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Each field in an application has a field name, a physical name, an associated data type, an array size, and a lookup form. (Specifying a lookup form is optional.) The Field Definition window is used to create fields and specify their characteristics.
Each field can have two names, a field name and a physical name. The field name is required for all fields. The physical name is a shortened version (up to 24 characters) of the field name. It is used as the column name if the field is used in a SQL table.
Each field you create must be associated with one of the data types previously defined for the application, listed in the Field Definition window. The data type, which specifies most of the characteristics of the field, can be used by other fields, as well.
To view or change the settings for a data type, select a data type and click Open. The Data Type Definition window for the data type you selected will appear, allowing you to view or change the options for the data type.
An array field contains multiple occurrences of the same type of information. The individual pieces of information stored by the array field are referred to as elements. When you create a field, you can enter an array size for the field. The array size of a field indicates the number of elements that will be included in the array field. If the field won’t be an array, set the array size to 0.
For example, you could create an array field to store two phone numbers by specifying an array size of 2. The following illustration shows how the array field would store data.
Note that “Phone” is a single field, but that it has two elements, each containing a phone number.
You can also specify a lookup form for the field. A lookup form allows a user to easily enter information into the field. Lookups are described in detail in Lookups.