Field types
Virtual field
A field whose value is calculated from other fields: a display title made from working title and original title, a line first name surname, dimensions as H × W × D cm. It stores nothing and cannot be edited.
How to recognise it
In the field selection of views and export, a virtual field carries a small badge. Its tooltip says what the value is made from, for example “Nachname + Vorname” (surname + first name) or “Titel → Objektnummer” (title → object number, the first of the two that is not empty).
In the layout (input form) the field is read-only. It appears there as a small label with the calculated value below it, without a text box, for example Objektmaße (object dimensions) with 110 × 140,5 × 8,5 cm in the layout Kurzübersicht (short overview). Comment, colour and the other annotations are missing, and so is the edit history. If you want to change the value, change the source fields; the virtual field shows the new result the next time it is displayed.
Visibility
A virtual field is only as visible as its sources. If someone is not allowed to read one of the sources, the virtual field disappears for them completely. This way it cannot become a route around field permissions.
Searching, sorting, exporting
| Action | Behaviour |
|---|---|
| Gallery, table, object view, calendar title | Yes, as a display field |
| Filter | Yes, by the calculated value |
| Sorting, grouping, kanban columns | Yes. Whether it is sorted as text, number or date is set by the administration |
| Full-text search | Yes, once the field has been prepared |
| Bulk edit | No |
| Excel export | Yes, the calculated value |
| Word templates | Yes, like an ordinary field, see Template variables |
| Metadata standards | Yes, as the source of a concept |
The first time you filter or sort by a virtual field in a project, Moliri calculates the values of all objects in advance. While this runs, the view shows Preparing filter by … or Preparing sorting by … above it; with a few thousand objects this takes seconds. During that time a filter shows no hits rather than wrong ones, and a sorting shows the objects without this rule. The full-text search lists a field that has not been prepared yet under Not searched. If someone changes a source, filter and sorting follow within a few seconds.
This applies only to fields whose sources you are allowed to read in full. A virtual field that reads from links to objects, files or events is available in filter and sorting only to accounts that can read all projects; for everyone else it stays a display field.
Setup
Virtual fields are created by the administration. See Configuring virtual fields and Create a virtual field .