Text Field Component

Estimated Reading Time:  4 minutes

Overview

The Text Field component is part of the core range of input components. Next to Buttons, text input components like Text Field and Text Area, are some of the most-frequently used inputs.

Text Field components display alphanumeric values that can fit on a single line. Use a Text Field component for short-form information, like allowing end-user End-Users are the individuals accessing an application through Express View. In most cases, end-users are the customers using the product.'s to enter their name. You can also use a Text Field component to display values another component passes to it.

Text Fields are perfect for short but open-ended responses. For example, use a Text Field to collect your end-user's name. It's impossible to create a list of names to cover everyone who might use your application, so it's best to use a Text Field. This lets your end-user type their name while still limiting the length of their response. A Text Field component only occupies a single text line when placed in a column.

The Text Field component allows for alphanumeric responses (both letters and numbers). But keep in mind that Unqork also has a dedicated Number component. So, use a Text Field when responses might use only letters or combinations of letters and numbers. A Number component is better when collecting something like your end-user's age. And, if you can narrow down your end-user's options, you might use a Dropdown, Radio Buttons, or Date Input component.

Here are some common examples of when to use the Text Field component:

  • To collect an end-user's data, such as their first and last names.

  • As an input for end-users to answer a question.

  • To display data pulled from another part of the module.

You can find the component under the Primary Fields group to the left of the Module Editor.

What You'll Learn

After completing this article, you’ll know when to use a Text Field component, how to configure its settings, and how to use it in an Unqork application.

About the Configuration Window

Once you drop a component onto the Module Editor canvas, the following settings windows display:

General

A static image displaying the layout of the Text Field component configuration window.

Setting

Description

Property ID

A Property ID is the unique field ID used by Unqork to track and link components in your module.

The Property ID is how the software identifies your component. Using Property IDs lets you link components, creating logic-based configurations and API APIs (application programming interfaces) are a set of protocols and definitions developers use to build and integrate application software. APIs act as the connective tissue between products and services. calls.

Property IDs must use camel case A naming convention for computer programming. Use camelCase for Property IDs, for example: newUser, lastName, & rdoButton. (stylized as camelCase) without spaces or punctuation.

(ON)/ (OFF)

The component is active and visible in Express View Express View is how your end-user views you application. Express View also lets you preview your applications to test your configuration and view the styling. After configuring a module, click Preview in the Module Editor to interact with the module in Express View. While active, other components and processes can reference your component.

Setting the toggle to Toggle Off icon (OFF) makes your component inactive. Other components and processes cannot reference your component while it's inactive.

By default, the Active toggle is set to Toggle On Icon (ON).

Notes

Select this tab to display the component's Notes area. You can use notes to keep your teammates informed.

The Notes editor offers a semi-WYSIWYG (What You See is What You Get) content editor. Built to look like a word processor, this editor lets you create, edit, and format your notes. Notes save when saving the component.

Display Icon Display

Select this tab to manage your component's display settings.

Data Icon Data

Select this tab to manage your component's data settings.
Actions Icon Actions

Select this tab to manage your component's actions settings.

Validation Icon Validation

Select this tab to manage your component's validation settings.

Advanced Icon Advanced

Select this tab to manage your component's advanced settings.

Permissions Icon Permissions

Select this tab to see the RBAC RBAC (Role-Based Access Control) is a method to control system access for authorized users. The role in RBAC refers to the levels of access employees have to a network. (role-based access control) settings of the component.

Field Tag Icon Field Tags

Assign components one-word labels to help organize, identify, and group the components in your application.

Consider an example from the API Specification Snippet: Field Tags are applied to Hidden components in the panelRequest and panelResponse Panels. The Field Tags identify the data type of parameters included in the API APIs (application programming interfaces) are a set of protocols and definitions developers use to build and integrate application software. APIs act as the connective tissue between products and services. request and response. The API Docs Dashboard tool populates with information about each parameter’s data type, identified by the Field Tag.

Field Tags act as a type of Property ID A Property ID is the unique field ID used by Unqork to track and link components in your module. group and let you group components for configuration purposes. Field Tags let you target two or more components using a simple logic component.

For example, add the Field Tag tagForDecision to multiple components in your module. Open the Inputs table of a Decisions component and reference the tagForDecision Field Tag as the input of the Decisions component. The output of the Decisions component then affects all components with the tagForDecision Field Tag.

Save your Field Tags by pressing Enter (Return) or adding a comma after each entry.

Shortcuts Icon Shortcuts

Select this tab to open the list of supported keyboard shortcuts you can use in the component settings modal. Keyboard shortcuts include:

  • Cmd + S (Mac) / Ctrl + S (PC): Save and close the component settings modal.

  • Cmd + G (Mac) / Ctrl + G (PC): Opens a search window to find specific fields and settings in the component settings modal.

  • Tab: Tab to the next field or setting in the component settings modal. This keyboard shortcut tabs left to right and top to bottom.

  • Shift + Tab: Tab to the previous field or setting in the component settings modal. The keyboard shortcut tabs from right to left and bottom to top.

  • Enter (Return): When tabbing to a Tooltip Icon (tooltip), press Enter (Return) to display the field or setting tooltip. Press Enter (Return) again to hide the tooltip.

Additional keyboard shortcuts:

  • Drop-down menus: When you Tab to a settings drop-down, use the keyboard's Up-Arrow Icon (up)/ Down-Arrow icon (down) arrows to make a selection. Then, press Enter (Return) to confirm the selection.

Documentation IconDocumentation

Select this tab to access the component documentation in Unqork's In-Product Help.

Cancel

Click this button to undo any unsaved configuration changes and return to the canvas.

Save & Close

Click this button to save all settings as configured and return to the canvas.

Display Panel

A static image dispaying the Text Field component's Display settings.
(click to expand image)

Field Text

Setting

Description

Label Text

Label Text conveys what the input component is and what information it displays. Enter the purpose of the corresponding component or field.

User-friendly labels make your module more accessible. Keep labels short and descriptive (a word or two) using title case. For longer entries, use sentence case.

Placeholder Text

A short prompt telling end-users the expected value of an input field. For example: Enter your Social Security Number. Placeholder Text displays inside the input field until the end-user begins an entry.

Prefix

Alphanumeric characters append to the start of the value entered in the field. If called by another component, the prefix stores with the value.

Suffix

Alphanumeric characters that append to the end of the value entered in the field. If called by another component, the suffix stores with the value.

Default State Options

Setting

Description

Hide Label

Setting the Hide Label toggle to Toggle On Icon (ON) stops Label Text from displaying in Express View. Your Label Text still displays in the Module Editor.

By default, the Hide Label toggle is set to Toggle Off icon (OFF).

Disable User Input

When set to Toggle On Icon (ON), end-users can’t interact with or edit the Express View's input field or element. When end-users hover over the field, their cursor changes to alert them to the status change.

By default, the Disable User Input toggle is set to Toggle Off icon (OFF).

Read Only View

When set to Toggle On Icon (ON), the component is display-only. If another component pushes content to the field, the end-user sees that content. Otherwise, end-users see the word None.

By default, the Read Only View toggle is set to Toggle Off icon (OFF).

Hide Field

Shows or hides the component from view. Setting the Hide Field toggle to Toggle On Icon (ON) hides the component in Express View. Setting the toggle to Toggle Off icon (OFF) shows the component. The component is always visible in the Module Editor.

By default, the Hide Field toggle is set to Toggle Off icon (OFF).

Hide Helper Text

Stops Helper Text from displaying in Express View.

By default, the Hide Helper Text toggle is set to (OFF).

Contextual Help

Setting

Description

Tooltip

A short hint that displays when an end-user positions their cursor over the Questionmark Icon (Tooltip) icon. Tooltips can display across more than one line.

Helper Text

A quick tip describing the expected value of an input field. Unlike a Tooltip, Helper Text stays visible under the input field and displays on a single line.

Formatting

Setting

Description

Use Input Mask

Setting the Use Input Mask toggle to (ON) makes the Input Mask and Format Data With Mask options available. Setting the toggle to (OFF) hides these options from view.

By default, the Use Input Mask toggle is set to (OFF).

Input Mask

An Input Mask is a string of characters that indicates the format of a valid input. Use an Input Mask when the format of the input value must be consistent. Use "9" to require a number, "a" to require a letter, and "*" to require an alphanumeric character.

For example, you might use an input mask with a field that stores a Social Security Number (999-99-9999) or a formatted username (aa9999).

Format Data With Mask

Stores your data with the input mask formatting applied. Setting the Format Data With Mask toggle to (ON) activates the feature. Setting the toggle to (OFF) stores your data without the input mask formatting applied.

By default, the Format Data With Mask toggle is set to (OFF).

Disable Browser Autofill

Setting the toggle to (ON) stops the browser from autofilling the field. When a user clicks the field, they must enter the value instead of having it autofill by the browser. Use this setting in all fields containing sensitive data.

NOTE  Some browsers might not honor this setting.

By default, the Disable Browser Autofill toggle is set to (OFF).

Data Panel

A static image dispaying the Text Field component's Data settings.
(click to expand image)

Data Storage

Setting

Description

 

Store Data in Database

The Store Data in Database setting affects how data persists through your application. When set to Toggle On Icon (ON), Unqork stores values entered into the field to the database (server-side submission). This occurs in three scenarios:

  • Navigating between Panels in a Navigation component. On navigation between pages (Panels), the component’s value saves to the database.

  • Triggering a module save event using a Button component with an Action Type of Save.

  • Navigating between screens of a workflow. On navigation between screens, the component’s value saves to the database.

NOTE  By default, workflows persist data from all fields in the client-side submission when navigating between screens. However, only values from fields with Store Data in Database enabled store in the server-side submission.

Set the toggle to Toggle Off icon (OFF) when you don’t want to store the values from this field in the database.

NOTE  When using a Plug-In to remote execute a module, ensure data moving between modules is persistent. You can optionally enable Store Data in Database for components in the source module. But any components in the API module whose values are included in an API response must have Store Data in Database enabled. When a component’s data is not persistent, the data isn't included in an API call's response. So, Plug-Ins or external services requesting data from the API module can't receive non-persistent data in the response. To learn more about Store Data in Database in the context of API modules, see the panelResponse Panel section of the API Specification Snippet article in our In-Product Help.

TIP  Store Data in Database also affects what data is tracked using Unqork’s built-in tracker. When the Enable Tracker and Track Value toggles are set to Toggle On Icon (ON) in Module Settings, only values from fields with Store Data in Database enabled are tracked.

Actions Panel

A static image dispaying the Text Field component's Actions settings.
(click to expand image)

Triggers

Setting

Description

Trigger

To set up a trigger, enter the Property ID of your chosen logic component into this field. When the end-user performs an action on the current component, the triggered component fires.

Trigger on Keypress

A variation of the trigger setting. With this setting, the triggered component fires on every keystroke made inside the current component.

Validation Panel

A static image dispaying the Text Field component's Validation settings.
(click to expand image)

User Input

Setting

Description

Required

When set to Toggle On Icon (ON), the end user must enter a value in the component's visible fields. Set the toggle to Toggle Off icon (OFF) when an entry is optional.

By default, the Required toggle is set to Toggle Off icon (OFF).

Required Error Message

A custom error message that displays below a required field. The error message displays when the end-user tries to save or submit the module without completing the required field.

Advanced Panel

A static image dispaying the Text Field component's Advanced settings.
(click to expand image)

Additional Validation Options

Setting

Description

Min/Max Length

Sets the minimum or the maximum number of characters an end-user must enter for valid input.

Min/Max Length Error Message

A custom error message that displays below the input field. The error message displays when the entry doesn't meet the minimum or maximum character length rule.

Show Max Length Countdown

When set to (ON), a character countdown displays below the input field showing the number of characters left before reaching maximum length.

By default, the Show Maximum Length toggle is set to (OFF).

Allow Typing Beyond Maximum Length

When set to  (ON), the end-user can continue typing past the field’s fixed maximum length. If the end-user's input exceeds the maximum length, an error message displays below the input field.

By default, the Allow Typing Beyond Maximum Length toggle is set to (OFF).

Regular Expression Pattern

The Regular Expression pattern that the field's value must match to be valid.

TIP  To learn about Regular Expression patterns, see our Regex in Unqork article.

Pattern Error Message

An error message that displays if the value doesn't meet the Regular Expression pattern.

Additional Styling

Setting

Description

Custom CSS Class

Enter a Custom CSS Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a style sheet language used for presenting how a HTML or XML document looks to end-users. Class to apply to your component. Use custom CSS to maintain a consistent look and feel if the field or element is part of a template or more than one module.

Updated CSS styling applies to all components that reference this custom class name.

TIP  For more information on this component's settings, you can read about the Text Field component in our Documentation Hub.

Adding a Text Field Component

As an example, create a Text Field for an applicant's last name. These instructions assume that you have an open module saved with a title.

1. Drag and drop a  Text Field component onto the canvas.
2. In the Property ID A Property ID is the unique field ID used by Unqork to track and link components in your module. field, enter lastName.
3. In the Label Text Label Text conveys what the input component is and what information it displays. Enter the purpose of the corresponding component or field. field, enter Last Name.

A static image displaying the Text Field component configuration window, the Property ID and Label Text fields are highlighted.

4. Click Save & Close.
5. Save your module.

Preview your module in Express View Express View is how your end-user views you application. Express View also lets you preview your applications to test your configuration and view the styling. After configuring a module, click Preview in the Module Editor to interact with the module in Express View. You'll see the following functionality:

A static image displaying the Text Field component in Express View.

Structure of a Text Field Component's Data

A text field component stores its data as a string when viewed in the developer console.

A static image displaying a Text Field's submission data in console view.

NOTE  Currently, Unqork doesn't support values entering or rendering text values greater than 1024 characters in a submission.

Resources