You can add custom fields to any page type, to record additional items of data — such as dates, numbers, or look-ups — with each page of the type. These fields can then be used:

  • to organize the pages in the menu
  • to trigger notifications

To display the custom properties for a page type

  1. Navigate to the listing page for the page type:
    • If the page type has been added to the menu as a listing, select the lheading in the menu, or
    • select Page types from the Action drop down, then select the page type.
  2. Select Custom properties from the action drop down.
  3. Click a custom property to display and edit is values.

To add a new custom property

  1. Navigate to the listing page for the page type:
    • If the page type has been added to the menu as a listing, select the lheading in the menu, or
    • select Page types from the Action drop down, then select the page type.
  2. Select New custom property from the action drop down.
  3. Enter the values as explained below.

Label

This is the text displayed to the left of the value when viewing or editing the page. 

Field type

Select the type of value to be stored or displayed for this field. Note that changing the type of an existing field will usually clear any existing data stored in that field.

Description

Enter an explanation of the field. This description is not seen by normal users: it is intended only for the benefit of system managers, for example to explain why the field is needed.

Comment

Enter an explanation of the field to be seen by normal users. This is the text displayed to the right of the value when viewing or editing the page.

Display

Select how the field should be displayed when viewing the page: above the content, below the content, or not displayed at all. 


The further settings depend on the field type selection


Listing width

Default column width when displaying this value in a listing of items

Placeholder

Prompt text to display in the input field until a value is added

Required

If selected, user must provide a value.

Length

Maximum length for text values

Yes/No value

Use this for a boolean or checkbox value.

Label - no

Text to display if the option is not selected

Label - yes

Text to display if the option is not selected

Use slider

Use a slider control for editing the value. If not selected a checkbox is used.

Datetime value

Use this for dates and times. When editing, a calendar popup is used, and a time selection list if Use time is selected. The value will be displayed using the date and time formats selected in System settings.

Use time

Include the time value when editing and displaying the value

Plain text

Use this for unformatted text in one or more lines. For a single line of text, use Name or Title.

Email address

Use this if the value must be a validly formatted email address.

Name

Use this for controlled text such as IDs and labels that have significance outside Phrontex.

Unique

If selected, the value entered must be unique amongst draft and approved pages of this type.

Number

Use this for any type of number, including currency.

Decimals

Enter the maximum number of digits that may go after the decimal place. This governs the precision of the value stored, not the display format.

Digits

Enter the total number of digits, including decimals.

Maximum
Minimum

Enter the maximum and minimum permitted values. If omitted, the number range is limited by the number of digitis and decimals.

Display format

Enter a template to format the number for display:

  • ‘#,###’ to insert thousands separators
  • ‘#,###.00’ to specify the number of decimal places
  • ‘0000’ or ‘0,000’ to zero-pad the number, with or without thousands separators. Add zeros for the total length you want.
  • ‘(#,###) to display negative values in parentheses instead of with a leadng minus sign.
  • ‘+#,###’ to display a leading sign for both positive and negative numbers
  • Add one, two, or three commas at the end of the integer portion to display the value in thousands, millions, or billions.

Advanced formatting

If the template begins with ‘%’ it is interpreted as a printf format, for which there are numerous guides on the web. Some of the more common:

  • %b — binary
  • %e — exponential
  • %o — octal
  • %x — hexadecimal

Page property

Use this to display an internal property of the page. These property values are always available anyway, through the approval tag displayed below the page, or through the page properties and page history screens; however it is sometimes useful or necessary to display the value prominently within the body of the page itself. For example, if the page type is a report that personnel can submit, it may be useful to display the name of the person who created the report, and the date and time at which they did so. This may be particularly important if the report must be communicated as a PDF, to users who do not have access to the system.

These properties cannot be edited and are not displayed when editing the page.

Page property

  • Created by: name of user who created this page
  • Date created: date and time of page creation
  • First approved by: name of user who first approved this page
  • Date first approved: date and time of first approval
  • Last approved by: name of user who most recently approved this page
  • Date last approved: date and time of most recent approval
  • Page ID: ID number of this page
  • Page version ID: version ID of this page
  • Page URL: URL for this page

Note: Page ID and Page version ID numbers are sequential across all pages and versions in the system, covering all page types. While these values are unique to the page, they are not suitable as serial numbers for pages of a single type because there will be gaps in the series.

Selection

Use this if the value is a selection from a list of options.

Source type

Select the type of list from which to select: Page type, Standard list, or Custom list. See below.

Multi-select

Specify if the user may select more than one item.

Text for no selection

Enter the text to be displayed when viewing the page, if no value has been selected.

Select element style

There are two selection styles:

  • simple: normal drop-down displaying the options as a single list
  • advanced: the drop-down has a search field that may be used to help find the required item

By default, the advanced style is used if there are enough options that searching will be easier than scanning the list. Sometimes it is better to force one or other style, for example to make the field consistent with other fields.

Page type

Select from

Select the page type from which to select.

If the page type is the same as the page type to which this custom property is added, this can be used to create a hierarchy of pages within the type (such as the organization chart hierarchy in the Positions page type).


Standard list

Source list

Select the list from which to select


Custom list

Source options

Enter the options from which to select, in the form:

10: label 1
20: label 2

  • You can use any integers for the values before the colons. 
  • The options are displayed to the user in the order they are entered in the list (not in numerical order by value). You can re-arrange the list and insert new items, as you need.
  • The items do not need to be in numerical order.
  • You can change the labels at any time without losing data.

Phone number

Use this if the entered value should be a phone number. Some browsers provide editing support and validation for this type of data. On browsers that do not support this type, the value is handled as plain text.

Title

Use this for a longer single line of text, similar to a page title.

URL

Use this if the entered value should be a url. Some browsers provide editing support and validation for this type of data. On browsers that do not support this type, the value is entered as plain text. The value will be displayed as a hyperlink.