Enumerated Fields

Enumerated fields can provide powerful visual impact, by displaying a graphic image or color-coded label in place of field values.

About Enumerated Fields

File:Movie-rating.gif

Graphic stars illustrate movie rating

File:Enumeratedstatus-text.gif

Color-coded Labels

Enumerated fields have an associated numeric value, which can be used to group, sort or filter data in Views and Reports. In Reports, enumerated fields can appear as color-coded labels, only.

These Field Display Types are enumerated:

• Radio Buttons
• Multiple Checkboxes
• Picklists
• Dependent Picklists
• Global Picklists
• Multi Select Picklists

Displaying Enumerated Fields

Enumerated Fields in Views can provide users with visual indicators of a data metrics. In this example, a movie library View is enhanced with the addition of stars to rank the movies by preference. Although the ranking (Picklist Value) is not displayed, it is used to sort the list.

File:Movie-name.gif Sorted by Movie Name

File:Movie-rating.gif Sorted by Movie Rating (Stars)

The ranking (with 1-4 stars) is created by adding a series of images and values to eligible Field Display Types:

File:Enumeratedpicklist-setup-stars.gif

Because the Picklist Value is stored in the database, it can be used in these areas of the platform: Sort order in Views and Reports Filters in Views and Reports Color coding criteria in Views and Reports Grouping criteria in Reports Learn more: Using Enumerated Picklists with Other Platform Elements

• Enumerated fields include these elements:

• Display Label

  Can be either an alphanumeric string or an image, or both

• Alphanumeric string, with optional color coding for text and background color
• Image, optional, selected from the Documents object
• Not used to group, sort, or filter records

• Item Value

• Stored as part of the record
• Used to group, sort, or filter records
• A number that can be used to define the display order

Working with Picklists

A Picklist is a field that can contain a list of values. It appears as a dropdown list when displayed.

Create a Picklist

1. Click > Customization > Objects > {object} > Fields
2. Click [New Field]
3. Provide the information in the sections below.
4. Click [Save]
   The field is added, and the field-definition is shown.

Basic Information

Specify the basic characteristics of the field:

• Label - The text that appears as the field name
• Display Type - Picklist
• Picklist Values - For a simple Picklist that returns the same values it displays, with no special colors, images, or groups for the display values, you can simply enter the values, as shown here:

Otherwise, wait until the Picklist has been created, then Manage and Reorder Values.

• Maximum Storage Length - The String length of the longest value in the list.
• Use First Value as Default - Otherwise, the field is initially empty.
• Sort List Alphabetically - Otherwise, you manually arrange the order.
• Skip Value Validation - When checked there is no validation of the Enumerated Values. By default, this option is unchecked.

Note: This option is available only for custom fields and not for standard fields. For standard picklists, value validation cannot be turned off.

• Always Required - A selection must be made when adding or updating a record.
• Field Name - Automatically created by the system (but you can change it here)

Display Attributes

Determine where the field is displayed in the default form, and whether or not the field is required when adding or updating a record.

Default Value

In general, the default value you specify will be a simple String. For example: 'rush'. But it is also possible to select functions and specify arguments, creating a formula expression that returns the default value.

Considerations

• The default value must resolve to the value of an entry in the list of enumerated items (not a label).
• If the value resolves to a string which is not in the list of the enumerated items, it is as though no default were specified. Nothing is pre-selected in the Enumerated Field.
• Field Visibility determines which roles can see or edit the field.

Description Information

Include a description of the field and its use. This information is only visible to users with rights to customize this field.

Working with Global Picklists

Create a Global Picklist

1. Click Designer > Global Resources > Global Picklists
2. Click the [New Global Picklist] button and enter the following information:
   • Name - The field label that will be displayed
   • Show First Value as Default - Checkbox
   • Sort List Alphabetically - Checkbox
3. Click [Save].
   You can now proceed to Manage and Reorder the Values, as explained below.

Specify a Default Value

To specify a default value for an enumerated field:

1. Click [Edit]
2. Type in a value or select functions to create a formula expression that returns the default value.

Considerations

• For checkboxes, the formula must resolve to 1, 0, true, or false.
• The default value must resolve to the value of an entry in the list of enumerated items (not a label).
• If the value resolves to a string which is not in the list of the enumerated items, it is as though no default were specified. Nothing is pre-selected in the Enumerated Field.
• Default values cannot be specified for a Dependent Picklist. (For all other types of Enumerated Fields, they can.)

Manage and Reorder Values

The Enumerated Values section of the field-definition page, lets you specify the picklist values and the order in which they appear.

To specify which values appear:

1. Click [Manage Values]
2. Click the box under the Trash can to remove an item.
3. Click [Add More Rows] to add additional items
4. Click [Save] when done

Settings

• Display Label - The label to display in the list.
• Value - The actual value that is stored in a record (or returned to a program) when the item is chosen from the list. When the field is used to group, sort, or filter records, it is the value of the field that determines the outcome.

Note: Alphanumeric Characters are allowed in labels and values, including special characters (+ / ' - _) and spaces.

Reorder Values

In the Enumerated Values section of the field-definition page, click [Reorder Values] to change the order in which the values appear:

Note: Reordering can be done only when the Sort List Alphabetically option is unchecked.

Additional Operations

Create a Dependent Picklist

When the possible choices depend on selections made in other fields, use a Dependent Picklist.

Using Enumerated Fields with Other Platform Elements

Because Picklist Values can contain alphanumeric characters, additional functionality becomes available, as listed here:

Sort order

Use the Picklist Value in Views and Reports to define sort order

Grouping

Use the Picklist Value to Group records in Views and Reports

Display in Views

The Display Labels are shown when displaying a record and in Views. Based on the options selected, the image and the text colors will be shown.

Color coding in Views

Criteria can be specified using Display Labels or Picklist Values; The first match is done using the Display Label, followed by the Picklist Value

Searches/Filters in Views

Criteria can be specified using Display Labels or Picklist Values; The first match is done using the Display Label, followed by the Picklist Value

Global Search

Global search will use only the Picklist Values

Display in Reports

The Display Labels are shown (no images or color coding are displayed)

Reports must not use the Group option

REST or JAVA API

The Picklist Values are returned (not the Display Label)

Dependent Picklists

Learn more: Dependent Picklist

Conditional Layouts

Layout rules will use only the Picklist Values