Field Types

Fields are the containers that hold data about students, parents, and other contacts in Finalsite Enrollment. This reference covers each available field type and the kind of information it can store. To learn how fields work overall, see Fields Overview.

💡Quick Answers

• Can I create my own fields? Yes. See Creating and Editing Fields for the full process.
• Which field types hold composite data? AddressField, NameField, and PhoneField each have subfields (e.g., first_name, address_city, phone type and number).
• What's the difference between TextField and TextAreaField? TextField is a smaller open box; TextAreaField is larger, preserves line breaks, and is better for essays or long internal notes.
• Which fields validate format? DateField validates against your locale, EmailField requires ___@___.___, and IdField rejects values already used elsewhere.
• What's a ScholarshipField? A special numeric field whose value is automatically subtracted from a student's contract tuition. See Scholarship Management.
• Which field types can't I create new instances of? Special-behavior fields like ApplyGradeField and ApplyYearField. They are system-only and cannot be cloned.

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Field Types Reference Table

Below is a list of the different field types and a brief description of each. 

Field Type	Description
AddressField (composite field)	Holds all parts of an address. International addresses are supported. The standard address field will be mapped to Household1 or Household2, but additional custom address fields can be created to collect information such as school addresses, recommender addresses, etc. Contains subfields: address_1, address_2, address_city, address_state, address_zip, and address_country.
BooleanField	Field in which accepted values are only yes (true) or no (false). Additional options cannot be added to Boolean Fields.
BooleanlistField	Multi-select field in which one or more of the listed options can be selected. Useful for collecting data such as academic or athletic interests, so that a student can check all that apply.
CurrencyField	Holds currency amounts, formatted with a decimal point and no commas. If displaying a CurrencyField amount in Liquid, a filter can be used to format it with a dollar sign and commas.
DateField	Holds dates. Validation requires correct formatting with month, day, and year - all other formats will be rejected. Date display (e.g. MM/DD/YYYY or DD/MM/YYYY) depends on the Locale setting selected within 'Settings' - 'General' - 'Basic Setup'.
EmailField	Holds emails. Validation requires correct formatting as _____@_____._____ - all other formats will be rejected.
IdField	Holds a unique ID or value for each contact in the system. Conflicting values (i.e. those already assigned to another contact) will be rejected.
LikertField	Likert scale checkboxes often used on recommendation forms. Please note: Data collected in LikertFields on forms does not write through to the system. Must be preceded on forms by a LikertDefinitionField to determine rating options.
NameField (composite field)	Holds all parts of a name. The standard name field will be mapped to specific entities such as the child (student), parent1-4, sibling0-9, etc., but additional custom name fields can be created to collect information such as grandparent names, teacher names, etc. Subfields are name_title, first_name, middle_name, last_name, name_suffix, and preferred_name.
NumberField	Holds numbers, formatted with a decimal point and no commas.
PhoneField (composite field)	Holds phone numbers. International phone numbers and extensions are supported. There are three standard phone fields (phone_1, phone_2, and phone_3), but additional custom phone fields can be created to collect information such as school phone numbers, emergency contact phone numbers, etc. Subfields are type (valid values = home, cell, work) and number.
ScholarshipField	Special field where the amount entered into it is automatically subtracted from the tuition amount on a student's contract. Click here for more information.
SignatureField	Electronic signature tied to IP address.
AdditionalSignatureField	Second electronic signature tied to IP address, which prompts an additional signer to be invited. Used for dual signature contracts and only available on the Contract, not any additional forms.
SingleSelectField	Drop-down list field in which only one selection can be made from the list of options. Useful for collecting data such as t-shirt size, so that a single value can be selected from a list of options.
TextField	Smaller open text box that can hold any type of information. When used on a form, a TextField can be expanded to a larger TextAreaField within the Advanced Editor by clicking More Options. Text Fields do not have set character or word limits.
TextAreaField	Larger open text box that can hold any type of information. It preserves line breaks and will always display submitted data across the full width of the page to make it easier to read long answers. Ideal for essays, internal notes, and any other items requiring longer responses. TextArea Fields do not have set character or word limits.

Additional Field Types

Please note: You may see some additional field types -- such as ApplyGradeField or ApplyYearField -- on the Fields setup page or elsewhere. However, these are special fields with unique behaviors and we cannot create new fields with these types. We can only create new fields using the types in the table listed above.

 

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Additional Resources

• Office Hours & Past Session Recordings
• Fields Overview
• Field Settings