Develop > Tailoring > Form creation > Forms Designer > Creating and editing forms > Date control

Date control

Use this control to add a text box that displays and enables users to update the contents of a date field.

To place a date field on a form, click Date and then click the form.
Be sure to put the name of the database field or variable that you want to associate with this control into the Input property.

Property Usage
Name Specify a unique identifier for the object on the screen. (Optional)

This name is used by external applications, such as RAD, to dynamically change the properties of the object.
X Specify the object’s horizontal position based on the left edge of the object.
Y Specify the object’s vertical position based on the top edge of the object.
Width Specify the width of the object in alignment grid units.
Height Specify the height of the object in alignment grid units.
Visible Select this option to make the object visible on the form. Clear the check box to hide the object from view on the form.
Visible Condition Specify an expression to override the Visible property when that expression evaluates to true.
Caption Specify a text caption for the object.
Caption Condition Specify an expression to override the Caption property when that expression evaluates to true.
Input Specify the database field or variable to associate with this control.
Accessible Name Specify a component name for use with accessibility software. (Optional)

Note: This function is only supported by the Web client.

If no name is present, the Web client defaults to looking for a nearby label to use for the name of the component. For buttons, check boxes, or radio buttons, it uses the component’s text. Accessibility software can query the Web client to get this information and use it to present data to the user in a variety of ways. For example, speech simulation software says the name and the type of component when the component has focus.
Accessible Description Specify a component description for use with accessibility software. (Optional)

Note: This function is only supported by the Web client.

If no description is present, the Web client defaults to looking for a nearby label to use for the name of the component. For buttons, check boxes, or radio buttons, the Web client will use the component’s text. Accessibility software can query the Web client to get this information, and use it to present it to the user in a variety of ways. For example, when a component gets focus, speech simulation software will say the name and the type of component, based on the settings in the Accessible Name and Accessible Description fields.
Tab Stop Specify the tab sort order for this field. By default, the TAB key navigates the focus on a form from top to bottom and left to right. Objects that have a non-zero Tab Stop are visited first, in ascending order. For a button, file, radio button or check box, you will almost always use the default of 0.
Input Conversion Specify the name of an Input Conversion routine. This property is used by RAD subroutines that mask the display of data on an input field, or check and validate the entry of data into an input field. If specified, the routine is called at runtime to convert the contents of the field before it is displayed on the screen. For examples, refer to the RAD input and output routines.
Mask Specify the mask value (the condition that sets a value to be passed for this field to the input and output conversion routines). When a field has a mask value and you save the record, the format of the mask value displays in the field. For example, you decide to update the purchase cost information of a contract in Configuration Management. You enter a date in the Currency EX Date field of the Financial tab as 02/26/09. The condition for the mask value is set as: xxx dd,yyyy. When you save the record, the Currency Ex Date field displays the date format of February 26, 2009. Valid values for the mask vary depending on the routine being called.
Output Conversion Specify the name of an Output Conversion routine. This property is used by RAD subroutines that mask the display of data on an output field, or check and validate the entry of data into an input field. If specified, the routine is called at runtime to convert the contents of the field before it is displayed on the screen. For examples, refer to the RAD input and output routines.
Read-Only Select this option to disable editing capabilities and provide only viewing access to the field. Give read–only fields a tab–stop value of –1 to prevent users from tabbing into them.
Read-Only Condition Specify an expression to override the Read-Only property when that expression evaluates to true.
Parse Select this option to verify that the text entered in a field is the correct syntax. The syntax for the field is defined by the type of field it displays (date, expression, number, and so forth).
Mandatory Select this option so that a red asterisk indicating a required field is displayed. This is a visible change only.
- To make the field mandatory for any form it appears on, use the System Definition Utility.
- To make the field mandatory for a small number of forms only, use Format Control.
Mandatory Condition Specify an expression to override the Mandatory property when that expression evaluates to true.
Array Length

Specify the size of the scrolling region used to view array entries. A scroll bar appears beside the fields to allow users to view the array entries.

- If a field is assigned an Array Length of 5, the form stacks five fields vertically to allow users to view the five array entries.

- If Array Length is set to -1, the form dynamically creates as many fields as there are entries in the array.

- If the Input data type is scalar, only a single text box appears.

Note: The screen object must be associated with an array data structure.

The default is 0, which means one vertical line of information appears.
Duration Select this option to indicate that this is a time duration field rather than a specific date.
Time Zone Specify the time zone for the date set in the duration property.
Time Zone Field Specify the field that indicates the time zone for the date set in the duration property.
Date-only

Select this option to display the date without time in the field.

Note This property is supported only in the date/time widget on a search page.

Data Changed Event Specify the option number (such as Button ID) to call if the data contained in the object changed. This sends an event to the display RAD application.