The form builder is used across Commusoft: job report workflows, job arrive workflows, custom forms, sales arrive workflows, survey templates, and fleet vehicle checks. Whichever feature you reached it from, the field types are the same, so what you learn here applies everywhere.
The field type you choose decides more than how a question looks. It sets which keyboard opens on the technician's phone, whether an answer can be compared against last year's, and how long the form takes to complete on site.
Text and number fields
Four field types accept a typed answer. The difference between them is the keyboard that opens and how much can be entered.
Field type | What it captures | On mobile |
Input | A single line of text, up to 255 characters | Standard keyboard, one line |
Text area | Multiple lines with no character limit | Opens a full compose screen |
Number | Whole numbers only, no decimal point | Numeric keypad |
Decimal | Numbers including decimal places | Numeric keypad with a decimal point |
Important: An Input field holds 255 characters on mobile. A technician describing a fault in detail will reach that limit without being told why they cannot continue. Use a Text area for anything you want written up rather than noted.
Number and Decimal look similar but behave differently. Use Number for counts and whole readings such as carbon monoxide in parts per million. Use Decimal for measurements that may include a fraction, such as operating pressure. A technician who cannot enter 2.5 will round it, and you will not know they did.
Choice fields
Six field types offer a set of options. The right one depends mostly on how many options there are and whether more than one answer can apply.
Field type | How many answers | Best for |
Toggle | One | Two or three options, tapped directly |
Radio | One | Up to about four options, listed vertically |
Dropdown | One | Longer lists that would otherwise fill the screen |
Checkbox | Several | Anything where more than one answer can apply |
Single checkbox | One, the question itself | A confirmation such as "safe to use" |
Input with selection choices | One, typed or picked | Common answers, with room for anything else |
Preset toggle options
Several toggle fields with preset options are provided to speed up form creation:
Yes / No
Yes / No / N/A
Good / Fair / Poor / N/A
Pass / Fail / N/A
Compliant / Non-compliant / N/A
Note: The input type used for a preset option cannot be changed. To use a different type, create the field manually.
Capture fields
Four field types capture something rather than asking for typed input.
Field type | What it captures | On mobile |
Date | A calendar date | Calendar picker |
Time | A time of day | Clock face |
Signature | A handwritten signature | A box to sign in on screen |
Photo | Up to 3 images per field | Camera or photo library |
Tip: Keep the total number of photos across a whole form to around ten. Every photo has to sync from a device that may have a poor connection, and a form that will not upload is worse than a form with fewer images.
Fields that fill themselves in
Four field types need no answer from the technician at all. These are the most frequently overlooked, and the ones that save the most time on site.
Field type | Where the value comes from |
Non-editable input | The name of the user completing the form |
User | A dropdown of everyone on your Commusoft account |
Mileage | The current vehicle mileage |
Custom calculation | An equation using your own Number and Decimal fields |
Non-editable input removes the need for a technician to type their own name on every visit. User suits a question such as who was informed of an issue.
Building a custom calculation
Select Number or Decimal fields from the form, or type numbers directly, pressing Enter after each value. Use the symbols plus, minus, divide, multiply and brackets to group parts of the equation. A negative number starts with a minus sign. Choose how many decimal places the result should show, up to 10.
Important: Validate maths must pass before the field can be saved. Use realistic values when you test it, because an equation that validates is not necessarily an equation that gives the right answer.
Display fields
Two items in the builder are not questions. Nothing is entered against them.
Field type | What it does |
Section | Groups fields under a heading |
Plain text | Displays an instruction and asks for nothing back |
Sections turn a long form into something readable. Thirty fields under three headings read as three short screens rather than a wall of questions.
Plain text puts an instruction in front of the technician at the moment it matters. Use it for safety information, such as confirming equipment is isolated before testing begins.
Use cases
A reading you want to compare year on year: Use Number or Decimal with a measurement, not an Input. Text cannot be compared.
A question with more than four possible answers: Use a Dropdown. Toggles and Radio buttons fill the screen on a phone.
Anything Commusoft already knows: Use Non-editable input or a standard field. The fastest question is the one nobody has to answer.
A safety instruction: Use Plain text so it appears at the point of the work, not in a handbook.
A defect description the office will act on: Use a Text area. An Input will cut it short.
Common questions
What is the difference between an Input and a Text area?
An Input is a single line and holds 255 characters on mobile. A Text area has no character limit and opens its own compose screen. Use an Input for short entries such as a serial number, and a Text area for anything a technician needs to write up properly.
Is there a field that lets the technician add items to a list?
Yes, in two ways. Input with selection choices lets them pick from your preset options or type their own answer. For building a list of several items, such as parts used or appliances inspected, use a list page rather than a single field.
What does "visible on list" do?
On a list page, it shows that field's answer as the label for each entry. Without it, several entries look identical and the technician cannot tell which is which. Choose the one or two fields that identify an item, rather than marking everything visible.
When should I use a Toggle instead of a Dropdown?
Use a Toggle for two or three options, where tapping directly is quicker. Use a Dropdown once the list runs past four, because a long set of toggle options fills a phone screen and slows the form down.
Can a calculation use fields from a different page?
A custom calculation uses Number and Decimal fields from the form. Organize the form for the technician first, then build the calculation around it.