Field Types
High Systems offers 21 field types. This reference lists what each type stores and the type-specific settings that appear in the field editor. The settings common to nearly every type are documented separately in Field settings.
Managing field types in the UI requires an application where your role has admin or limited admin access. The same types are available through the REST API; see the Fields endpoint reference.
Text
| Type | What it stores | Type-specific settings |
|---|---|---|
| Text | Short single-line text | Max Length; Display As: Plain Text, Secret (masked), or Barcode; Barcode Format (CODE128 variants, CODE39, EAN, UPC, ITF, MSI, pharmacode, codabar), shown when Display As is Barcode |
| Rich Text | Formatted, styled text | Enable Dehydration / Hydration with an optional Dehydration Query |
| Text Multi-Line | Longer paragraphs and notes | Max Length, Number of Lines (default 5), Maximum Display Characters; Dehydration / Hydration |
| Text Multi-Choice | One or more choices from a list | Choices (one per line), Multiple, Allow New Choices, Sort Choices (As Displayed or Alphabetically), Separator (shown when Multiple is on) |
Numbers and dates
| Type | What it stores | Type-specific settings |
|---|---|---|
| Number | Numeric values | Display Total, Display Average; Display As: Number, Percent, Currency, Rating, Progress, or Simple Number; Num Decimal Places; Auto Increment (shown for Number and Simple Number); Currency (shown for Currency, defaults to the application currency); Max Rating (shown for Rating, default 5); Hide Arrow Buttons |
| Date | A calendar date | Default to Now (checked, Default Value is hidden); Display Format (Application Default or a D/DD/DDD/DDDD format) |
| Date/Time | A date and time | Same as Date, with display formats combining date, time, and F-style tokens |
| Time of Day | A time | Same as Date, with display formats using t/T-style tokens |
| Duration | A length of time | Display Format: Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Days, Weeks, Months, Years, hh:mm:ss, hh:mm, hh, mm:ss, or ss |
| Checkbox | A true/false value | Display Total, Display Average. No Foreign Key section |
Contact and links
| Type | What it stores | Type-specific settings |
|---|---|---|
| Email Address | An email address | None beyond the common settings |
| Phone Number | A phone number | None beyond the common settings |
| URL | A web link | Display As: Link, Button, QR Code, or IFrame; Button Color (shown for Button); Link Text; Link Target: Same Window or New Window |
Files, users, and locations
| Type | What it stores | Type-specific settings |
|---|---|---|
| File | An uploaded file or signature | Is Signature, Display Thumbnail, and with a thumbnail on: Thumbnail Style (Normal or Portrait), Thumbnail Height, Thumbnail Width. No Foreign Key section |
| User | A reference to a user of the instance | None beyond the common settings |
| User Multi-Choice | One or more users | None beyond the common settings |
| GPS | A geographic location | The default value uses a GPS picker |
Calculated and related
| Type | What it stores | Type-specific settings |
|---|---|---|
| Formula | A calculated value | Formula Type (SQL), Return Type (any of the 17 base types), Calculate On (Record Queried or Record Updated), the Formula itself, plus display options matching the chosen return type: number display options, text display as, URL display options, or date/time/duration display formats. Number and Checkbox returns also offer Display Total and Display Average |
| Lookup | A value pulled from a related table's record | Foreign Field Id (the foreign key on this table), Display Field (the field shown), Display as Link to Parent Record |
| Summary | An aggregate across a related table | Child Table Name, Child Foreign Key Field, Field to Summarize, Summary Function (Count, Maximum, Minimum, Sum, Average, Standard Deviation, Concat, Exists), Separator (shown for Concat), Summary Filter |
| Report | A report embedded within a record | Table Name, Report Name, Report Query. No Foreign Key section |
Built-in fields
Every table automatically includes five fields that cannot be deleted: Record ID, Date Created, Date Modified, Record Owner, and Last Modified By. They appear in the field list like any other field and are shown at the bottom of record forms.
Changing a type
Every field type includes a Field Type dropdown of its own, so you can change a field's type in the editor. High Systems migrates the column's data, but check that existing values convert cleanly before switching a field that already holds records.