You can configure up to five Free: Number fields in a request type. The Free: Number fields can be used in four ways:
The number value in the Free: Number fields can also be used for calculation by the Free: Amount fields. For more information, see Customizing Request Type Fields - Free: Amount.
The following describes only the settings specific for the Free: Number fields. For more information on the menu path, roles and rights, buttons, and other settings available in most request fields, see Customizing Request Type Fields (Main Document).
Type the default number from 0 to 9999999999 to be entered in the Free: Number field of a newly-created request. A user can change the default number unless you have disabled the editing of this field for a relevant status of the request in the Edit section.
If the Calculation section is configured, the default number will be replaced with the calculated number once the request is posted to the system such as by submitting or saving the request. The user can also click Calculate to calculate the amount from the two source fields selected in the Calculation section and the calculated number will replace the default number.
If the Selection section is configured, the default number is ignored.
Note: If the Selection section is configured, this section will be ignored during run-time.
Select any of the available Free: Number fields as the first source field for the amount calculation.
Note: You can select the same Free: Number you are configuring as the first source field. In this case, when the user click Calculate, the system will use the current value in the number field as the first source field to perform the calculation and replace the current number with the calculated number. However, if the current Free: Number field is blank, no calculation will be performed even if there are values in the second source field.
Select any of the available Free: Number fields as the second source field for the amount calculation.
Note: You can select the same Free: Number you are configuring as the second source field. In this case, when the user click Calculate, the system will use the current value in the number field as the second source field to perform the calculation and replace the current number with the calculated number. However, if the current Free: Number field is blank, no calculation will be performed even if there are values in the first source field.
Select the mathematical operation to perform on the values from the first and second source fields:
Note: Configure the Values, or Reference and Selection settings. If Values setting is used, Reference and Selection settings are ignored.
Type the list of options selectable by the user. Use the following format for each option value:
Number, Description
The first value is the option number and the second value is a text of the option description separated by a comma (,). Separate several options with a semi-colon (;). The last option should not have a semi-colon or there will be a blank option at the end of the selection list. See the screenshot for an example.
During run-time, the selection is displayed as a drop-down box listing the Description of each option. When the user posts the request, such as submitting or saving the request, the Number is the one saved in the database, not the Description. If you are planning to use the selected option later in other functions in the system, you refer to the saved option Number and interpret accordingly based on your Description. Since it is stored as a number, you can also perform mathematical calculation in other Free: Number or Free: Amount field.
Technically, the selected option number is saved along with the other data of the request in the requests table called "Absences". The system does not record the description in the requests table but stores the description only in the request field options table called "RequestFieldOptions". This technical information is useful if you plan to use the data in other functions where you can use SQL statements to manipulate the data.
Note: Leave this blank if you want to use the Calculation section.
Select People or Assortments if you want the user to select a person or an assortment instead of a list of option values. If you select People, you can also filter the available people using a partial SQL statement in Selection.
During run-time, the field is presented as a text box with a Search icon where the user can type or select a person or an assortment. When the user selects a person or an assortment, the employee ID number or assortment number (not assortment code) is inserted into the text box and the full name of the person or assortment description is displayed next to it as a hyperlink to the personal card or assortment card.
When the user posts the request, such as submitting or saving the request, the employee ID number or the assortment number is the one saved in the database, not the full name or description. If you are planning to use the selected value later in other functions in the system, you refer to the number and interpret accordingly. Since it is stored as a number, you can also perform mathematical calculation in other Free: Number or Free: Amount fields.
Technically, the employee ID number or assortment number is saved along with other data of the request in the requests table called "Absences". The system does not record the full name or description in the requests table. Instead, it stores the data that indicates whether the number refers to a employee ID or assortment number in the request field options table called "RequestFieldOptions". This technical information is useful if you plan to use the data in other functions where you can use SQL statements to manipulate the data.
This field is only applicable if you select People in Reference. In this case, you can filter the selection based on columns in the human resources table "humres". Type a partial SQL statement, which is used as part of an SQL 'where' clause by the system, to list only people matching this statement.
For example, you want to list only people with the security level clearance higher than Security Level 15. In this case, type humres.job_level > 15. The following is a truncated sample SQL selection statement to illustrate where the partial SQL statement you typed into this box is inserted in the 'where' clause:
SELECT ... FROM ... WHERE ... AND (humres.job_level > 15) ORDER BY ...
Click Show to preview the selection page and the effect of your SQL statement on the selection list.
You can see some information on the reference Table, the table Prefix to use in your SQL statement in Selection, and an Example of an acceptable SQL statement below the Selection field when you select People in Reference.
Note: The preview list displayed when you click Show takes into account only your partial SQL statement regardless of other settings in the Selection section. The selection page may present a different list in an actual request during run-time when other settings, which may include settings in other request fields, are taken into account.
If you select Assortments in Reference, this field does not apply.