Advanced Field Types Tutorial

Overview

FlowLogic’s form designer includes a set of advanced fields beyond standard inputs like text and dropdowns. This article covers what each one does and when to use it.

Data and Calculation Fields

Hidden Field – Stores static data without displaying it to users. Useful when a value needs to be accessed by other fields (for example, in a calculation) but doesn’t need to be visible or editable.

Auto Increment – A counter that increases by one each time a new form is created. Commonly used for unique identifiers like invoice numbers. Note that it won’t function until the form has been saved, and it cannot be referenced via programming.

Form Counter – Similar to Auto Increment, but tracks how many times a specific form has been used rather than incrementing per new record.

Auto Calculate – Performs basic mathematical operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The value only updates when the user clicks Edit, so it won’t recalculate in real time.

Primary Record ID / Form ID – These fields reference the ID of the parent record and the specific form currently being viewed. Useful when you need to surface or pass those identifiers elsewhere in the system.

Timestamp Fields

System Timestamp – Automatically records the date and time a form was created and when it was last edited. No configuration required.

Custom Timestamp – Allows you to define your own date and time format using PHP date symbols. If you need a specific format for reporting or display purposes, this gives you that flexibility. Avoid using this field for funding claims – the inclusion of time data alongside the date can cause errors in those workflows.

Notification Fields

These fields trigger notifications when a form is saved. There are three types:

• Internal Email – Searches the user list and sends an email to one or more internal staff members.
• External Email – Allows a specific email address to be entered manually, for notifying people outside the system.
• Notify – Sends a FlowLogic internal notification rather than an email.

  

Place notification fields at the bottom of your form. If they’re positioned above mandatory fields, validation errors during save can interfere with the notification being sent.

Lookup Fields

Lookup fields vary depending on how your data is linked and will be covered in detail in a separate training session. Two fields fall into this category:

Record Table – Recommended for use on primary records to create and display secondary records. FlowLogic is designed so that data flows downward through records, and this field supports that structure.

Fetch Record – Intended to return the first record in a list. There is currently a known bug with this field that the development team is working to resolve. Use with caution until a fix has been confirmed.

Frequency Field

Similar to a standard date field, but designed for recurring items such as review dates. It allows you to set a repeating schedule, which makes it much easier to build automations around regular tasks or check-ins.