The following rules apply to text items.
When any text is valid.
When data is validated from a list that may contain more than 15 entries.
When a field displays textual data that the user cannot alter, but the field must support querying or scrolling.
Textual values should be Start aligned.
Date values should be Start aligned.
Numbers that do not display consistent precision, such as identification or phone numbers, should be Start aligned.
Numbers with consistent precision, such as quantities and prices, should be Right aligned.
Note: When displaying values "Right Aligned" you must ensure that the field is large enough to display the largest possible value. Right-aligned fields do not allow scrolling and numbers that are not fully visible will not display the most significant digits of the number.
A text item numeric field should be wide enough to display the largest possible value for the field. This ensures that the value is not truncated when displayed which could cause the value to be misread by the user. If the field is right-aligned then it must be wide enough to fully display the value. (OMS-70011)
A text item date field must be 1.2" wide. This allows 11 characters to be displayed plus one cell to display the bevel. (OMS-74001)
A text item time field must be 0.8" wide. The field can be 0.6" wide if seconds are not important. (OMS-74002)
A text item used as a datetime field must be 1.7" wide. (OMS-74003)
Note: For date, time, and datetime fields, masks will be read from environment variables. Never supply a format mask for these field types.
A text item used as a percent field may display percents with a fixed decimal point with a precision of two (preferred). (OMS-74005)
A text item used as a percent field may display percents with a floating decimal point, if extended precision is required. (OMS-74004)
Text items should allow mixed-case entry, unless there is a business need to enforce either upper or lower case. (OMS-74006)
If a text item must show multiple lines, then always enable the scroll bar and set the wrap style to "Word." (OMS-74007)
A text item that must fully show between 1 and 10 characters should be sized one average character wider than the maximum contents to guarantee that the contents will be fully visible. (OMS-74008)
Example: Suppose a text item must fully show three letters. The text item should then be sized to display four characters (0.4"). If the text item is sized to display only three characters, a word such as "WOW" that contains wide characters will not be fully displayed. Adding the extra character width to the field will also allow for the additional space used by the field bevels.
All text items are displayed as follows (OMS-74009):
Height = 0.25"
Inter-row Spacing = 0.0"
Bevel = Lowered
[Translation] To support bidirectional languages such as Arabic which read right to left, you must use "Start" instead of "Left" when setting the alignment property. The alignment properties "Center" and "Right" can be used where appropriate. (OMS-74011)
Text items with an LOV associated with them almost always employ "Validate from List." This allows a user to type a partial value into the field, and it will autoreduce against the list of valid values.
A text item with an LOV associated with it automatically renders the LOV icon next to it upon taking focus.
Text item colors are as follows:
If editable and required, then with a yellow background.
The yellow color only appears when the item is in the current record; otherwise it has a white background.
If editable and not required, then with a white background.
If not editable, then with a gray background.
Text item date and datetime fields must enable the List lamp. Invoking LOV or Edit Field on these fields opens the Calendar window. (OMS-74012)
A multiple line text item should ideally be sequenced last in a block because of the behavior of [Tab], [Return], [Up Arrow] and [Down Arrow] within the field. (OMS-74013)
A text item that cannot currently be validated due to a dependency on another field, or cannot be currently entered for any other reason, must have its insert, update, and navigable properties turned off. (OMS-74014)
When disabling a text item, make sure that any related fields (such as a field that holds a description) are also disabled. (OMS-74015)
Text items that hold free-form text such as descriptions and allow querying use "Case Insensitive Query" to allow users to access data without regard to case unless performance would be unacceptable. (OMS-74016)
In general, only fields that allow input should be included in the [Tab] sequence. However, for a display-only item (such as a description field) that a user may need to scroll, make the field navigable and skip over it in the forward [Tab] sequence but allow [Shift] [Tab] to navigate to it. That way if a user using only the keyboard needs to get into the field to scroll it, they can back tab to it. If a field which the user may need to scroll comes after all enterable fields, it must be made navigable (OMS-76006).
On inquiry forms, where all fields are display-only, all fields should be navigable. (OMS-74017)