Configure Custom Fields: Special Control Types

Special - Button, Special - Browser Script, and Special - Web Page View custom fields support advanced configuration beyond their basic settings in SmartSimple. A Special - Button custom field opens a target page in a modal window, a new tab, or the same window. A Special - Browser Script custom field totals the values of a dynamic custom field. A Special - Web Page View custom field can append stored PDF documents to its output, generate a PDF automatically, or enable editing for minor formatting corrections before the document is generated. For more information, see Custom Fields: Special Control Types Settings Reference.

Who: Global administrators

When to Use Custom Fields: Special Control Types

Use Special Control Types when:

• A special control field needs behavior beyond its basic settings.
• A Special - Button fits a record that needs a button to open a profile, a grid, or a new record.
• A Special - Browser Script fits a form that must total repeated values.
• PDF attachment, automatic PDF generation, and one-time formatting edits fit a Special - Web Page View custom field used to produce documents.

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Create a Special - Button Custom Field

A Special - Button custom field opens a target page in the same window, a new tab, or a modal window when it is activated.

To create a Special - Button custom field:

1. Click the Menu icon in the upper navigation bar, and then select the relevant UTA/module from the Applications drop-down menu.
2. Click the Configuration Settings gear.
3. Click the relevant Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 tab.
4. Locate the General Settings section and click Custom Fields.
    
5. Click the New Field [+] button.
6. Click the Field Type field and select Special - Button from the drop-down menu.
    
7. Click the Caption field and enter the applicable information.
8. Locate the URL field and click the URL Lookup [binoculars] icon.
   • A URL Lookup modal will open. 
9. Enter the relevant information in the URL Lookup modal, and click Apply.
10. Locate the Open in field and click the applicable option.
    • Click Main Window to open the object and replace the current content.
    • Click Modal Window to open the object in an overlay above the current content.
    • Click New Tab to open the object in the Tab Bar at the bottom of the page.
11. Click the Confirmation Message field and add text to present a custom message before the target opens.
    • For example, a message is appropriate when the button redirects the user away from a page that may have unsaved changes.
    • This field is optional.

12. Locate the Display Section and the Caption Location field and click the applicable option.
    • Click No Caption to align the button to the left of the record without a caption.
13. Click the Button Label field and add the text to appear on the button.
14. Click the Icon Style field and select a style from the drop-down menu.
    • This field is optional.
15. Click the Icon field and select the applicable icon.
    • Icons are positioned to the left of the button label text.
    • This field is optional.
16. Click the Tool Tip or Instructions field and enter the applicable information to provide additional context.
    • These fields are optional.
       
17. Click the Permissions & Availability tab and set the applicable permissions, and then click Save.

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Sum a Dynamic Custom Field with a Special - Browser Script

Summing a dynamic custom field requires three custom fields: a Text Box - Text Single Line custom field to store the total, a Special - Browser Script custom field to run the calculation, and the Dynamic Data - Dynamic Control Field being totaled. Place two of the fields before the dynamic custom field, using a smaller display order, and place the third field within the dynamic custom field. For example, if the dynamic custom field has a display order of 2050, the two preceding fields must use a smaller display order, such as 2045 and 2047.

Create a Text Box Field

To create a Text Box - Text Single Line custom field:

1. Click the Menu icon in the upper navigation bar, and then select the relevant UTA/module from the Applications drop-down menu.
2. Click the Configuration Settings gear.
3. Click the relevant Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 tab.
4. Locate the General Settings section and click Custom Fields. 
5. Click the New Field [+] button.
6. Click the Field Type field and select Text Box - Text Single Line from the drop-down menu.
   • This field stores the total. Note its Field ID, which appears in the List View on the Custom Fields page.
7. Complete the applicable fields, and then click Save. See the Special - Browser Script section in Custom Fields: Special Control Types Settings Reference.

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Create a Special - Browser Script Field

To create a Special - Browser Script custom field:

1. Click the Menu icon in the upper navigation bar, and then select the relevant UTA/module from the Applications drop-down menu.
2. Click the Configuration Settings gear.
3. Click the relevant Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 tab.
4. Locate the General Settings section and click Custom Fields. 
5. Click the New Field [+] button.
6. Click the Field Type field and select Special - Browser Script from the drop-down menu.
    
7. Click the Custom Script field and add the following script.
   • Replace xxxxxx with the Field ID of the Text Box - Text Single Line custom field.

//Set the field that stores the total to read only
document.frmevent.cf_xxxxxx.readOnly=true;
//Take the value of the passed in field and add it to the total sum.
function addTotal(valuetxt,index)
{
 // if the index is equal to 1 then reset the sum value to zero
 if (index == 1 )
 document.frmevent.cf_xxxxxx.value=0;
 //update the value
 document.frmevent.cf_xxxxxx.value = parseFloat(document.frmevent.cf_xxxxxx.value) + parseFloat(valuetxt);
}

8. Complete the applicable fields, and then click Save. See the Special - Browser Script section in Custom Fields: Special Control Types Settings Reference.

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Edit the Dynamic Data - Dynamic Control Field

To edit the Dynamic Data - Dynamic Control Field:

1. Click the edit [pencil] icon next to the Dynamic Data - Dynamic Control Field.
2. Create a new sub field, click the Field Type field, and then select Special - Browser Script.
3. Click the Custom Script field and add the following script.
   • Replace xxxxx1 with the Field ID of the dynamic custom field, and replace xxxxx2 and xxxxx3 with the Field IDs of the fields to total.

var expenseCF = new Array('cf_xxxxx1', 'cf_xxxxx2', 'cf_xxxxx3');
var i = 0;
var number = eval("document.frmevent."+ expenseCF[0] + ".value;");
number = parseInt(number);
for (i = 1; i <= number; i++)
{
 var valuetxt = eval("document.frmevent."+ expenseCF[i] + ".value;");
 if (valuetxt != undefined)
 { //Call the function addTotal so that it adds the sum together
 addTotal(valuetxt,i);
 }
}

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Attach PDFs to a Web Page View Custom Field Output

A Special - Web Page View custom field can append one or more PDF documents, stored in a file field or SmartFolder, to its output using ssattach. Attached PDFs appear only when the output is generated as a PDF, and they do not appear in HTML preview mode.

To attach a PDF to the output:

1. Click the Menu icon in the upper navigation bar, and then select the relevant UTA/module from the Applications drop-down menu.
2. Click the Configuration Settings gear.
3. Click the relevant Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 tab.
4. Locate the General Settings section and click Custom Fields. 
5. Click the New Field [+] button.
6. Click the Field Type field and select Special - Web Page View from the drop-down menu.
    
7. Locate the HTML Template field and click SmartFields Sample Template.
   • Add an ssattach tag where the PDF should appear, setting the position to before or after and the location to a Smart Folder path, a single file custom field, a multiple files custom field, or a parent field reference.
8. Complete the remaining applicable fields, and then click Save. See the Special - Web Page View section in Custom Fields: Special Control Types Settings Reference.

Example

The following tag appends a Smart Folder PDF before the Web Page View custom field content:

<!--@ssattach(before;/files/1234/123/myfile.pdf)-->

Example

The following tag appends a PDF from a single file custom field named AttachPDFFile:

<!--@ssattach(before;@AttachPDFFile.value@)-->

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Generate PDF Output Automatically from a Web Page View Custom Field

A Special - Web Page View custom field can generate PDF output without the user clicking Export as PDF.

To generate PDF output automatically:

1. Click the Menu icon in the upper navigation bar, and then select the relevant UTA/module from the Applications drop-down menu.
2. Click the Configuration Settings gear.
3. Click the relevant Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 tab.
4. Locate the General Settings section and click Custom Fields. 
5. Click the New Field [+] button.
6. Click the Field Type field and select Special - Web Page View from the drop-down menu.
    
7. Locate the HTML Template field and click SmartFields Sample Template.
8. Add the following script at the end of the source.

<script language="javascript">
parent.pdfwrite();
</script>

9. Complete the remaining applicable fields, and then click Save. See the Special - Web Page View section in Custom Fields: Special Control Types Settings Reference.

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Edit a Web Page View Custom Field Output

A Special - Web Page View custom field can include an editing option that provides an editable, simplified version of the output for one-time formatting or text corrections before the document is generated.

Enable Edits on a Web Page View Custom Field from a UTA/Module

To enable editing on a Special - Web Page View custom field for a UTA/module:

1. Click the Menu icon in the upper navigation bar, and then select the relevant UTA/module from the Applications drop-down menu.
2. Click the Configuration Settings gear.
3. Click the relevant Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 tab.
4. Locate the General Settings section and click Custom Fields.
5. Click the edit [pencil] icon next to the applicable Special - Web Page View custom field.
6. Locate the Document section, toggle Enable Editing on, toggle Open Directly as PDF off, and click Save.

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Enable Edits on a Web Page View Custom Field from Global Settings

To enable editing on a Special - Web Page View custom field from Global Settings:

1. Click the System Administration gear in the upper navigation bar, and then select Global Settings.
2. Click the relevant tab.
   • Custom fields are located on the Organizations, User, Associations, and Transactions tabs.
3. Locate the General Settings section and click Custom Fields.
4. Click the edit [pencil] icon next to the applicable Special - Web Page View custom field.
5. Locate the Document section, toggle Enable Editing on, toggle Open Directly as PDF off, and click Save.
    

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Make Edits on a Web Page View Custom Field Output

Editing must be enabled for a Special - Web Page View custom field before its output can be edited directly from the record, prior to generating the document.

To edit a Special - Web Page View custom field output:

1. On the record, click the relevant button for the Special - Web Page View custom field.
   • Special Web Page View custom fields typically appear as buttons. Thee caption entered in the field settings becomes the button name.
   • A new window opens.
2. Click the Edit button in the top-left corner. 
   • A rich text editor opens.
3. Modify font styles, text size, spacing, and other formatting options as needed.
4. Click Preview to review the changes before generating the document.
    
5. Click the relevant button to save the edited Web Page View custom field as a PDF or DOCX.
   • The generated PDF or DOCX can be exported.
      

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