Custom fields

Overview

On some stage of the system usage, you may find that it is needed to add additional information to some entity, but corresponding field to enter this information is missing. For such cases, SDL Trados Business Manager offers Custom fields functionality, which includes the following possibilities:

  • alternation of database tables structure;
  • customization of list and data entry form layouts to place custom fields at desired places (including possibility to display custom fields in the customer or vendor portals for specific clients and vendors);
  • providing predefined list of values for custom fields;
  • usage of custom fields in reports for analytics and printing templates (for example, invoices);

Adding a new custom field

  1. Open Application settings.
  2. Click Edit custom fields button:

  3. In the opened list click the New button.
  4. Select entity type to add new field to, type field name (without spaces, it will be added to the database structure), provide field caption (as it will be displayed in the UI), select value type (string, date, boolean, integer, decimal), provide max length if selected field type is string, and optionally mark this field as required.

  5. For string fields, provide max length and optional list of predefined values (comma-separated, like Value1, Value2, Value3, etc.). Then, you will be able to select from these values in your data entry forms.
  6. Click Save and close to confirm field creation.
  7. Logout from the system and login again to initiate field creation.
Due to specifics of the internal database connection functionality, it is mandatory to restart application pool when you delete custom fields, or when you use Is Required and Max length properties of the custom field. Until application pool restart, field validation won't work. However, when you just add a new custom field, is is not required to restart app pool.

Adding a filed to a list view

To add a new field to your list views, please customize them according to the List view customization article. You can display custom fields for all users, or only for specific user or roles.

You can apply filters to a column containing custom filed data only via filter builder. Filter from a top filter row for such columns is not available.

Adding new field to a data entry form

As with list view, please follow Data entry form customization article to know how to add and place a custom field to any place in the form. Again, you can display custom fields for all users, or only for specific user or roles.

Reports

When a custom field is created, you're fully free to use it in your reports in an absolutely same way as you can use default fields. Custom field will appear in the field list along with default fields, as shown on the following screenshot:

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