In ACT! versions 2009 (11.0) and prior, it is not possible to create new Opportunity fields. However, some Opportunity fields can be modified. The ability to create custom Opportunity fields was added in ACT! 2010 (12.0). For detailed information on managing Opportunity fields, refer to the following Knowledgebase Answer:
The number of new Contact, Group or Company ACT! fields that can be created is limited only by your system resources. You can modify the name or attributes of almost any defined ACT! Contact, Group or Company field. However, changing the field name through define fields will not change the field name displayed on the layout. For detailed information on changing the field name on a layout, refer to the Editing Field Labels section of this document.
Caution: While it is possible to redefine any field name, there are several fields that if renamed, may cause issues. For example: If you change the field name for a field used in lookups, the lookup command may no longer work properly. In addition, editing a field attribute for size or type may cause a loss of data. For example, if you change a field that contains alphanumeric (Character) data to Currency field type, all existing data in that field will be lost. If you synchronize, the field you edited may no longer synchronize data correctly.
Important Note to Synchronization Users: The following information does not apply to users of remote databases syncing with a main database. Field additions and modifications cannot be made in a remote (subscriber) database, only in the main (publisher) database.
Creating New ACT! Fields:
Important Note to Synchronization Users: The following information does not apply to users of remote databases syncing with a main database. Field additions and modifications cannot be made in a remote (subscriber) database, only in the main (publisher) database.
Follow the steps below to create new ACT! fields:
Note: This procedure is based upon a new field configured as a Field Data Type of Character. The procedure for creating new fields with other field data types, may vary slightly.
Note: If you are using Act! Premium (access via web) versions 2013 or earlier, you must create the fields through the Act! for Windows client.
Note: When creating a new field with the Field Data Type of Address or Phone, all related fields are also created. For example: if you create a custom Address field, the additional Address 2, Address 3, City, State, Country and Zip fields are automatically created. Similarly, deleting an Address or Phone field will automatically delete the related fields.
Note: This procedure is based upon a new field configured as a Field Data Type of Character. The procedure for creating new fields with other field data types, may vary slightly.
Note: If you are using Act! Premium (access via web) versions 2013 or earlier, you must create the fields through the Act! for Windows client.
Note: When creating a new field with the Field Data Type of Address or Phone, all related fields are also created. For example: if you create a custom Address field, the additional Address 2, Address 3, City, State, Country and Zip fields are automatically created. Similarly, deleting an Address or Phone field will automatically delete the related fields.
- Click the Tools menu, and then click Define Fields. The Define Fields - Create, edit or delete fields dialog box appears.
- Ensure that the View fields for field displays the correct field type; Contact, Group or Company.
Note: You are not able to create new Opportunity fields.
- Under the Field Tasks section, click Create new field. The Define Fields - Enter field name and type dialog box appears.
- Enter a name for you new field, and then click into the Field data type field (if desired) to change the field type from Character to one of the following: Address, Annual Event, Currency, Date, Date/Time, Decimal, E-mail, Initial-Caps, Lowercase, Memo, Number, Phone, Picture, Time, Uppercase, URL Address and Yes/No.
Note: The E-mail and Annual Event field data types are only available as Contact field types.
For additional information on adding Phone and Address fields, refer to the following Knowledgebase documents:
Title: How to Add Phone Fields to Your ACT! Database
Answer ID: How to Add Phone Fields to Your ACT! Database
Title: How to Add Address Fields to Your ACT! Database
Answer ID: How to Add Address Fields to Your ACT! Database
- In the Customize field behavior section, you may configure the following options:
- Allow Editing - allows other users to edit the data in this field
Note: If you disable this attribute, you will not be able to disable the Allow Blank attribute. - Allow Blank - allows the field to be blank on any contact record. If this option is not enabled, if you create a new contact record and do not populate this field, you will receive the following ACT! dialog box when attempting to move to another contact record.
The red error indicator
will be displayed at the field which requires a value. Once you have entered data into this field, you will be allowed to move to the next contact record - Generate History - creates a Field Changed entry on the History tab of the contact record when the data in a field is edited (as illustrated below).
- Primary Field - allows the data in this field to be replicated when you duplicate a contact record.
- Use drop-down list - allows you to create a drop down list for this field. You are also able to use the drop down list from another defined ACT! field. The fields available to use will be different, depending on the data type of the field being created.
Click here for instructions on creating a new drop down list
Before you can add a drop down list to a new field, you must create (or import) this list. If you create your field before creating the drop-down list, you must return to the Define Fields - Create, edit or delete fields dialog box to create (or import) the drop-down list. Once the list has been created, you can edit the field to add the list of values.
For detailed information on importing and exporting drop-down lists, refer to the following Knowledge Base Answer:
Title: How To Export and Import Drop-down Lists for ACT! FieldsFollow the steps below to create a drop-down list for a field in your ACT! database.
Answer ID: How To Export and Import Drop-down Lists for ACT! Fields- Click the Tools menu, and then click Define Fields. The Define Fields - Create, edit or delete fields dialog box appears.
- Ensure that the correct record type is displayed in the View fields for list: Contacts, Companies, or Groups.
- From the List Tasks box, click Manage drop-down lists. The Define Fields - Create, edit, or delete drop-down lists dialog box appears.
- To create a new drop-down list, from the Drop-down list tasks box, click Create drop-down list. The Define Fields - Enter drop-down list name and type dialog box appears.
- Type in a name for your drop-down list into the Drop-down list name: field, ensure that the data Type field is correct, enter a Description (if desired) and enable the Allow users to edit items in this list or Automatically add new items to the list options, and then click Next. The Define Fields - Enter drop-down list values dialog box appears.
Note: You cannot enable the Automatically add new items... option without enabling the Allow users to edit... option.
- Click the Add button to add a values for your drop-down list. Enter a Description for each value if desired.
- Once your drop-down values and descriptions have been entered, click Finish. The Define Fields - Create, edit, or delete drop-down lists dialog box reappears with your new drop-down list selected.
- To add this list to an existing field or to create a new field for this list, click the Home button. The Define Fields - Create, Edit or Delete Fields dialog box reappears.
- To add this list to an existing field, from the Define Fields - Create, Edit or Delete Fields dialog box, click the field that you wish to add the drop-down list for, and then click Edit Field. The Define Fields - Enter field name and type dialog box appears with your selected field displayed in the Field name field.
- Enable the Use drop-down list option, click the drop-down arrow for this option, scroll to (if necessary) and click the drop-down list created for this field. Click Next to edit other field attributes or Finish to complete the process.
Deleting a Drop-down list:
Follow the steps below to delete a drop-down list.- Go to the Define Fields - Create, edit, or delete drop-down lists dialog box (step 3 above).
- Ensure that the drop-down list you wish to delete is selected, and then from the Drop-down list tasks box, click Delete drop-down list. The following Delete Drop-down List dialog box appears.
- Click Yes if you are sure that you wish to delete this drop down list. The drop-down list is removed from your database.
- Click the Tools menu, and then click Define Fields. The Define Fields - Create, edit or delete fields dialog box appears.
- Allow Editing - allows other users to edit the data in this field
- Once your field attributes have been configured, click Next. If you elected to use a drop-down list, the Define Fields - Customize field and list behavior dialog box appears. If not, then skip to next screen
- Limit to List – Allows only values from the drop-down list to be entered.
- Allow Multi-select – Allows the user to select multiple values from the drop-down list.
- Show Descriptions – Displays the descriptions of the values in the drop-down list.
- Enable Type-ahead – List values are displayed based on the text entered. Type-ahead only looks to the drop-down list for possible values.
- Once your field and list behavior options have been set, click Next. The Define Fields - Customize field behavior dialog box appears.
- Enter a Default value if you want the field to be populated automatically with this data upon creation of a new Contact record.
- Use 'place holders' to specify a Field format if your data must be entered in a certain way. Available place holders are: Alpha/Numeric (%), Numeric (#), Alphabetical (@).
- Edit the value for Field length if you are certain that the number of characters entered will never exceed this value. The maximum value for field length is 500. (In ACT! by Sage Premium for Web 2010, the maximum value for field length is 450.)
Note: reducing the Field length to a value which slightly exceeds the maximum length of any data to be entered, will conserve memory resources in your system.
- Once your custom field behavior options have been set, click Next. The Set field triggers dialog box appears.
- You can Set a trigger on the field to automatically schedule an Activity Series, launch a program, or launch a web site when entering, exiting, or changing information in the field.
- To Schedule an Activity Series:
- Click the drop-down arrow at the appropriate (changing, entering or leaving) field, and then click Activity Series from the list.
- Click the Browse
button. An Activity Series dialog box appears with a list of all activity series that have been created in your database.
- Click the desired activity series, and then click OK.
- To Launch a Program:
- Click the drop-down arrow at the appropriate (changing, entering or leaving) field, and then click Programs from the list.
- Click the Browse
button. A Select Application or Web Site dialog box appears. - Browse to, and then open the .exe, .bat., .com or .lnk file for the program you want to launch.
- To Launch a Web Site
- Click the drop-down arrow at the appropriate (changing, entering or leaving) field, and then click Programs from the list.
- Click the Browse
button. A Select Application or Web Site dialog box appears. - Change the Files of Type field to Internet shortcut (*.url), and then browse to (if necessary) and open the .url file that you want to launch. (Hint: Your Internet Explorer Favorites are files of this type)
- To Schedule an Activity Series:
- When your triggers have been configured, click Finish. The Define Fields - Create, edit or delete fields dialog box reappears with general information regarding your new field listed in the Details section.
- Click Close to exit the Define Fields dialog box or proceed to create (or edit) another field.
Important Note: Newly created fields will not appear on any ACT! layout until you add them in the Layout Designer. The following section explains how to add fields to your ACT! layout.
Adding New Fields to the ACT! Layout:
Follow the steps below to add a defined field to your ACT! layout:
- Point to Layout Designer from the Tools menu, and then click Contact, Group or Company. The Layout Designer appears with your layout displayed in edit mode.
- Ensure there is an empty place on the layout to insert your new field. You may need to delete or relocate other fields.
- In the Toolbox, enable the appropriate field tool, and then click near the left edge of where you would like this field to appear. The outline of a new field appears along with the field list. The Field List displays all defined fields that have not yet been added to your layout.
- Click the field that you wish to add, enable the Include a label option and then click the Add button. Click Close when you have added all of the fields desired. Your new field(s) will now appear on the layout.
- Click the File menu, and then click Save As to save your layout with a unique name (recommended) before exiting the layout designer.
For detailed information about designing layouts, refer to the following Knowledgebase document.
Editing Existing ACT! Fields:
Follow the steps below to edit existing ACT! fields:
Editing ACT! Field Labels:
- Click the Tools menu, and then click Define Fields. The Define Fields - Create, edit or delete fields dialog box appears.
Ensure that the View fields for field displays the correct field type; Contact, Group or Company. - Click the field that you want to customize, and then in the Field Tasks section, click the Edit Field option. The Define Fields - Enter field name and type dialog box appears.
- In the Field name field, enter the new name for your field.
- Click into the Select a field data type to convert to field, and then click the appropriate field data type from the list.
- Enable or disable the Customize field behavior options as desired.
Note: For a detailed description of the Customize field behavior options, refer to the Creating new ACT! fields section above. - Once your field name, data type and customized behavior options have been set, click Next. The Customize field behavior dialog box appears.
- Enter a Default value if you want the field to be populated automatically with this data upon creation of a new Contact record.
- Use 'place holders' to specify a Field format if your data must be entered in a certain way. Available place holders are: Alphanumeric (%), Numeric (#), Alphabetical (@).
- Edit the value for Field length if you are certain that the number of characters entered will never exceed this value. The maximum value for field length is 500. (In ACT! Premium for Web 2010, the maximum value for field length is 450.)
Note: reducing the Field length to a value which slightly exceeds the maximum length of any data to be entered, will conserve memory resources in your system.
- When your field behavior options are set, click Next. The Set field triggers dialog box appears.
- Establish one or more field triggers as desired, and then click Finish. The Define Fields - Create, edit or delete fields dialog box reappears with general information regarding your redefined field listed in the Details section.
Note: For a detailed description of the Set field triggers options, refer to the Creating new ACT! fields section above. - Click Close to exit the Define Fields dialog box or proceed to edit (or create) another defined ACT! field.
Editing ACT! Field Labels:
If you edit an existing ACT! field and redefine the field name, the original field label will still appear on your layout. Follow the steps below to change the label of this field on your layout to match the newly defined name.
- Point to Design Layouts on the Tools menu, and then click Contact, Group or Company. The Layout Designer appears with your layout displayed in edit mode. Fields with redefined names will appear with the original field label (as illustrated below).
- Double click the incorrect field label. Sizing handles appear to surround the field label and the background of the label changes to white. Replace the text for this field label to match the text displayed within the field itself. Change any other text attributes as desired, and then click a different location on the layout to deselect the field. Be sure to save the changes to this layout before (or while) exiting the Layout Designer.