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This tutorial is for the Desktop Designer. To view the updated tutorial for the online project designer, please click here .

Edit Point

Learn how the Edit point can be used and see it in action with the sample projects.

What is the Edit point?

The Edit Point can be used for entering text, numbers or passwords and has a variety of options to customise this point for your needs. The point can be configured to allow multiple lines of entry or to set a limit on the number of characters or digits that can be entered. Other options can be used to provide a quick way to enter numbers such as adding up and down arrows to the point to provide a quick means to incrementing/decrementing the value.

Key Features


Edit point animation

Cut/Copy Paste

The Edit point can be used with the device's standard cut/copy/paste controls to copy data between points or even other applications such as the browser. The controls can be displayed by tapping and holding on the Edit point for one second and then releasing.

Hardware Accessories

The Edit point can be used to record data using external hardware accessories such as barcode scanners, line scanners, RFID scanners and more. Mobile Data Anywhere has been used by many customers using products from these providers:

To capture data from an external attachment, the Edit point will need to be selected by tapping on the point.

Voice Dictation

Data can be recorded into the Edit point using voice dictation. This can be useful for recording large amounts of data, quickly and accurately. This feature is available for most modern devices running versions of Google Android or Apple iOS.

To capture data using your voice, start by selecting the point by tapping on it, the same way that you would to start typing into the point. This should display the software keyboard for the device which should have a microphone icon. Tap on the microphone icon to start recording voice. Press the done button to complete the recording which will then transcribe the audio into text and automatically paste it into the selected point.


Voice dictation ios

Configuration and Settings

The Edit point can be configured in the Mobile Data Anywhere Designer to customise the behaviour of the point. Below is an example of the properties window for an Edit point, opened in the Mobile Data Anywhere Designer.


Edit point properties

Style options

The Edit point can be configured to operate in one of three ways using one of the available style options:

Any Text Allowed

This is the most common and generic style for the Edit point which allows for any text or numbers to be entered. When this style of Edit point is selected, by tapping on it, a standard keyboard will be provided with the ability to enter in text and numbers.

Numbers Only

A style of Edit point that can be used to quickly collect numeric information either by typing a number using a keyboard or by incrementing/decrementing a number within a range, using up and down arrows. There are additional options available for the Numeric Only style, under the Numeric Behaviour section, which provides options to set a range, padding and choose to display up and down arrows.

Masked Entry

This style works similarly to the Any Text Allowed style except that as text is entered into the point, it will be masked to hide what has been entered. This can be useful for entering sensitive information such as passwords and other information.

Physical Size

The Physical Size options can be used to customise the width and height of the Edit point. This is where the point can be configured to display multiple lines which can be useful for large amounts of data, such as a comments field.

Numeric Behaviour

These options are only available if the Edit point is using the Numbers Only style and can be used to configure the point with additional behaviour:

Range

This can be used to set a range of allowed values, allowing only values between and including the minimum and maximum values. When a range is used, you will also be required to set a Default Value option to specify the initial value for the point.

Up/Down Arrows

When this option is enabled the point will display up and down arrows on the mobile application, providing a quick way to increment and decrement the point's numeric value.

Padding

This can be used to add leading zeroes to the point's numeric value.

Default Value

This will be the initial value for this Edit point, when a new session is created on the mobile application. When using a Numbers only styled Edit point with a Range the Default Value will be required.

Limit

Sets a maximum limit on the number of characters or digits that can be entered into the Edit point.

Read only value (on mobile client))

When enabled, the Edit point will not be able to be edited by the user when displayed in a session on the mobile application. The point can still be edited programmatically using a Logic point or a Javascript point .

Allow carriage return

When enabled, the user will be able to add new lines to the Edit point using the return button on the software or hardware keyboard. This can be useful when providing an input for a large amount of data, in combination with setting the Physical Size options to display multiple lines.


Sample Projects

The Basic Points Sample project contains examples of how to use many of the various points that are available. This project also contains a page that demonstrates some of the ways that this point can be used in your projects.


Sample Projects
You can download the sample project for this tutorial or import the projects directly into your account.

Sample 1: Any Text Allowed Style

In the provided sample project, basic_point_samples.ppc there is a page for the Edit Point , which contains three sections. The first section demonstrates how an Edit point can be used with the Allow Any Text style to collect data in various ways. Open this project in the Mobile Data Anywhere Designer for a closer look at how each point has been customised on each point's properties window.

Edit point any text allowed

Sample 2: Numbers Only Style

The second section of the Edit Point page demonstrates how an Edit point can be used with the Numbers only style to collect numeric data in various ways. Open this project in the Mobile Data Anywhere Designer for a closer look at how each point has been customised on each point's properties window.

Edit point numbers only

Sample 3: Masked Entry Style

The final section of the Edit Point page demonstrates how an Edit point can be used with the Masked Entry style to collect sensitive data in a secure way. Open this project in the Mobile Data Anywhere Designer for a closer look at how each point has been customised on each point's properties window.

Edit point masked entry