Custom Fields
You can add custom dates, bit fields, text fields, number fields, field helps, and even drop-down lists to any page in MinistryPlatform. You must have access to the SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) to do this. It's best to add fields after work hours when fewer people are working in MinistryPlatform.
Data Types
- Varbinary
- This datatype allows for two way encryption. The value is edited in the Platform as a text value, but stored as a hashed binary value.
- dp_Email
- This custom datatype validates the input as an email address.
- dp_Counter
- This custom datatype stores a number that is changed in increments (that is, editing the field with a value of 5 adds 5 to the existing field value). A Counter field is often used to manage inventory counts. Mass assigning a Counter field will increment the value of the field by the value assigned (not overwrite). Changes to Counter fields are logged in the Audit Log.
- dp_TimeZone
- This custom datatype allows users to select from a list of standard time zones.
- dp_Locale
- This custom datatype allows users to select from a list of standard locales.
- dp_Separator
- This custom datatype displays a separator in the Platform. Used to organize other fields.
- dp_TableName
- This custom datatype allows users to select from a list of tables (and database views) in the DBO schema.
- Datetimeoffset
- Geometry
- Geography
- Hierarchyid
- Image
- SQL Variant
- Timestamp
- XML
Reorder or Resize Fields
When you add custom fields, you can add them most easily to the very end of the table. If you place them in the middle or reorder other fields, SSMS may display the following warning: Saving changes is not permitted. The change you have made requires the following table to be dropped and re-created. You have either made changes to a table that can't be recreated or enabled the option prevent saving changes that require the table to be re-created.
The reason for this error is that the changes require dropping and recreating the table and relationships to other tables. SSMS can do this all automatically, but the default settings prevent this operation. To enable this, deselect the following box in . To prevent these sweeping changes in other cases, you may want to re-select the box when you are done.
Read-Only Fields
You can create read-only fields by adding an underscore (_) to the beginning of the field name. Any read-only field by definition must allow blanks or have a default value defined. You can create hidden fields using two underscores before the field name (__). These fields are available to processes and advanced views.
Field Help (tooltips)
Field Help is based on the description which you can set in the column's extended properties.