Overview
You may want to store data about your users that is different from the fields that are available in the standard Scaffold configuration.
You can add your own custom profile fields.
Custom fields
From the Settings block, select Site administration > Users > Accounts > User profile fields
You will be presented with a list of current custom fields, and the option to create a new profile field or a new category.
Categories are sections within a user's profile that have no effect on how the data is used, but make fields easier to find.
Creating a new field
From the Create a new profile field dropdown menu, choose the field type you want to create.
On the next page you will see Common Settings which are described in the table immediately below, and Specific Settings which are detailed along with a description of how that field type would be used further down.
|
Setting
|
Options
|
Description
|
|---|---|---|
| Short name (must be unique) | Free text | Enter a unique name using letters, numbers, underscores and no spaces. This is the link to this field when uploading users. |
| Name | Free text | The title of the field |
| Description of the field | Free text | This description is only seen when editing a field - it helps to keep track of why a field has been created. |
| Is this field required? | Yes/no | If required, then you can't create a profile without entering data |
| Is this field locked? | Yes/no | If locked then it can't be edited by the user |
| Should the data be unique? | Yes/no | If yes, then you can't create a profile that has the same data here as another profile |
| Display on signup page | Yes/no | If yes, then the field is available when creating an account using the self-registration process |
| Who is this field visible to? | Everyone / User / Not visible | If a users profile can be seen by other (this depends on other site and course settings) then this particular field can be visible to all, only to the user themselves, or to no-one. They will always be visible to administrator, regardless of the setting. |
| Category | Various | Any categories you have created will be available here. This is where on the profile page the field will be seen |
Autocomplete text input
This is a text entry field for which you can enter 'standard' values that will be suggested to complete what the user has begun typing.
|
Settings
|
Options
|
Description
|
|---|---|---|
| Menu options (one per line) | Free text | Enter a series of autocomplete values, with each on a separate line |
| Default value | Free text | You can have the field pref-filled with a default value. Enter that here (optional). |
Checkbox
An option that can be ticked (yes) or unticked (no)
|
Settings
|
Options
|
Description
|
|---|---|---|
| Checked by default | Yes/no | Whether the box is ticked by default |
Date/time
A calendar in which you can choose a date and time.
|
Settings
|
Options
|
Description
|
|---|---|---|
| Start year | 1912 - 2032 | The earliest year that can be chosen |
| End year | 1912 - 2032 | The last year that can be chosen |
| Include time | Checkbox | Whether to allow a time to be chosen as well as a date |
Menu of choices
A drop down menu from which one option is chosen
|
Settings
|
Options
|
Description
|
|---|---|---|
| Menu options (one per line) | Free text | Enter a series of values, with each on a separate line |
| Default value | Free text | You can have the field pref-filled with a default value. Enter that here (optional). |
Menu of choices, with free text option
A drop down menu from which either one option is chosen or a free-text entry is typed
|
Settings
|
Options
|
Description
|
|---|---|---|
| Menu options (one per line) | Free text | Enter a series of values, with each on a separate line |
| Default value | Free text | You can have the field pref-filled with a default value. Enter that here (optional). |
Text area
A multiple line free text field with a rich text editor
|
Settings
|
Options
|
Description
|
|---|---|---|
| Default value | Free text | You can have the field pref-filled with a default value. Enter that here (optional). |
Text Input
A single-line text field
|
Settings
|
Options
|
Description
|
|---|---|---|
| Default value | Free text | You can have the field pref-filled with a default value. Enter that here (optional). |
| Display size | A number | The length of the text field |
| Maximum length | A number | The maximum number of characters that can be entered |
| Is this a password field? | Yes/no | If yes, then this will be displayed as dots rather than characters |
| Link | Free text | Will convert what is entered here into a link, by combining a URL with the entered data. The entered data is represented by $$. For example, to transform a Twitter ID to a link, enter http://twitter.com/$$ |
| Link target | None / New Window / Same Frame /.Same Window | Where the link will be opened when clicked. |
Create a category
Click the Create a new profile category button, and then enter a unique name for that category and Save changes.
Editing and deleting
You can choose to edit and delete fields by selecting the icons in the right-hand Edit column. When editing the same form is presented as when first creating it.
Any deleted fields will remove all data entered into those fields from the database, so be careful. When deleting you will be first asked to confirm your action and will be told how many user records have data in that field.
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