solved In form designer, does a default setting for a field have any effect if the field is optional?

I am revising my form-designer form for profile settings, and notice that an default option can be designated, whether or not the field is optional or required.

1. Does a default setting have any effect if the field is optional? I suppose that it won't, but am not sure.

2. If the field is "required", will a default option ensure that the field is filled, regardless of whether or not the user has thought about the field content? I suppose that it will, but am not sure.


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PJ Matthews, Kyoto
Migrated from Ning 2.0. Now at Jamroom 6 beta and using Jamroom Hosting for The Research Cooperative (researchcooperative.org)
updated by @researchcooperative: 04/07/17 07:55:24PM

If the field is NOT required, and a default is set for the field in the form designer, the default value is used.


Yes.

Let me know if that helps.


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Brian Johnson
Founder and Lead Developer - Jamroom
https://www.jamroom.net

Thanks... yes, this helps.

If my understanding is correct, this means that there are four basic ways to set up a field:

1. a "hard" required field that has to be noticed and filled by the account holder (and which may generate annoying, "you failed" alerts when not satisfied; I need to think about the default wording here... something apologetic might help).

2. a "semi-hard" way with a required field that will be filled with a default setting, so that the user does not experience a warning display, but ensuring that they do simply delete the default if they do not like it - they should replace it with something.

3. a "semi-soft" optional field that has to be filled by the user if it is to be filled at all, and

4. a "soft" optional field that will be filled by a default setting (and which can be deleted if it does not suit).

In brief:

1. Hard = required, with no default
2. Semi-hard = required, with a default provided
3. Semi-soft = optional, with no default
4. Soft = optional, with a default provided


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PJ Matthews, Kyoto
Migrated from Ning 2.0. Now at Jamroom 6 beta and using Jamroom Hosting for The Research Cooperative (researchcooperative.org)

Yep - that sounds right


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Brian Johnson
Founder and Lead Developer - Jamroom
https://www.jamroom.net