Managing Custom Fields
  • 18 Jun 2024
  • 7 Minutes to read
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Managing Custom Fields

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Article summary

Use Custom Data Management to manage all custom fields in the system from one central location without viewing the details of a specific asset.

Only users assigned the View system settings and Update system settings permissions (default for admins) can manage custom fields.

ManageCustomFieldsPermissions

Custom fields are supported for all asset types.

There are three types of custom fields:

  • Single Value - Allows the user to enter a single value into the field.
  • Single Select - Allows the user to select one value from a specified list of values.
  • Multiple Values - Allows the user to enter multiple values into the field. This is a list field.

To manage custom fields

  1. From the top right corner of any page, click image.png, and in the Categories/Subcategories pane of the System Settings page that opens, expand Data, and select Custom Data Management.
    OR
    From the Manage Asset Custom Fields dialog, click the Manage Custom Fields button.
    The Custom Data Management page opens.

ManageCustomFields2

The Custom Fields table shows all custom fields in the system that match the filter or search criteria, including all fields added to assets in their details page and fields added by Enforcement Actions.

The following information is included for each field:

  • Field Name - The name of the field.
  • Field Type - The type of field. Single Value, Single Select, or Multiple Values.
  • Value Type - The type of data the field accepts. String, Date, Float, Integer, or Boolean.
  • Asset Type - The asset type to which the field applies.
  • Affected Assets - The number of affected assets for which the field has values. Click the number of Affected Assets to see a list of assets with their details.
  • Field Values - The values assigned to the field. Values appear when the custom field is assigned to assets.

By default, the table includes all fields - those with and without affected assets. To see a list of fields only with no affected assets, toggle on Show fields with no Affected Assets. The list updates automatically every hour. The Last updated field indicates the date and time that the list was last updated.

Refreshing the Table

The table updates automatically every hour or when you create a new custom field from the Custom Data Management page.
You can manually update the table at any time, by clicking Refresh RefreshSymbol.png

RefreshSymbol1

Adding a Custom Field

You can add as many custom fields as required.

To add a custom field

  1. In the upper-right corner of the Custom Fields table, click + Add Custom Field.
  2. In Enter Field Name, type a name for the field.
  3. In Field Type, select a data type. You can select Single Value, Single Select, or Multiple Values.
  4. In Value Type, select from the available options. Options change depending on the field type. Options may include: Boolean, Float, Integer, Date, or String.
  5. In Asset Type, select the asset category.
  6. When creating a Single Select field, from the Add options dropdown, enter values for at least the first two options. Click Add Option to add more values to the list. You can enter as many values as needed. When you are finished, click Apply. To delete a value, hover over the value and click the trashcan icon.
  7. Click CreateFieldButton. Notification appears: 'Custom Field Created Successfully'.
    The table automatically refreshes and is updated with the newly added custom field. You can toggle on Show fields with no Affected Assets to filter the table to show only those fields with no affected assets, which includes the newly added custom field.
Note:

The Create Field button is grayed out (i.e., disabled) until all details of the new custom field are filled in. In the screen below, the Asset Type has not yet been chosen, and therefore the Create Field button is grayed out.
CreateCustomFieldDisabledCreateField

Filtering and Searching for Custom Fields

Use the filter bar at the top of the page to select criteria to filter the Custom Fields table. The table can be filtered by:

  • Field Type
  • Value Type
  • Asset Type - Displays custom fields relevant for the selected asset type.
    • From the Asset Type dropdown, select one or more asset types to return the custom fields that apply to these asset types. For example: Users, Application Settings, Devices, Tickets. The assets in the dropdown are listed according to asset category (as on the Assets page). In addition, it is possible to type and search to easily locate in the dropdown, the asset type required.
      ModulesCustomDataManagement

You can also search the table according to Field Name, Field Type, or Asset Type by entering a search string in the Search field.
This table is updated as soon as filter criteria are selected or a search string entered.

Click the column headers to sort the table.

Exporting the List of Custom Fields to CSV

You can export the list of custom fields to a CSV file. Only the currently listed items are exported.

To export the list of custom fields

  • Click Export CSV. The file is generated and downloaded to the local computer.

Performing Actions on Custom Fields

Editing a Single Select Custom Field

From the Custom Fields table, you can edit one or more values of an existing Single Select custom field. This means that you can edit the Single Select custom field's list of values by doing any of the following:

  • Modifying existing value(s).
  • Adding value(s).
  • Deleting value(s).
Note:

You can never change the Field Type or Value Type of an existing field.

To edit Single Select custom field values

  1. In the Custom Fields table, optionally filter the table to show only Single Select custom fields.
  2. Hover over a row of a Single Select custom field that you want to edit, and then at the end of the row, click the Edit icon ActionsHover-EditIcon or select the checkbox of a a Single Select custom field that you want to edit, and then on the top right of the table, click the Edit action EditAction. The Edit Custom Field dialog opens with the list of values open.

EditCustomField

  1. Do any of the following edits to modify/add/delete one or more values on the list, as long as at least two values remain:
    • Modify a value: Hover over the value to modify and type a new value.
    • Add a value: Click Add Option to add an option to the list, and type a new value for the option.
    • Delete a value: Hover over an existing value and click the adjacent trashcan icon.
  2. Click Apply. The list is updated to reflect the changes.
Note:
  • You can discard your editing changes by clicking outside the list of options (provided that you haven't yet clicked Apply).
  • Changing the values of fields in the Custom Data Management table only changes the values available to the users when selecting this field on the asset from this point onward. It does not change the values already configured on the assets themselves.
  • From the Custom Fields table, you can only edit the values of a Single Select custom field. You can edit Single Value and Multiple Values custom fields from the assets page, as described in Working with Custom Data.
  1. Click Save. The custom field is updated.

Renaming a Custom Field

From the Custom Data Management table, you can rename a single custom field and repeat for each custom field that you want to rename. The new name appears wherever the field is used, affecting all assets with that custom field.

To rename a custom field

  1. In the Custom Data Management table, hover over a row of a custom field, and then at the end of the row, click the Rename icon RenameIcon or select the checkbox next to a custom field that you want to rename, and then on the top right of the table, click RenameTagAction.
  2. In the Rename Field dialog that opens, enter a new name for the field.
  3. Click Save Changes. To see the changes, you may need to click the Refresh Data RefreshIcon icon.

Deleting Custom Fields

From the Custom Data Management table, you can delete one or more custom fields. The deleted fields are removed from all affected assets.

To delete a custom field

  1. In the Custom Data Management table, hover over the row of a custom field, and then at the end of the row, click the Delete icon DeleteIconB or select the checkboxes of one or more custom fields (the number of selected records is displayed next to the Total results), and then on the top right of the table, click the Delete action DeleteAction1.
    You can also select all records on the page (mark the top left checkbox) or in the table (Select All), or clear your entire selection (Clear All).
    The system asks you to confirm the deletion.

DeleteFieldConfirmation

  1. Click Delete Fields. The selected custom fields are completely deleted from the system. This cannot be undone.

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