This is some of the information you'll be asked for when creating profile fields.

Profile Setup

Label

This is the field name as it will appear on the profile page. While you can change the name of a system field, the information collected in that field will not change as far as your database is concerned. For instance, you could change "Social Security Number" to "Driver's License Number." But other Realm processes, such as those that create reports, will still use the numbers entered in the field as Social Security Numbers. So it is best, if changing these field labels, to retain their original meaning.

Type

This describes the appearance of the field and the format of the data accepted by it. You'll be able to change the field type after you create the field, but only if no data has been entered using it.

• Text— Alphanumeric input allowed.
• Date— Creates a date field in the format of mm/dd/yyyy.
• Number— Only numeric input allowed, and leading zeros will be deleted when entered.
• Yes/No— Use when you need a simple response to a closed question.
• List— Your users will select a response from options you define.
• Individual— When users begin to enter letters, they can select an individual's name from your dataset. Once selected, the item displays in the field and the field turns gray. This means the entry is linked with an individual in your database.
• MultiList— Creates a field like a list, but allows you to select more than one value from the drop-down.
• System Field— This is the one type of field that cannot be added or deleted. They are "hard-coded" into the website, but most can be edited.

Data Entry and Display Controls

The options in this section help you manage who can view specific fields. They also prevent users from leaving a field blank when completing their profile.

Display For

Some fields are not applicable for all records. Contact Person, for instance, is a field you would want to display for businesses, but not families. Other fields are appropriate for children but not adults.

• All – Displays the field on all profiles regardless of type.
• Families – Displays the field for all members of a family. If you select a value for a field, the same value will be selected for all members of that person's family. For example, let's say you have a field called "Joined Date" that displays for families. When you enter the date on the head's profile for this field, the same date is applied to the spouse and children records. Likewise, if you change the field value for one person in the family, it changes for all family members. Note that businesses and churches are not part of a family unit, so this field type does not display for those profiles.
• People – Displays the field for all people profiles, including congregants and personnel. This field is not shared between family members like it is with the Families type. This does not display for businesses.
• Only Adults – Displays the field for people with a primary family position, such as "Head" and "Spouse". This does not display for businesses. For example, you may want a field like Driver's License Number to display only on adult profiles.
• Only Children – Displays the field for people with a child family position. For example, you may want a field like Grade to display only on child profiles. Note that adults will be able to see a field marked for Only Children on their family record. This does not display for businesses.
• Businesses – Displays the field for business profiles only. For example, you may want a field like Contact Person to display only on business profiles.

Enabled

If selected, the field will be visible on everyone's profile pages.

Required

If selected, your users will have to complete this field before they can save profiles. These required fields will be displayed with a red asterisk when users edit their individual profiles.

Display When Adding Profiles

If selected, this field will display when users add new records.

Allow Users to View

If selected, this field will be visible (read-only) to individuals on their profile pages.

Allow Users to Edit

If selected, this field will be visible to individuals on their profile pages, and they will be able to change its value.

List Values

These are the possible choices for entry into a field. Some fields, such as text fields, don't need list values. List field values can be updated "on the fly" by users with permission to manage profile fields. There is one exception to this, which is that anyone can add information to the Allergies field. For these users, there's an extra option at the top of the list to "Add to list" any new options they choose to enter.

Default

Available for certain types of fields only. Select the value that will first appear in the field when adding a new record.

Profile Alert

This is a "system field" (included by default in Realm). If enabled, someone with administrator permissions can assign alert colors to profile pages. Each color denotes a unique characteristic for the person. The meaning of the colors is not known or stored by the website or displayed anywhere.