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Configuring custom input fields

You may want to prompt the user for additional information during the interactive audit. In the Settings App, you can add a number of custom input fields for Computer records. Alloy Discovery will automatically enable displaying custom input fields in all existing audit profiles

For any configuration changes to take effect, you and other users must restart Alloy Discovery Desktop App. It is recommended to configure custom input fields when users are not logged on to the database.

To add a custom input field:

  1. In the Settings App, go to General > Fields > Computers and click New > Custom Input Fieldon the Module menu. The Custom Input Field window opens.

  2. Configure the custom input field as needed and click OK. The newly created field is automatically included and enabled in all audit profiles.

To modify the definition of a custom input field:

  1. Double-click the field to bring up the Custom Input Field window.

  2. Make your changes.

  3. Click OK.

To remove a custom input field:

  • Select the field and click the Delete icon.

Custom Input Field window

In the Custom Input Field window you add a custom input field or modify its definition.

NOTE: If you have opened the Custom Input Field window from the audit profile, you can only view the field definition.

  • The Field definition section contains the following fields:

    • Field Caption - the caption of the custom input field.

    • Default Value - the default value for the custom field.

    • Field type - the type of your custom field. The following types are available:

      • Input - a free-form text entry box.

      • Select - a drop-down list. You add the list items in the Select Options section.

      • Combo - a combination of a drop-down list and a text entry box, giving the user a possibility to type in any value not from the list. You add the list items in the Select Options section.

    • The Options section contains the following field attributes:

      • Mandatory - requires the field to be filled in. All mandatory custom input fields appear on the Inventory Analyzer start screen in a red box.

      • Remember - makes the field "sticky" by remembering the last entered value.

    • The Select options specifies the items of the drop-down list of the Select/Combo Field Types.

To add a new list item, type its value into the text field and click Add. Use the Replace button to change the value of the selected item, and the Delete button to remove the selected item from the list.

NOTE: In case you specify the default value in the Default Value field, make sure that the Select options list includes an item with the exact same value.

  • The Field mapping contains information for storing the custom fields in the audit snapshot file and in the Alloy Discovery database. Audit snapshots data is divided into sections. Each section has a group of values collected by the Inventory Analyzer, and identified by their unique keys.
    The audit snapshot section for the custom input fields is always named CustomFields.

    • Audit File Section - the audit snapshot section for the custom input fields. The snapshot data is divided into sections. Each section has a group of values collected by the Inventory Analyzer, and identified by their unique keys.
      The audit snapshot section for the custom input fields is always named CustomFields.

    • Field Name / Audit File Key - allows you to enter a name for the variable (key) storing collected custom input field's value. This value is also used as the name of the database field that stores the collected custom input field's value.

NOTE: For the Field Name / Audit File Key field, you are allowed to use only English letters, numbers, and low line characters (_); additionally you cannot start the name with the number and end the name with the "_id" sequence.

    NOTE: By default, custom input fields are not included in any grid views for Computers. To show the column in a particular view you should modify the view configuration and add custom input fields as needed.