Understanding Form Field Types

Before designing a form:

1. Examine the original form and identify each section.
2. Decide if questions should go in a table or as stand-alone fields.
3. For tables, determine the number of rows and columns.
   1. Also consider if you want the "question" and answer to be in the same cell OR question in a cell above or beside the answer cell. In the screenshot below, the question is in the cell to the left of the answer.
   2. 
4. Choose the appropriate field type:
   • Text box, Paragraph, Yes/No, Multiple Choice
5. Set permissions for each question:
   • Who can see? Who can edit? Is it mandatory?
6. Identify fields that may be auto-filled

Element Types on a Form

1. Action Buttons

• • Save Draft: Saves partially-completed forms.
  • Submit: Completes the form; all mandatory fields above the submit button must be filled.
  • Requires read/write or editable permission.
  • Confirmation text indicates who clicked which button and when.

      2. Calculation Fields

• • Read-only numeric fields calculating values from form or Sonia data.
  • Can sum or average rows/columns in tables as well as other field combinations
  • Click the edit pencil next to Default to set formulas like SUM COL or AVG ROW or to define a unique formula
  • Respondents see totals after clicking an action button.

Important Tips:

• • • Calculations are sensitive to number formats (Arabic, spelled out, or ratings).
    • Referencing another calculation field may require clicking the action button twice.
    • We recommend incorporating the formula directly rather than referencing another calculation.
    • Leave calculation fields read-only to prevent tampering.

3. Checkbox

Checkboxes collect a simple yes/agree response. If mandatory, the box must be checked before submission.

4. Contact Photo

This field lets users upload a profile photo via a form but does not update their profile automatically.

5. Date

The Date field provides a text box with a popup calendar. You can set minimum and maximum acceptable values.

6. Date and Time

The Date and Time field allows users to select a specific date and time

from the two icons to the right of the field.

7. Decimal (1,2,3 places) 

Decimal fields accept only numbers with1, 2, or 3 decimal places.

8. Document

The document field lets users upload one or more files, viewable as links and exportable to a zip folder.

You can set min/max uploads, and multiple document fields can exist on a form.

Documents uploaded into forms cannot be used in Sonia communications.

9. Drop-down List

A drop-down list works like multiple choice but is better for lists with many options, keeping the form compact.

NOTE: Using many dropdown fields on a form can cause the form to take longer to load upon opening. Consider using horizontal or vertical select fields where appropriate

10. Drop-down list (multi-select)

A drop-down list where multiple items can be selected. Note the square boxes to allow for the multiple selecting.

11. Dynamic label

A dynamic label is label text that has a variable (dynamic) value at the end.

Create the label itself in the Description field.

Then, click the edit pencil for Default and select the dynamic value. Note that a static default value is not an option.

In this example, we chose Placement Group Area, meaning the highlighted content in the screenshot above will be different depending on the Area of the placement group in which the form was assigned.

12. External Invitation

• • Allows the form respondent to enter an email address for someone with the “external” role.
  • Example: A student forwards the form to a referee or site representative not in Sonia.
  • The invitation is sent when the Submit button is clicked.
  • External recipients need at least read-only access on certain fields and a Submit button with read/write permission for the External role.
  • Default message: customizable in School Options > Notifications > Other > “Anonymous form invite”.
  • Respondent can edit the message before submission. Note that it MUST contain the [NotificationText] placeholder in order for the external recipient to receive a link to the form.

13. Five Star Rating

This field will record a number from 1 to 5 in 0.5 increments. The example above is a 2.5 (out of 5).  This is a quick way to obtain a quantitative answer to a question.

14. Four Character Masked Single Line Text

A single line text box where the field’s value is partially obscured. Only the last 4 characters will be shown

15. Heading

A Label field type that will be contained within <h2></h2> tags in the HTML.  Headings are usually used to define different sections of the form.  This ensures screen readers and browsers can correctly identify and navigate different sections of the form.

16. Horizontal List

Used for selecting one option from a small set of short choices.

17. Horizontal List (multi-select)

A multiple choice field where more than one option may be selected. 

If this data is collected and exported, the answers will be in one field, comma separated.

18. HTML Editor

The HTML field is a paragraph text box in which the content can be enhanced with HTML rich text elements.

19. Invoice Documents

When the form is assigned via the Invoices module, this field displays a link to the document(s) uploaded on that Invoice.

20. Invoice Students

          Will display the students involved in the placements on the Invoice.

21. Label

The Label field provides read-only information. The example shows that a label can consist of multiple lines of formatted text and/or images

22. Page Break

The Page Break field inserts a break when printing, helping format the form properly.

23. Paragraph Text

Paragraph Text collects long responses, shows scroll bars for overflow, and expands fully after submission.

24. Single Line Text

Single Line Text collects short responses (text or numbers) with optional Minimum/Maximum length and Format to enforce patterns (e.g., aaa-###).

25. Site Search

Site Search lets respondents type part of a site name to filter sites that are active in Sonia. Selecting a site shows the contact information on the site record in Sonia. The sites are available only after form assignment; not by previewing a form design.

26. Student Timesheet

The Timesheet grid mirrors Sonia Online.

Min/Max controls entry limits.

Approval permissions come from the Timesheet setting in the Placement Settings.

Important:

• • Each timesheet entry must be individually approved (Read/Write access for Approvers required).
  • Forms must be assigned to allocated students to display the timesheet.
  • Placement group settings affect form behavior.
  • Entries convert to actual student times only upon final form submission.

27. Table

Tables organize the layout of a section of a form into rows and columns, making efficient use of horizontal space, as well as the ability to group together similar questions or display comparisons

Detailed information about forms here.

28. Time

The Time element provides a formatted time with a popup picker; selected times can be edited as needed.

29. Verification 

The Verification element is a special-purpose control that calls an external agency to validate documents and check police records. The Provider dropdown below requires an integration in School Options > Integrations.

(Primarily used in Australia.)

30. Vertical List

The Vertical List is for a few wide options that don’t fit well horizontally.

31. Vertical List (multi-select)

A vertical list in which the user can select multiple responses.

32. Whole number

The Whole Number field allows only for numeric values only, not including decimals or any other characters.  

33. Yes/No

The Yes/No option is a horizontal multiple choice element pre-defined with Yes and No answers.

Sonia Form Topics:

What is a Form

Form Design

Mastering the Form Designer

Forms Online

Forms and Accessibility

Additional Fields Info

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