Overview
This standard covers the required field indicator and two different design patterns for providing feedback to the user when required fields are left blank. The information in this document applies to all form factors.
Required Field Indicator
The PeopleTools required field indicator is an asterisk. There is no legend indicating that the asterisk means a field is required. In the following screenshot, the Evaluation Date and Status fields are required and an asterisk is displayed next to each field label on the left:
The following screenshot shows an example that illustrates the required field indicator is the same on the small form factor as it is on medium and larger form factors. The Absence Name and Start Date fields are required fields and the required field asterisk appears to the left of the label for each of these fields.
Tools Required Field Alert
When a field is marked as a required field in app designer, Tools displays the error message shown below when no value is entered in the field:
PeopleTools also highlights the required field in red as shown below:
The user must dismiss the “Field Required” message and then tap into the field to make the correction. Tools processing does not automatically place the cursor in the field or bring up the virtual keyboard.
Applications Required Field Alert
Application code can be used instead of default PeopleTools processing to indicate required fields. This may be done for any of the following reasons:
- Conditionally Required Field. A field may be conditionally required and the developer is responsible for programmatically setting the required field cue and displaying the Required Field message. In this case the application developer must set the “ShowRequiredFieldCue” property in PeopleCode to display the asterisk. The application must also provide a message and indicate the location of the field when the required field has been left empty by the user.
- Alternate Required Field Indicator. External self service applications may need to more specifically identify a field as a required field using text rather than an asterisk. It can be used to identify a section of required fields rather than identifying each field individually with an asterisk. See example below.
- Detailed Application Error Message. A more detailed or tailored required field error message is needed. See example below.
- Many Required Fields. There are many required fields in a form and missed fields are marked at save time and an indicator is provided for all of the missed fields at once rather than displaying the errors one at a time. See example below.
Alternate Required Field Indicator Example
The screenshot below shows an example of an external self service application that is using the text “Required” instead of an asterisk to indicate required fields:
Detailed Application Error Message
The following example shows an application provided required field error message that provides specific information to the user when a required field has no value:
Refer to the Messages Standard for error message guidelines.
Many Required Fields
The screenshots below show how a series of missed required fields is displayed to the user when all of the missed field errors are processed together at save time. Rather than a series of required field error messages that are displayed as the user tabs out of the field, a single message that groups together all of the missed required fields is shown when the transaction is saved. When the error message is dismissed, a red exclamation point icon is shown next to each missed required field indicating to the user the fields that need to be corrected: