Data Field Types

Click Boarding allows users to create five different types of data fields to best meet their data needs.

Text

Overview: The text data field type is the catch all data field type. These are used for single line text collection, dropdowns, etc.

When to use: Any instance where employee information could be stored as a string. They can include letters, numbers, and symbols.

Good to know: Text fields can be further customized on the actual form definition. For example, if you want to create a text field where the employee can only select one of three values, this could be defined on the form.

Examples: First Name, Department, Yes/No selection, Dropdowns

Date

Overview: The date data field type is used to capture dates. 

When to use: Any instance where you need to collect a date.

Good to know: 

• The date placeholder and input will change based on the language selected by the Employee on account creation. For example, if the employee selects “English (United States),” this will display and collect the date as MM/DD/YYYY format, but if the Employee selects “English (United Kingdom),” this will display and collect the date as DD/MM/YYYY format
• Dates are saved as YYYY-MM-DD 

Examples: Birth Date, Benefits Eligible Date, Offer Date

Phone

Overview: The Phone data field type is used to capture phone numbers.

When to use: Any instance where you need to collect a phone number.

Good to know: 

• Phone fields are internationally supported and stored in E.164 format
• When a phone field is added to a form, employees can easily select their country code 

Examples: Home Phone, Work Phone, Emergency Contact Phone

Data Field Group

It is recommended you consult Click Boarding before creating a data field group to make sure that this is the best option for your needs.

Overview: A data field group is a single grouping of related fields. This acts as a container for other field types. Once created you would then add Text, Date, or Phone fields to the group. Comparable to a folder on your computer that can contain files, a Data Field Group can contain data fields.

When to use: When you need to collect a single instance of a group of related items and want them stored as their own JSON object.

Good to know: 

• Data Fields added to the Data Field Group are added individually to forms
• The name of the Data Field Group will be the name of the parent object in the JSON
• Data Field Groups can have Collection nested in them, but this is not recommended

Examples: Home Address, Drivers License, Office Equipment

{
  "customFields": {
    "workEquipment": {
      "idealWorkspace": "Office",
      "laptopType": "Macbook",
      "numberOfMonitors": "Single Monitor",
      "phoneType": "iPhone"
    }
  }
}

Collection

It is recommended you consult Click Boarding before creating a collection to make sure that this is the best option for your needs.

Overview: A collection is multiple groupings of related fields. While a Data Field Group allows you to collect a single grouping of fields, a collection allows you to collect more than one instance. This acts as a container for other field types. Once created you would then add Text, Date, or Phone fields to the group. Using the computer file example this would be like having a folder with multiple sub folders.

When to use: When you need to collect multiple instances of a group of related items.

Good to know: 

• Collections are added to forms as a whole. In other words when you add the collection you add all the subfields to the form
• Employees can add data to collections multiple times
• Collections are stored as its own JSON object with an array of JSON objects within
• Collections can have Data Field Groups nested in them, but this is not recommended
• Collections cannot be included as custom filters on dashboards because employees can have one to many values

Examples: Professional License, Emergency Contact Information, Education

{
  "customFields": {
    "emergencyContact": [
      {
        "firstName": "Jane",
        "relation": "Wife",
        "phone": "4105551234"
      },
      {
        "firstName": "Sam",
        "relation": "Friend",
        "phone": "4100009876"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Comparison Overview

Type	Use	Structure in JSON	Example
Text	Collect a single value	One label paired with one value	Physical Location
Date	Collect a single date	One label paired with one value	Benefit Start Date
Phone	Collect a single phone	One label paired with one value	Office Phone
Data Field Group	Collect one instance of multiple related fields	A single object { } containing several fields	Office Equipment
Collection	Collect multiple instances of the same set of related fields	An array [ ] of objects, each with the same structure	Emergency Contacts

Choosing the Right Field Type

Consider the following when selecting the right type of field

1. Do employees need more than one of this piece of information?

   • No - You need a Text, Date, or Phone field. Select the one that works best for what you are collecting. 

   • Yes - Move to question 2.

2. Will there always be exactly one instance of this group, just with multiple pieces of information inside it

   • Yes - You need a data field group. It bundles related fields together as a single set. (e.g., workEquipment - one employee has one equipment profile, made up of several fields)

   • No, there could be several separate instances - You need a collection. (e.g., emergencyContact - one employee might have one contact, three contacts, or none)