Add and Configure Custom Fields

Configure custom fields to record information about a step, sample, or other Clarity LIMS component.

For example, you can:

• Use global fields to capture sample measurements and track information about projects.
• Use master step fields to record instrument settings and other details about a specific step.
• Configure automation scripts that populate custom fields or perform calculations at run time.
• Create groups of defaults—collections of prepopulated master step fields that eliminate the need for manual input of values at run time and make sure that the correct information is always recorded.

When adding custom fields, keep the following in mind:

• You cannot save a custom field until you have entered a name and selected a field type.
• You cannot create a custom field on a global field object or master step with the same name as an existing field on that object/master step. For example, if you have a created a global field called 'Description' on the Account object, you cannot create another global field called 'Description' on the Account object. However, you can create a 'Description' field on the Project object.
• If the field name you specify is the same as a field that has been deleted, the new field is created and the conflicting field name is renamed. Deleted fields do not display in the LIMS interface, but are saved in the database.
1. On the main menu, select Configuration.
2. On the configuration screen, select the Custom Fields tab.
3. On the Custom Fields configuration screen, select the Global Fields or Master Step Fields tab.
4. In the header of the global field object or master step for which you want to add a new field, select Add.
5. In the Field Details area, complete the required fields:
a. Type a name for the field.
b. Select the appropriate field type. See sections below for details.
6. Set the required field options:
• Required: If this field must be filled in, set this option to Yes. Otherwise, set to No.
• Read only: If you do not want the user to edit the field value at run time, set to Yes. To allow editing of the field at run time, set to No
7. The Field Options and Additional Options reflect the field type selected:
• Default (for nondrop-down field types only): If you would like to set a default value, enter the value here.
• Dropdown Items (for drop-down field types only):

To set a default item, add this value first and set the Set as Default toggle switch to Yes. You can only set the first item as the default, and you cannot reorder items after you have added them.

• Repeat to add more items to the list.
• To remove a list item, select the X button.
• If you do not specify any drop-down items, or if you specify only one item and set it as the default value, upon save, the field converts to its equivalent nondrop-down type and custom entries are enabled.
• Select Add and enter the first list item.
8. Complete other options, as required. See sections below for details.
9. Select Save. The new custom field is added to the bottom of the fields list. It is now available to be displayed on master step and/or step milestone screens.

For any field selected, the Field Details area displays the following information:

• The field name.
• The global field object (Derived Sample shown here), or the master step, with which the field is associated.
• The field type.
• The field options, that is, whether the field is:
– Required—If set to Yes, the field must be filled in.
– Read only—If set to Yes, the field cannot be edited at run time.
• The default value for the field, if set.
• For drop-down field types:
– The Default option is replaced with a Dropdown Items list.
– The first list item may be set as the default value for the field.

Additional options may also display, as described below. These differ depending on the field type. For example, the Range From and To fields only display for Numeric field types.

The following table describes the field types available for custom fields, and the additional options that apply to each type.

Custom Field Types and Additional Options

Field Type

Field Description

Additional Options

Text

Field in which to type a line of text.

Field length is only limited by the database field used to store it. PostgreSQL limit - 1 Gb, Oracle limit - 4000 characters.

Not applicable

Numeric

Field in which to type a number.
• Range From, To
• Decimal Places Displayed

Hyperlink

Field containing a link to a website URL. Select the link to open the URL in a web browser.

None

Text Dropdown

Field in which to select from a list of predefined text options.
• Custom Entries
• Dropdown Items

Numeric Dropdown

Field in which to select from a list of numbers.
• Custom Entries
• Dropdown Items
• Range From, To
• Decimal Places Displayed

Hyperlink Dropdown

Field in which to select from a list of website URLs. Select a link to open the URL in a web browser.
• Custom Entries
• Dropdown Items

Multiline Text

Field in which to type multiple lines of text.

Not applicable

Toggle Switch

A field to toggle between Yes and No values.
• None Set (Default)
• Yes
• No

Date

A calendar tool to select a date.

Not applicable

The Toggle Switch field type renders as a toggle switch on the Record Details screen.

Configuration options:

• Default value configured as Yes or No: When the screen displays, Yes or No is selected by default. User can select Yes or No.
• Default value configured as None Set: When the screen displays, neither Yes nor No is selected. User selects a value.
• Required: The field may be configured as a required field, even if the default value is None Set. When the user enters the screen, neither Yes nor No is selected, but a value must be selected.

The following table explains how to use the additional options associated with the Numeric, Numeric Dropdown, Text Dropdown, and Hyperlink Dropdown field types.

Field Types Additional Options Usage

Additional Options

Usage

Range From, To

Use to define the range within which numeric values must fall. At run time, the user is prevented from entering a number outside of the defined range.

Decimal Places Displayed

Use to specify the number of decimal places to display in a numeric field. This value is used for display purposes only. The field stores the value as input by the user or script.

Note: If the user edits the value of a Numeric field (or gives the field focus by selecting inside it), the value that displays— including the number of decimal places, is written to the database, overwriting the existing value. For this reason, we recommend that you increase the number of decimal places to display to ensure sufficient precision.

Dropdown Items

Use to create a list of options to select at run time.

Custom Entries

Use to control whether or not the user may enter a value at run time. If set to No, a value from the predefined drop-down list must be selected. If set to Yes, a value must be entered into the field.