

Options Preview: Shows you what options are displayed with each pre-defined list. (Available only with Pre-defined lists.)

Default: Specifies which option is the default option for the field. (Available with Custom lists and edited Pre-defined lists.)

Sorting Options: Specifies whether or not to sort the list, and if it is sorted, how to sort it. (Available with Custom lists and edited Pre-defined lists.)

Format: Specifies the format of the list, including how the user selects an option. (Available with Custom lists and edited Pre-defined lists.)

Radio Buttons: List is displayed with a radio button next to each option. User clicks a radio button to select an option.
Drop-down Menu: List is displayed as a drop-down menu. User selects an option from the menu. A "--" option is automatically added to the list when the list is created.
Check Boxes: List is displayed with check boxes next to each option. User selects one or more boxes to select options. (Available only with Multiple Select lists.)
Multi-Select Box: List is displayed as series of options. User clicks one or more options to select (CTRL-click if selecting multiple options). (Available only with Multiple Select lists.)

Workspace Item Number

Applies to: Workspaces

Displays, in a read-only field, the item number of the workspace.

None

Status

Applies to: Workspaces, Users, Native applications, Dynamic applications.

Input field with a predefined list of up to 10 items for selection. In list views, an icon is displayed that corresponds to the item selected. List contents and corresponding icons are defined during field creation.

None

Note: Status field options are defined in the Status Fields tab of the Create Dynamic Application wizard.

Text

Applies to: Workspaces, Users, Native applications, Dynamic applications.

Input field for 1 to 4000 text characters.

Default Value: Specifies the default value for the custom field.

Type:

Select Standard to create a standard text field with a maximum length of 100 characters.
Select Hyperlink to display text entered in the custom field as a hyperlink.
Select Long Text to create a long text field.
Length is configurable in dynamic applications, with valid length between 1 and 4000 (the default) characters.
Length for all other cases (long text NOT in dynamic applications) is fixed at 4000.

Note: Hyperlink custom text fields support hyperlinks but do not support other HTML formatting. Standard and Long Text text fields do not support HTML except in the workspace-level Task List and dynamic application Item List views. However, Standard and Long Text text fields in certain areas of PPM do support Markdown formatting to create display text for links. For more information, see Creating Display Text for Links.

Yes/No

Applies to: Workspaces, Users, Native applications or Dynamic applications.

Input field with either a check box indicating Yes, or a 2-item list with options for Yes and No.

Default Value: Specifies the default value for the field. Must be Yes or No.