New Field Types: Calculation, Countdown Timer & Set Value

Our current stable of 7 ‘field types’ should be more than enough for any budding form builder to create elegant forms; but then again, why settle for 7 when you can have 10?

We couldn’t leave it alone, so we’ve come up with an extra 3 field types for your consideration:

‘Calculation’ – your mobile user has captured ‘length’, ‘width’ and ‘depth’ but really needs to know what it might add up to in terms of volume or weight. They can’t reach for their slide-rule, so why not make it easy for them by doing the calculation and showing them the result. The inputs for calculation fields are other numeric fields within the form, they can be added, subtracted, multiplied, and divided to arrive at a result. Fixed values can be used in the calculations too.

‘Timer’ – we often use rules to expose sequential sections and questions in a form, but these next steps are displayed instantly to the user on their mobile device. But what if you needed to enforce a time-out to allow, say, a critical step to take place; a test period to elapse for example. Our new ‘Timer’ field is the tool to do the job. Inputs for setting a count-down are either fixed, or they can be an input from a ‘Calculation’ field type, making this even more powerful within your form. Timer fields are always used in conjunction with a ‘rule’, exposing the next section, or question, only once the timer countdown has expired.

‘Set Value’ – we’re always asking our mobile users to provide us with data, but what if we wanted to tell them something as a consequence of the data they’ve already recorded: an example might be “This test has FAILED – STOP work immediately and speak with your Supervisor”. Well, now you can. Simply choose a ‘Set Value’ field type, adding one or more text options (much like a ‘selection’ field type) and then use a ‘rule’ to expose the preferred ‘Set Value’ text option based upon the outcome of another field. It’s a very useful feature for ‘gating’ a process in the field, or for ‘locking’ a form to prevent capture and submission of incorrect data.

Your options around creating forms, where complex data capture and complex field processes can be driven, has just switched up several gears. So, start getting more creative – we can’t wait to see what you come up with!