Customize a Column in Engage

Oct 11, 2024

When customizing a form within Engage, you may also need to customize a column within the form. Columns represent the different data points across tables in your environment. In Engage, System Administrators can customize columns within Power Apps to best suit your firm needs. Admins can create, modify, and remove columns from forms and solutions for each record type. To customize a column, you must first bring the necessary components into a solution for your changes.

Bring in the Components for the Solution

Before you customize a column, you must create or select a solution and bring in the appropriate components for the changes.

Select the Solutions tab. Then select the Solution for these changes.
From the menu ribbon, select Add Existing > Table.
Select the Table for the column you are customizing.
Click Next.
Click Select Components from the Selected Tables list.
Select the Columns tab.
Then select the Column(s) that you want to customize.
Click Add. Once you've added all of your Components, click Add.

You have now added the Component to the Solution you will be updating.

Customize a Column

In Power Apps, Admins can customize columns through the column's properties. You'll need to start by opening the column for edits, making the changes you want to see, and saving and publishing the final changes.

In the solution, select the Table you added for the column you want to customize.
Select the Columns tab.
Select the Column you added to customize. This will open the column's properties.
Edit the Column according to the changes you want to make and see.
Select Save and Publish your changes to make them visible to your users.

Column Properties Guide

1. Display name

This is the name that shows as the main display name for the column on the form. This is a free text column where you can add the name that best suits your firm needs. The display name for the column also displays in other areas of Engage, such as Views, Charts, and Dashboards. It is important to note that upon column creation, the display name will reflect the label of the column on the form. However, if the display name is changed at any time, the label for the column will also need to be separately updated on the form to reflect the change accordingly.

2. Description

This is a free text box where you can enter information on how to complete the column. Column descriptions are optional for Admins to add context to the column. This description will also appear on the form when you hover the mouse over it.

3. Data type

Select the type of information required for this column, such as text, number, date and time, etc. There are several different data types available. Once a column has been created, the data type cannot be changed. See table below for more details.

4. Format

Along with data type, you can select the format constraints and characteristics that help define how data can be input, stored, and displayed on the column. Examples include free-form text, HTML, number/value range and restrictions, number of decimal places, restrictions on date and time, and more. See table below for more details.

5. Behavior

Select a column behavior option of Simple, Calculated, or Rollup. Simple columns are straightforward and capture direct user input or static data. Calculated columns use formulas to derive values dynamically. Rollup columns aggregate data from related records to display summaries. Simple is most commonly used as column behavior in Engage. See table below for more details.

6. Required

Determine if the column is Business required, Business recommended, or Optional. Business Required displays a red asterisk next to the column on a form. The form cannot be saved if the column is not completed. Business recommended displays a blue plus sign next to the column but does not need to contain data to save the record. Optional does not show any indication next to the column and does not need to contain data to save the record. This setting can be added or modified at any time. We recommend using the Business required option sparingly, as this can slow down data entry or hinder data updates. See table below for more details.

7. Searchable

Enable a column as searchable so the contents within the column can be searched through the Global Search. When a column is created, this setting is automatically turned on by default but can be turned off at any time.

8. Advanced Options

Maximum Character Count

Located under Advanced Options, this setting allows you to increase or modify the character count allotted for the column. The default count is 100 characters, but can be adjusted as needed.

Single Line of Text: This column can contain up to 4,000 text characters. You can set the maximum length to allow fewer characters. This column has several format options that will change the presentation of the text. These format options are Email, Text, Text Area, URL, Ticker Symbol, and Phone.

Multiple Lines of Text: This column can contain up to 1,048,576 text characters. You can set the maximum length to allow fewer characters. When you add this column to a form, you can specify the size of the column.

Enable Auditing

This setting allows you to track and log changes to a column on a record within Engage. These changes are viewable within the Audit History of the record. Audit History is located in the Related tab of records. To learn more about viewing the audit history of a record, see this article.

Data Type Options

Column data type	Column data subtype	Description
Text	Single Line of Text	This column can contain up to 4,000 text characters. You can set the maximum length to be less than this. This column has several format options that will change the presentation of the text. These options are Plain Text, Text Area, Rich text, Email, Phone number, Ticker symbol, and URL.
	Multiple Lines of Text	This column can contain up to 1,048,576 text characters. You can set the maximum length to be less than this. When you add this column to a form, you can specify the size of the column. The options include Plain text and Rich text.
Number	Whole number	Integers with a value between -2,147,483,648 and 2,147,483,647 can be in this column. You can restrict the maximum or minimum values in this range.
	Decimal	A decimal value with up to 10 points of precision. Decimal numbers are stored in the database exactly as specified. Use decimals when you need to provide reports that require very accurate calculations, or if you typically use queries that look for values that are equal or not equal to another value.
	Float	A floating point number with up to 5 points of precision. Floating point numbers store an extremely close approximation of the value. Use floating point numbers when you store data that represents fractions or values that you'll typically query comparing to another value using greater than or less than operators.
	Language code	A number value presented as a drop-down list that contains a list of languages that have been enabled for the environment. If no other languages have been enabled, the base language will be the only option. The value saved is the Locale Identifier (LCID) value for the language.
	Duration	A number value presented as a drop-down list that contains time intervals. A user can select a pre-defined value from the list or type an integer value using the format: “x minutes”, “x hours” or “x days”. Hours and days can be entered using decimals, for example, “1.2 hours” or “1.5 days”. Minute values entered must be expressible in whole minutes. Entering a decimal to represent sub-minute values will be rounded to the nearest minute.
	Time zone	A number value presented as a drop-down list that contains a list of time zones.
Date and Time		This column has format options to display Date Only or Date and Time.
Lookup		A column that allows setting a reference to a single record of a specific type of entity. Some system lookup columns behave differently.
Choice	Choice	This column provides a set of options. Each option has a number value and label. When added to a form, this column displays a control for users to select only one option or select the option to allow multiple choices. You can define a single, global option set and configure Option Set columns to use that single set of options. You can also choose to allow multiple options to be selected.
	Yes/no	This column provides two options. Each option has a number value of 0 or 1 corresponding to a false or true value. Each option also has a label so that true or false values can be represented as “Yes” and “No”, “On” and “Off” or any pair of labels you want to display. Two option columns don’t provide format options at the column level. But when you add one to the form you can choose to display them as radio buttons, a check box, or a select list.
Currency		Monetary values between -922,337,203,685,477 and 922,337,203,685,477 can be in this column. You can set a level of precision or choose to base the precision on a specific currency or a single standard precision used by the organization.
Date and Time	Date and time	This column has format options to display Date and Time.
	Date only	This column has format options to display Date only.
File	File	For storing binary data.
	Image	Each entity that supports images can have one image column. When an entity has an image column, it can be configured to display the image for the record in the application.
Lookup		A column that allows setting a reference to a single row for a single target row type.
Autonumbering		A column that automatically generates alphanumeric strings.
Formula		A column that displays a calculated value.

Format Options

Format Option	Description
Email	The text provides a mail to link to open the user’s email application.
Text	This option simply displays text.
Text Area	This format option can be used to display multiple lines of text. But with a limit of 4000 characters, the Multiple Lines of Text column is a better choice if large amounts of text are expected.
URL	The text provides a hyperlink to open the page specified. Any text that does not begin with a valid protocol will have “https://” prepended to it. Only HTTP, HTTPS, FTP , FTPS, ONENOTE and TEL protocols are allowed in this column.
Ticker Symbol	For most languages, the text will be enabled as a link to open the MSN Money website to show details about the stock price represented by the ticker symbol.
Phone	In the web application, columns will be click-enabled to initiate calls using either Skype or Lync if a client for either is installed on your computer. The telephony provider choice is at the bottom of the General tab of System Settings.

Behavior Options

Column type	Description	Available column data type
Simple column	Contains data that is not based on a formula.	Single Line of Text, Option Set, Two Options, Image, Whole Number, Floating Point Number, Decimal Number, Currency, Multiple Lines of Text, Date and Time, Lookup
Calculated column	Contains calculations that use columns from the current entity or related parent entities.	Single Line of Text, Option Set, Two Options, Whole Number, Decimal Number, Currency, Date and Time
Rollup column	Contains an aggregate value computed from the records related to a record, or a value computed over a hierarchy.	Whole Number, Decimal Number, Currency, Date and Time

Required Options

Column Requirement	Description
Optional	The record can be saved even if there is no data in this column.
Business Recommended	The record can be saved even if there is no data in this column. However, a blue asterisk appears next to the column to indicate it is important.
Business Required	The record can’t be saved if there is no data in this column. Be careful when you make columns business required. People will resist using the application if they can’t save records because they lack the correct information to enter into a required column. People may enter incorrect data simply to save the record and get on with their work. You can use business rules or form scripts to change the requirement level as the data in the record changes as people work on it.