Introduction
You can use Event custom fields in CiviPlus to capture specific information related to events that are not covered by the default fields (dates, location etc). For example, you might want to create custom fields to store budget information, agenda details, catering information - anything that applies to the event as a whole rather than relating to an individual participant.
In CiviPlus, custom fields are always created as a group of fields called a 'field set'. This is simply a “box” of related fields, and by including them within a named field set it makes it easier to include them on a page or form rather than having to add them individually.
Event custom field sets can be created for all events, or specific Event Types. If the information you want to collect varies according to the Event type then you should set up more than one custom Field Set linking it to the specific Event Type(s).
Creating Event Custom Fields
For this example we are going to create a set of custom fields that hold the audio visual resources that might be required for an event.
Event Custom Fields
From the CiviPlus top menu navigate to Administer → Customise Data and Screens → Custom Fields
This opens up a new page listing the existing Custom Data. Click on the ➕ADD SET OF CUSTOM FIELDS button to start creating your new Custom Fields:
Firstly, you need to add details about the Field Set that is going to contain the individual fields. There are lots of options here which will affect how the Field Set is displayed and used, we’ll go through each of them so you can understand what they are used for.
Define the Set Name of the Field Set (this isn’t the title of the field itself, just the “box” it is in). In this case, we are going to collect information about audio visual equipment needed for the event, so let’s call the Field Set “Audio visual resources”.
Now we say what the Field Set is Used For. This “Used For” option states what CiviPlus record type new fields will be attached to - remember, all custom fields have to be associated with a particular record type. In this case since we are adding custom fields to an event record we will select “Event”. For this example we will further restrict the Field Set to a particular set of Event Types - “Conference”, “Exhibition”, “Workshop” and “Gala Dinner”.
Now, you can specify the Order of this Field Set. Don’t worry too much about this field, you can normally use the default value that the system assigns. The “Order” simply says the order in which each Field Set is presented when there are more than one associated with a particular record type.
The Display Style option is used to decide how the Field Set will be displayed. You can leave this set to “Inline” for Events custom fields.
There are now 4 options that control how the fields are initially displayed, and who can see them:
Collapse this set on initial display - Check this box if you want only the title for this Field Set to be displayed when the page is initially loaded (fields are hidden).
Collapse this set in Advanced Search - Check this box if you want only the title for this Field Set to be displayed when the page is initially loaded (fields are hidden) on advanced search.
Is this Custom Data Set active? - There might be times when you want to hide this Field Set. Use this option to toggle visibility and use of the fields on or off.
Is this Custom Data Set public? - Check this box if you want this custom group to be displayed on public forms (for example, on the 'event information' page that CiviPlus generates for each event).
NB - Typically the first option in the settings (collapse this set on initial display) is unchecked, the second option (collapse this set in advanced search) is checked.
Once you have completed the Field Set form, click the SAVE button and you can then start adding the individual fields.
Now the Field Set is created, you can create individual fields within it. You’ll see the new Field Set you created in the list of Custom Fields, just click the View and Edit Custom Fields link, and then click + ADD CUSTOM FIELD.
The process for adding individual fields to a Field Set is the same for each field - fill in the form and save it.
Give the Field Label meaningful value. This is what will be shown to a user when entering data, and is what will be used within reports, searches etc. For this example we will create a field called “Microphone”
You should have already decided what Data Type this field is, for our example it’s an “Alphanumeric” field.
Now we want to provide a list of possible microphone types that might be needed,, so we’ll choose “Drop-down (Select list)” for the Field Input Type field, and because the event might need more than one microphone type we’ll check the Multi-Select option.
The Database Field Length allows you to specify the number of characters that this field will contain. Generally speaking you should use the default.
Since we have said that this field is a drop-down list we can either create and manage a list of valid picklist options within the field (set Option Type to “Create a new set of options”), or you can select an existing set of options which you've already created for another custom field (set Option Type to “Reuse an existing set”). We will pick the former in this example, and so will need to enter each of the valid picklist options.
To do this, in the Multiple Choice Options field you provide the following for each option:
Default - one or more options can be selected as Default, in which case they will be pre-selected when the list is presented.
Label - This is the picklist value that is shown to the user
Value - This is the actual value that is stored in the database, It can be the same as the Label, or different.
Order - This is the sort order that the picklist values are shown in.
Active - You can make certain choices invisible to the user by unchecking this option.
You can keep adding picklist choices by clicking on the +add another choice link.
Note: You can only add up to 10 choices when first creating the drop-list field. Once it has been created you can go back and edit it to add any number of additional choices,You use the Order field to specify the order in which this particular field should appear in the list of fields within the Field Set.
Now you have the option to add explanatory text displayed at the beginning and/or end of this field. You can use the rich text editor to create engaging content which can help users when they are completing the field, including linked to external material that you may wish them to view
Field Pre-help
Field Post-help
The Required? Field says whether a value has to be entered into the field before the record can be saved.
You’ll almost certainly want to be able to search on this custom field (for example, to find all events that use lapel mics) , check Is this Field Searchable?.
You can make the field invisible by unchecking the Active? field. Any field values already stored would be retained, but just “hidden”.
And lastly View Only? This is hardly ever used, but if you have a field that is populated via an API rather than via the screen you can use this option so that users can not enter a value directly.
The screenshot below shows what the Microphone Types custom field would look like. You can click ➕SAVE AND NEW to save this new field and start creating another one, or just SAVE.
You can continue to add fields to this Field Set in the same way.
And finally, this is what the new custom fields will look like when you are creating a new event: