TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Where can I record custom information in Equinox?
- Adding a custom field
- Editing or deleting a custom field
- Setting default values for custom fields
- How does the ‘Inherit from parent’ functionality work in custom fields?
- What does the ‘Required’ checkbox do?
Where can I record custom information in Equinox?
You can record custom information in Equinox in the fields listed below:
| Custom Field Category | System Area |
|---|---|
| Organisation | Address Book organisation contact details |
| Document | Case document details |
| Case | Case details tab |
| Person | Address Book person contact details |
| Location | Address Book location contact details |
| Charge | Case charge details |
| Applicant/Inventor | Applicant/Inventor contact details |
| Task | Task details |
Adding a custom field
Go to System > System Customisation section > Custom Fields
Choose the system area you'd like to add a field to
Note: Custom Case fields can also be added under System > Case Customisation section > Case Fields. This area of the system limits the number of extra case fields that can be created (date fields excepted). The Custom Fields section does not have a limit to the number of extra fields that are created.Choose the type of field to create
| Field Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Date Field | Creates a field to record a date, e.g., Expiry Date Note: If using this to create Case Date fields, this will not include country code and number fields. These custom case fields cannot be used to trigger pre-sets and task deadlines. Case Dates should be created under System > Case Fields. |
| Text Fields | Used to record a single line of text, up to 250 characters long, e.g., Client Name |
| Text Area Fields | Used to enter a paragraph of text. This field can be expanded to show all data entered in the field, e.g., Notes |
| Checkbox Fields | Creates a tick box |
| Dropdown Fields | Create a field that has pre-defined options available to select from a list |
| Multi-Select | Create a field that has multiple pre-defined options available to select from a list |
Click Add to the right of the field type
Type the name of the new field – New is highlighted in green on the left of the field to distinguish it from existing fields
Click Update in the bottom right to save the new field
The new field will be available to use immediately in the relevant area of the system.
It's possible to make it compulsory for users to fill in custom fields when they are updating a screen.
Note: New case fields will need to be added to a Case Layout before they are visible on the case Details tab. This is completed under System > Case Customisation section > Case Layouts. For more information on editing Case Layouts please contact our support team.
Editing or deleting a custom field
You can edit/delete custom fields by going to:
System > System Customisation section > Custom Fields
Select the area of the system where the field is displayed. The following options are available:
| Option | Instructions |
|---|---|
| Amend the field description | 1. Type the new description in the Field Name box 2. Click ‘Update’ to save the change |
| Make the field compulsory | 1. Tick the ‘Required’ box next to the field name 2. Click ‘Update’ to save the change |
| Delete a Custom Field | Click the 'Delete' button on the right of the field name Note: Deleting a field will remove it from your system immediately. Please check that there's no required data in this field before it's deleted as this action isn't reversible. Please contact our support team before deleting a field if you're unsure. |
Setting default values for custom fields
You can set default values for custom fields in Equinox by going to:
1. System > System Customisation section > Custom Fields
2. You can create default entries for the following fields:
- Text field
- Check-box field
- Dropdown field
- Multi-select field
You cannot set custom fields for date fields or text area fields.
Example – How to set up an organisation field with a default value
This example shows what Equinox looks like when you set up a custom organisation field with a default value.
1. The screenshot below is of the Modify Custom Fields screen. A custom Dropdown field has been created, called 'Business Area', with 3 values – ‘SME’, ‘Corporate’, and ‘Other’. The default value has been set as ‘SME’.
2. Click the green Update button to apply the changes to the custom fields to your system.
3.Click on Address Book in the top navigation bar
4. On the Address Book page, select the Add contact button and choose Organisation from the dropdown menu
5. Choose Client from the Organisation dropdown menu
6. The Add Client Organisation page will display any custom fields that you have configured, with the default values applied
How does the ‘Inherit from parent’ functionality work in custom fields?
The Inherit from parent functionality allows a value that is set on a custom field on a case to automatically be inherited by all child cases. Tick the box next to Inherit Value on the Case section of the Custom Fields screen to instruct Equinox to copy the value of this field from the parent case to the child cases, whenever a child case is created.
For more information on the relationship between parent and child cases in Equinox, please see the page.
Note: The ‘Inherit Value’ checkbox is only available in the ‘Case’ subsection.
What does the ‘Required’ checkbox do?
When you add a custom field, a ‘Required’ checkbox will become available for that custom field. If you tick the ‘Required’ checkbox, when you are updating a page containing a required field, you will be required to populate the field before you are able to update the page. All required fields have an asterisk next to them when displayed in the system.
Note: The required field will apply retroactively to items you created before creating the required field. For example, if you make a mark a case custom field as required, the next time you update an existing case where this field has not been populated previously, you will be required to enter a value.
Example – Adding a new organisation with a required multi-select field
In this example we will look at adding a mandatory multi-select field to an Organisation.
Now let’s see what happens when you try to create a new organisation with these custom fields set up in the background.
We are trying to add ‘Example Organisation’ to Equinox. When we click the green ‘Save’ button at the bottom of the case, Equinox comes up with a warning in red that reads ‘This field is required’ and creates an asterisk to the right-hand-side of the ‘Test Multi-Select Field’. This is because we marked this field as ‘Required’ in the Organisation section of the ‘Modify Custom Fields’ screen.
For further details about how to create a new organisation in Equinox, see the article on how to .