Register Field types

Modified on Tue, 1 Jul at 12:45 PM

Standard Field Types

The standard field types are used for data collection. They can also be updated from a workflow.

Text

Text fields allow users to enter free-format alphanumeric data.

Configuration Options


Default Value	Set a default value for the field. When a new record is added this is the value set for the field which the user can then edit as required.
Display Height	Set the height of the text field (in rows). Use this to visually indicate to the user how much text they are expected to enter Default is 3
Maximum Length	Set the maximum number of characters the user can enter Maximum is 2000
Show Character Count	If checked, when the user is typing in the field they will see how many characters they have left

Date

Date fields allow users to enter a date or select one via a date picker.

Configuration Options

Option			Action
Default Value			Set a default value for the field. When a new record is added this is the value set for the field which the user can then edit as required. You can enter either a fixed date using the system format defined for dates (e.g. Mar 22, 2025) or you can use the @today value to set a date x days in the past/future. For
			example, if the standard time to resolve an issue is ten days you could set the default value to ‘@today + 10’
Offset Date on Project Copy			If a register is included when copying a project, this setting will offset the date field by the difference between the start dates of the original and new project. So, if the original project has a start date of 1 Jan 2021 and an action register entry with a target date of 10 Jan 2021, when the project is copied and the start date of the copied project is 1 Jan 2025, the copied action will have a target date of 10 Jan 2025.

Numeric

Text fields allow users to enter a numeric value

Configuration Options

Option	Action
Default Value	Set a default value for the field. When a new record is added this is the value set for the field which the user can then edit as required.
Is Currency	If checked then changing the currency display on the register will show the value of this field in the selected currency
Decimal Places	Set the decimal places. Up to 8 decimal places are support. Set to zero if an integer value is required.
Min Value	The minimum value that can be entered. Optional
Max Value	The maximum value that can be entered. Optional
Is Percentage	If checked a % symbol will be appended to the end of the field value. This is only for display purposes in the modal, the % is not stored in the database nor displayed in the grid
Empty Fields display Null	By default, a numeric field with no value will show zero (0). If this box is checked, the field will display as blank

Yes/No

A simple yes/no option. In the modal, displays as a checkbox. In the register grid, displays as either a red x or green tick.

Configuration Options

Option	Action
Default Value	Set a default value for the field

Look Ups and Reference Fields

In addition to simple txt, numeric and date fields, register fields can reference and link to other data in the system.

Users

These three field types allow users to select one or more users from the system. The system fields for owned by and raised by are both single select user lists.

The user list fields do not include inactive users. However, if a user has already been selected and is then made inactive, they will remain in the field until changed.

Single Select User List

Option

Action

Default Value

Set a default user for the field

Include Resource Only Users

By default, the list will exclude resource only users. Check this box to include resource only users in the list

Resource only users have [R] after their name in the selection list

Note: Due to the potentially large numbers of users in the system, the dropdown control on the add/edit modal uses a ‘lazy loader’. This control uses the currently selected value as the filter/search value. In order to select a different user, the user must first clear the field.

Multi Select User List

This is similar to Single Select User list but allows the user to select more than one user.

Option	Action
Include Resource Only Users	By default, the list will exclude resource only users. Check this box to include resource only users in the list

Single Select User Role List

This is similar to a single select user list but only list users with the selected role type. A typical use case for this field type would be where you need to make sure that the user selects, say, a Finance Manager or a Benefits Manager in a specific field. It’s important to understand that this field type does not display roles to the user, it displays a list of users with a specific role.

Option	Action
Include Resource Only Users	By default, the list will exclude resource only users. Check this box to include resource only users in the list
Only Users with Project Access	Check this box to only display users with the selected role who also have access to the project. This option ensures that users don’t, for example, select a Finance Manager in a different area of the business who has no access the project. Project Access is defined as any profile on the project. You can’s specify a particular profile. Both accesses assigned directly and via a group is checked
User Role	Select the role to filter the list of users by

Custom Lists and System Data Lists

These fields allow the user to pick values from either a custom dropdown list or a system list of values. They ensure data integrity and accuracy by ensuring the user can only select from a defined list of values.

Single Select Custom List

Option	Action
Default Value	Set a default value for the field. The default value can only be set once the custom source is selected
Custom Source	The dropdown list to display values from. This list must be configured under ADMIN \| SMART FORMS \| DROPDOWN LISTS. The list area must be Project Registers or All
Is a Cascading Dropdown	See cascading dropdowns below

Multi Select Custom List

This is similar to Single Select Custom List but allows the user to select more than one value.

Option

Action

Custom Source

The dropdown list to display values from. This list must be configured under ADMIN | SMART FORMS | DROPDOWN

LISTS. The list area must be Project Registers or All

Is a Cascading Dropdown

See cascading dropdowns below

Cascading Dropdowns: Cascading dropdowns, including how to use them in registers, will be documented separately. Note that the UI/UX for cascading dropdowns is currently under review

Single Select System Data

Single and Multi Select System Data fields allow you to use other system lists instead of having to duplicate them in a custom dropdown with the associated overheads of maintaining the two lists

Option

Action

Source

Select a system data source to use as the list:

• Organisation
• Strategy
• Skill
• Account Code

NB Payment Plans is only for customers using Payment

Planner and is not currently general product

Multi Select System Data

This is similar to Single Select System Data but allows the user to select more than one value.

Option

Action

Source

Select a system data source to use as the list:

• Organisation
• Strategy
• Skill
• Account Code

NB Payment Plans is only for customers using Payment

Planner and is not currently general product

Projects and Tasks

The fields allow a user to associate a register entry with a task(s) or a project.

Project Dropdown

Allows the user to select a project from the program(me) hierarchy.

The typical use case for this field is where a purchase order is at a programme level but the register records relating to deliverables under that purchase order are at lower levels in the hierarchy. Note that this is just an information type field, there is no equivalent of a Task Attribute field (see below) to return project attributes.

Option	Action
Only allow users to select Project of Type	If a project type(s) is selected, then only projects matching that type(s) are listed. Leave blank to show all projects
Default Project	Set a default project
Enable Select Current Project	Displays the select current project option in the project selector
Prefix the Project Name with	To help the user choose the right project, optionally prefix the name with either the Cora project id or the internal order id
Apply to Sub programmes	This setting is only relevant if a value has been selected in ‘Prefix the Project Name with’. If checked, then the prefix is added to all projects ar all levels in the project selector If it is unchecked then the prefix is only displayed on projects at the lowest level in the hierarchy (i.e. with not sub-projects) Note: This label is unclear and will be updated in a future release

Single Select Task List

Create a join from the register entry to a task. This field is usually used in conjunction with a Task Attribute field. It can also be used to create a Gantt Register Column to display a value from the register entry on the task row in the Gantt.

Option	Action
Only Show Tasks of Type	By default, the task selector will display all tasks. You can optionally limit the display of tasks to only those of a certain type. This is useful where, for example, you want to make sure that the user joins the register record to a Milestone task

Multi Select Task List

Create a join from the register entry to multiple tasks. As with a single select task list, this can be used to create a Gantt Register Column but it cannot be used with a task attribute field.

	Only Show Tasks of Type		By default, the task selector will display all tasks. You can optionally limit the display of tasks to only those of a certain type

Task Attribute

Returns a value from a task linked via a Single Select Task List Field. For example, if you have a key milestone register, you can create a single select task list field that joins to the milestone task in the Gannt and then display the Finish Date of the task in the register.


Task Field	The single select task list field that creates the join
Task Data Field	The field to display from the linked task. Key task attributes such as Start Date, Finish Date, Percentage Complete etc are available together with any custom task fields that have been configured

Registers

Often you will have relationships between register records or need to get data from other register records.

Note the Single Select Register Record field type has a specific use case (see miscellaneous fields section below).

Multi Select Reference

Prior to 1.25.2, this field type was labelled ‘Multiple Select Reference Dropdown Type’

This field type effectively allow you to use the entries in a register in the same way as you can the entries in a dropdown list but the register entries will be project specific instead of system-wide.

Option	Action
Source	Select ‘Register’ The admin grid option for source is reserved for future use
Register	The register to list records from. Records will be listed from the entries on the current project, not all entries in the system.
Register Field	The field from the selected register to display in the swap list.

Single Select Reference

Prior to 1.25.2, this field type was labelled ‘Single Select Reference Dropdown Type’

This field works in the same way as a multi select reference (above) but can also be used in conjunction with a Register Attribute field to get a value form the linked register record.

Option Action

Source Select ‘Register’

The admin grid option for source is reserved for future use

Register The register to list records from. Records will be listed

from the entries on the current project, not all entries in the system.

Register Field The field from the selected register to display in the dropdown.

Fields to Show in Grid If Show Data Gird is checked, you can select which columns form the linked register item to display to the user.

Note: The grid option is in development in 1.25.2. The grid option will be added to the Multi Select Reference field type in a future release.

Register Attribute

As of 15 May 2025, this is still in dev and may not be released in 1.25.2

This field works in the same way as a task attribute field but instead of returning a value from a linked task, it returns a value from a register entry linked via a Single Select Reference field.

Option

Action

Register Field

The Single Select Reference field that contains the join to the register record

Register Data Field

The field on the linked register record to return data from.

For example, a record a work breakdown structure register could be linked to a record in the control account manager register. This field could return the contact details for the selected control account manage

Linked Register Aggregate

This field allows you to aggregate values from register entries linked to the register entry in the Linked Items section. For example, if a risk register entry has risk mitigations as child entries, you can use this field type to sum up the mitigated amounts from all the child entries and check how much of the risk amount has been mitigated.

You cannot use this field type to aggregate values from register items linked via a multi select reference field.

Option		Action
Register		Select the register to aggregate values from
Register Column		The field on the register to aggregate. This must be a field of type numeric
Function		Sum – the total of the selected register column Avg – the mean average of the selected register column Min – The minimum value of the selected register column Max – The maximum value of the selected register column
Include		Which linked items should be aggregated? - All Items – Every record in the register on the project. Records do not need to be linked - Child Items Only – Only records linked as children - Related Items Only – Only records linked as related - All Linked Items – Records linked as either related or as children Options for child items are only available if the register selected is configured as a child register
Status		Only aggregate values from register entries with the selected status(es).
Timephased		Used in conjunction with loading data from registers into forecasting
Date		Only relevant if Timephased is checked. The value in the field selected is used to ensure that the register value feeds into the correct fiscal period

Calculated Fields

Calculated Field

Calculated fields use a formula to calculate a value. A common use case is in a risk register to take the values from impact and likelihood to calculate a risk score.

Option	Action
	Click to set/edit the formula
Calculation Type	A formula must return a single value. This field sets the type of value to be returned (text, decimal, integer, Boolean, Image, Date or Custom List. The validation on the formula editor will check that the formula returns a valid type. For example, if you set the type to integer your formula cannot return a text string

You can use other fields in the register record in the formula along with values from custom fields and project (system) variables. The @today function can also be used to return today’s date.

If a register is configured as a child of another register, then values from the parent can also be used in formulas.

Standard operators such as = and <> can be used together with more complex functions.

A full reference guide for how to use formulas is in development.

Important: Calculated fields are extremely powerful and can contain complex business logic. However, the formula has to be evaluated and calculated each time the record is accessed and recalculated when any of the values used in the formula change so configuring a lot of calculated fields or building extremely complex formulas will increase load times for the user and reduce performance of the register overall.

A calculated field of type text can include html but its use is not recommended because it cannot be validated and can therefor lead to errors and will result in significant performance overheads.

Miscellaneous Fields

Project Record ID

Every record in a register gets a unique id. This id is unique and never re-used but is shared across all projects. This means that the register records on a project will not have contiguous ids. i.e. they could be number 12 and 37 with records 1 to 11 and 13 to 36 on other projects. You can use this field type to create a unique numbering sequence at the project level so records 12 and 37 would have project level ids of 1 and 2.

If you configure a field of this type, you can then choose whether to hide the system id. To hide the system id check the ‘Hide System ID’ on the Options tab in the register config.

You can only create one record of this type per register.

Configuration Options

Option	Action
Start No	By default, records will be number 1, 2, 3 etc. You can set a different start number – for example, if you want all records to have a four-digit id, set the Start No to 1000

Payment Scheduler

This field type is only for customers using Payment Scheduler functionality and is not intended for general use.

Single Select Register Record

This field type allows a user to select another record in the same register. It is only for use in registers of type hierarchy where it is used to establish a parent relationship within the records in the register.

See register section above for the field types to use to connect register entries in non- hierarchy register.

System Fields

When you create a new standard register, seven system fields are created. These fields are needed for ensure the correct functioning of PPM and, while they can be re-named, they cannot be deleted. With the exception of Target Date, they are mandatory.

Field	Type	Why is it Needed
Description	Text	The text from this field is used as the hyper-link in the register grid to open the record for editing Note: It is recommended to keep this value relatively short. If the use case requires a longer description, consider adding a ‘Long Description’ text field
Raised By	Single Select User List	On creation of a record defaults to the user who created the record but can be changed (for example where an existing log is manually copied into PPM, the user entering the data may not be the user who raised it).
Raised Date	Date	On creation of record default to the current date but can be changed.
Owned By	Single Select User List	On creation of a record defaults to the user who created the record but can be changed. Owned by is used on My Dashboard to identify entries that the current user needs to action It is a basic principle of PPM (and best practice for project management in general) that every register record must have one, and only one owner. Where an entry has multiple additional owners, then add a multiselect user list or consider using a child record to hold multiple actions related to the one register entry.
Target Date	Date	This is the due date for closing the record (or the next action on it). It is important for action logs, risks logs etc and is used in the register widget to identify overdue items but it may not be relevant for all registers. It is therefore not mandatory by default.
Status	Single Select Status List	Every record must have a status. There are two default statuses: Logged and Closed. These can be re-named but not deleted. Additional statuses can be added. PPM treats any record NOT at the system status of closed as open for reporting purposes. If you click close in the register gird, the status of the record is set to the system status for closed.
Last Date Updated	Date	The value of this field is set automatically by the system when the record is created or updated. It is important for auditing purposes and cannot be changed manually.

The date and user fields are important for audit purposes and are also needed by the dashboard widgets to identify overdue entries, upcoming entries, and entries owned by a user.

You can add visibility and editability formulas to system fields BUT the mandatory nature of a system field will override these formulas. If, for example you put an editability formula that resolves to false on the description field, it will be ignored until a value has been entered.

Note. Other register types (cost book, baseline change control, hierarchy) have additional system fields