Custom Fields for Public Data Access Requests

This page covers how to configure and use custom fields for public data access request forms.

Overview

Custom fields allow you to collect additional information from users when they request access to public data files. These fields are configurable and can be added without modifying the database schema manually.

Features

Dynamic Field Creation: Custom fields are automatically added to the database when needed
Multiple Field Types: Support for text, textarea, select, checkbox, radio, email, number, date, URL, and phone fields
Validation Rules: Built-in validation for required fields and data formats
Flexible Configuration: Easy to add, modify, or disable fields through configuration
Cross-Database Support: Works with both MySQL and SQL Server databases

Configuration File

Custom fields are configured in the file: application/config/public_request_fields.php

File Structure

php

<?php
$config['public_request_fields'] = array(
    'field_key' => array(
        'name' => 'database_column_name',
        'type' => 'form_field_type',
        'title' => 'Display Title',
        'required' => true/false,
        'validation' => 'validation_rules',
        'help_text' => 'Help text for users',
        'placeholder' => 'Placeholder text',
        'enum' => array('value' => 'label'),
        'order' => 1,
        'enable' => true/false,
        'data_type' => 'database_field_type'
    )
);

Field Properties

Required Properties

Property	Type	Description	Example
`name`	string	Database column name	`'institution'`
`type`	string	Form field type	`'text'`, `'select'`, `'textarea'`
`title`	string	Display title	`'Research Institution'`
`enable`	boolean	Whether field is active	`true`
`order`	integer	Display order (1, 2, 3...)	`1`

Optional Properties

Property	Type	Description	Example
`required`	boolean	Field is mandatory	`true`
`validation`	string	Validation rules	`'required\|max_length[150]'`
`help_text`	string	Help text for users	`'Name of your research institution'`
`placeholder`	string	Placeholder text	`'Enter institution name'`
`enum`	array	Options for select/radio fields	`array('academic' => 'Academic Research')`
`data_type`	string	Database field type	`'string'`, `'text'`, `'int'`

Field Types

Text Input

php

'institution' => array(
    'name' => 'institution',
    'type' => 'text',
    'title' => 'Research Institution',
    'required' => true,
    'validation' => 'required|max_length[150]',
    'help_text' => 'Name of your research institution or organization',
    'placeholder' => 'Enter institution name',
    'order' => 1,
    'enable' => true,
    'data_type' => 'string',
)

Textarea (Multi-line Text)

php

'research_description' => array(
    'name' => 'research_description',
    'type' => 'textarea',
    'title' => 'Research Description',
    'required' => true,
    'help_text' => 'Describe your research methodology',
    'placeholder' => 'Please describe your research approach...',
    'order' => 2,
    'enable' => true,
    'data_type' => 'text',
)

php

'research_type' => array(
    'name' => 'research_type',
    'type' => 'select',
    'title' => 'Type of Research',
    'required' => true,
    'validation' => 'required',
    'help_text' => 'Select the type of research you will be conducting',
    'enum' => array(
        'academic' => 'Academic Research',
        'policy' => 'Policy Analysis',
        'commercial' => 'Commercial Research',
        'government' => 'Government Research',
        'ngo' => 'NGO/Non-profit Research',
        'other' => 'Other'
    ),
    'order' => 3,
    'enable' => true,
    'data_type' => 'string',
)

Checkbox

php

'data_sharing' => array(
    'name' => 'data_sharing',
    'type' => 'checkbox',
    'title' => 'Data Sharing Agreement',
    'required' => true,
    'help_text' => 'I agree to share my research findings',
    'order' => 4,
    'enable' => true,
    'data_type' => 'int',
)

Radio Buttons

php

'funding_source' => array(
    'name' => 'funding_source',
    'type' => 'radio',
    'title' => 'Primary Funding Source',
    'required' => true,
    'enum' => array(
        'government' => 'Government Grant',
        'foundation' => 'Foundation Grant',
        'university' => 'University Funding',
        'private' => 'Private Sector',
        'other' => 'Other'
    ),
    'order' => 5,
    'enable' => true,
    'data_type' => 'string',
)

Email Field

php

'contact_email' => array(
    'name' => 'contact_email',
    'type' => 'email',
    'title' => 'Contact Email',
    'required' => true,
    'validation' => 'required|valid_email',
    'help_text' => 'Email for research correspondence',
    'placeholder' => 'researcher@institution.edu',
    'order' => 6,
    'enable' => true,
    'data_type' => 'string',
)

Number Field

php

'team_size' => array(
    'name' => 'team_size',
    'type' => 'number',
    'title' => 'Research Team Size',
    'required' => false,
    'help_text' => 'Number of researchers in your team',
    'placeholder' => '1',
    'order' => 7,
    'enable' => true,
    'data_type' => 'int',
)

Date Field

php

'project_start' => array(
    'name' => 'project_start',
    'type' => 'date',
    'title' => 'Project Start Date',
    'required' => false,
    'help_text' => 'When will your research project begin?',
    'order' => 8,
    'enable' => true,
    'data_type' => 'string',
)

URL Field

php

'project_website' => array(
    'name' => 'project_website',
    'type' => 'url',
    'title' => 'Project Website',
    'required' => false,
    'validation' => 'valid_url',
    'help_text' => 'Website for your research project',
    'placeholder' => 'https://your-project.org',
    'order' => 9,
    'enable' => true,
    'data_type' => 'string',
)

Phone Field

php

'contact_phone' => array(
    'name' => 'contact_phone',
    'type' => 'phone',
    'title' => 'Contact Phone',
    'required' => false,
    'help_text' => 'Phone number for research inquiries',
    'placeholder' => '+1-555-123-4567',
    'order' => 10,
    'enable' => true,
    'data_type' => 'string',
)

Database Field Types

Supported Types

Type	Description	Database Column	Max Length
`string`	Variable length text	`VARCHAR(500)`	500 characters
`text`	Long text	`TEXT`	Unlimited
`int`	Integer	`INT(11)`	-2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647

Default Behavior

String fields: Always use VARCHAR(500) regardless of validation rules
Text fields: Use TEXT for unlimited length
Integer fields: Use INT(11) for numbers

Validation Rules

Built-in Rules

Rule	Description	Example
`required`	Field is mandatory	`'required'`
`valid_email`	Valid email format	`'required\|valid_email'`
`valid_url`	Valid URL format	`'valid_url'`
`numeric`	Numeric values only	`'numeric'`
`min_length[X]`	Minimum character length	`'min_length[10]'`
`max_length[X]`	Maximum character length	`'max_length[150]'`
`alpha`	Alphabetic characters only	`'alpha'`
`alpha_numeric`	Alphanumeric characters only	`'alpha_numeric'`
`alpha_dash`	Alphanumeric with dashes/underscores	`'alpha_dash'`

Multiple Rules

Combine rules with the pipe character (|):

php

'validation' => 'required|max_length[150]|alpha_numeric'

Complete Example

Here's a complete configuration with multiple field types:

php

<?php
$config['public_request_fields'] = array(
    
    // Research Institution
    'institution' => array(
        'name' => 'institution',
        'type' => 'text',
        'title' => 'Research Institution',
        'required' => true,
        'validation' => 'required|max_length[150]',
        'help_text' => 'Name of your research institution or organization',
        'placeholder' => 'Enter institution name',
        'order' => 1,
        'enable' => true,
        'data_type' => 'string',
    ),
    
    // Research Type
    'research_type' => array(
        'name' => 'research_type',
        'type' => 'select',
        'title' => 'Type of Research',
        'required' => true,
        'validation' => 'required',
        'help_text' => 'Select the type of research you will be conducting',
        'enum' => array(
            'academic' => 'Academic Research',
            'policy' => 'Policy Analysis',
            'commercial' => 'Commercial Research',
            'government' => 'Government Research',
            'ngo' => 'NGO/Non-profit Research',
            'other' => 'Other'
        ),
        'order' => 2,
        'enable' => true,
        'data_type' => 'string',
    ),
    
    // Research Description
    'research_description' => array(
        'name' => 'research_description',
        'type' => 'textarea',
        'title' => 'Research Description',
        'required' => false,
        'help_text' => 'Brief description of your research methodology',
        'placeholder' => 'Describe your research approach...',
        'order' => 3,
        'enable' => true,
        'data_type' => 'text',
    ),
    
    // Contact Email
    'contact_email' => array(
        'name' => 'contact_email',
        'type' => 'email',
        'title' => 'Contact Email',
        'required' => true,
        'validation' => 'required|valid_email',
        'help_text' => 'Email for research correspondence',
        'placeholder' => 'researcher@institution.edu',
        'order' => 4,
        'enable' => true,
        'data_type' => 'string',
    ),
    
    // Team Size
    'team_size' => array(
        'name' => 'team_size',
        'type' => 'number',
        'title' => 'Research Team Size',
        'required' => false,
        'help_text' => 'Number of researchers in your team',
        'placeholder' => '1',
        'order' => 5,
        'enable' => true,
        'data_type' => 'int',
    ),
    
    // Data Sharing Agreement
    'data_sharing' => array(
        'name' => 'data_sharing',
        'type' => 'checkbox',
        'title' => 'Data Sharing Agreement',
        'required' => true,
        'help_text' => 'I agree to share my research findings',
        'order' => 6,
        'enable' => true,
        'data_type' => 'int',
    ),
);

Managing Custom Fields

Adding New Fields

Edit Configuration: Open application/config/public_request_fields.php
Add Field Definition: Add a new array entry with field properties
Set Enable: Set 'enable' => true to activate the field
Save File: The field will be automatically added to the database on next form submission

Disabling Fields

Set 'enable' => false to hide a field from the form:

php

'old_field' => array(
    'name' => 'old_field',
    'type' => 'text',
    'title' => 'Old Field',
    'enable' => false,  // Field will not appear in form
    // ... other properties
)

Modifying Fields

Change Properties: Update any field properties in the configuration
Database Updates: Field changes are applied automatically
Existing Data: Existing data is preserved when modifying fields

Reordering Fields

Change the order property to control field display order:

php

'field1' => array(
    'order' => 1,  // Appears first
    // ...
),
'field2' => array(
    'order' => 2,  // Appears second
    // ...
)

Database Management

Automatic Field Creation

Custom fields are automatically added to the database when:

A form is submitted with custom fields
The field doesn't exist in the public_requests table
The field is enabled in the configuration

Field Types in Database

Config Type	Database Type	Description
`string`	`VARCHAR(500)`	Fixed-length text field
`text`	`TEXT`	Unlimited text field
`int`	`INT(11)`	Integer field

Cross-Database Support

The system works with both:

MySQL: Uses VARCHAR(500), TEXT, INT(11)
SQL Server: Uses VARCHAR(500), VARCHAR(MAX), INT

Manual Database Field Creation

In some cases, automatic field creation may fail due to:

Database Permissions: User account lacks ALTER TABLE permissions
Database Lock: Table is locked by another process
Connection Issues: Database connection problems
Server Configuration: Database server restrictions

When Manual Creation is Needed

Permission Errors: Database user lacks ALTER TABLE privileges
Production Environments: Stricter security policies
Database Hosting: Managed database services with limited permissions
Audit Requirements: Organizations requiring manual database changes

Manual Field Addition Process

Step 1: Identify Required Fields

Check your configuration file to identify fields that need to be added:

php

// In application/config/public_request_fields.php
$config['public_request_fields'] = array(
    'institution' => array(
        'name' => 'institution',        // Database column name
        'data_type' => 'string',        // Database field type
        // ...
    ),
    'research_type' => array(
        'name' => 'research_type',      // Database column name
        'data_type' => 'string',        // Database field type
        // ...
    ),
);

Step 2: Generate SQL Commands

Based on your configuration, generate the appropriate SQL commands:

For MySQL:

sql

-- String fields (VARCHAR(500))
ALTER TABLE public_requests ADD COLUMN institution VARCHAR(500) NULL;
ALTER TABLE public_requests ADD COLUMN research_type VARCHAR(500) NULL;

-- Text fields (TEXT)
ALTER TABLE public_requests ADD COLUMN research_description TEXT NULL;

-- Integer fields (INT)
ALTER TABLE public_requests ADD COLUMN team_size INT(11) NULL;

For SQL Server:

sql

-- String fields (VARCHAR(500))
ALTER TABLE public_requests ADD institution VARCHAR(500) NULL;
ALTER TABLE public_requests ADD research_type VARCHAR(500) NULL;

-- Text fields (VARCHAR(MAX))
ALTER TABLE public_requests ADD research_description VARCHAR(MAX) NULL;

-- Integer fields (INT)
ALTER TABLE public_requests ADD team_size INT NULL;

Step 3: Execute SQL Commands

Option A: Database Management Tool

Connect to your database using phpMyAdmin, MySQL Workbench, or SQL Server Management Studio
Select the NADA database
Execute the ALTER TABLE commands
Verify the columns were added successfully

Option B: Command Line

bash

# MySQL
mysql -u username -p database_name < add_custom_fields.sql

# SQL Server
sqlcmd -S server_name -d database_name -i add_custom_fields.sql

Step 4: Verify Field Creation

Check that the fields were added successfully:

MySQL:

sql

DESCRIBE public_requests;
-- or
SHOW COLUMNS FROM public_requests;

SQL Server:

sql

SELECT COLUMN_NAME, DATA_TYPE, IS_NULLABLE 
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS 
WHERE TABLE_NAME = 'public_requests';

Field Type Mapping Reference

Use this reference to determine the correct SQL syntax:

Config Type	MySQL Column	SQL Server Column	Nullable
`string`	`VARCHAR(500) NULL`	`VARCHAR(500) NULL`	Yes
`text`	`TEXT NULL`	`VARCHAR(MAX) NULL`	Yes
`int`	`INT(11) NULL`	`INT NULL`	Yes

Reports and Administration

Public Requests Report

Custom fields automatically appear in:

Admin Reports: Go to site administration > reports and select Public Requests report
Data Export: All custom field data is included in exports

Custom Fields for Public Data Access Requests ​

Overview ​

Features ​

Configuration File ​

File Structure ​

Field Properties ​

Required Properties ​

Optional Properties ​

Field Types ​

Text Input ​

Textarea (Multi-line Text) ​

Select Dropdown ​

Checkbox ​

Radio Buttons ​

Email Field ​

Number Field ​

Date Field ​

URL Field ​

Phone Field ​

Database Field Types ​

Supported Types ​

Default Behavior ​

Validation Rules ​

Built-in Rules ​

Multiple Rules ​

Complete Example ​

Managing Custom Fields ​

Adding New Fields ​

Disabling Fields ​

Modifying Fields ​

Reordering Fields ​

Database Management ​

Automatic Field Creation ​

Field Types in Database ​

Cross-Database Support ​

Manual Database Field Creation ​

When Manual Creation is Needed ​

Manual Field Addition Process ​

Step 1: Identify Required Fields ​

Step 2: Generate SQL Commands ​

Step 3: Execute SQL Commands ​

Step 4: Verify Field Creation ​

Field Type Mapping Reference ​

Reports and Administration ​

Public Requests Report ​