Define field type

If you have opened the "Set up user-defined fields" dialog box via the "User-defined fields" icon on the "Configuration" tab and selected an existing or a new user-defined field, open the "Define field type..." dialog box via the "Define field type..." button.

You can use the settings in the "Define field type" dialog box to specify the type of user-defined field, e.g. a selection list or a field for entering a date.

1. In the "Field type" list, first select the value type that can be assigned to the new user-defined field. Available are: Number, date, string (character string), yes/no ("True"/"False" for Boolean values), enumeration (selection list), weight distribution and memo (for longer texts).
   Depending on the selected field type, further settings are required. The options are listed in the tables below.
2. Use the "Allow empty field" checkbox to specify whether the user-defined field may remain empty; it is then highlighted in blue. For evaluations, the variable is then assigned using the default formula defined for this field.
3. If you would like to create a history for the user-defined field, activate the "Field is historicized" checkbox. If necessary, read the section Historicize user-defined fields.
4. In the "Display name" input field, you have the option of entering another name for the user-defined field. This name is then displayed in the dialog windows and evaluations without changing the actual field name. If you do not enter anything here, the name of the user-defined field is displayed unchanged.
   The entries in the "Description" field correspond to those in the "Set up user-defined fields" dialog box. However, you can also replace or supplement these here.
5. Make the desired settings and confirm with "OK".