Data Types and Formatting Options in Fullcast

Intended Audience

IT, Managers, Rev Ops, Rev Strategy

Data Types and Formatting Options

In Fullcast, data formatting enhances grid readability by customizing how data is displayed without changing the data. Each field’s data type (e.g., numeric, date, string, integer) defines its formatting options. For instance, numeric fields can be formatted as currency, while dates can be short or long. 

Impact on Filtering

Effective formatting improves not only readability but also filtering capabilities. Filters operate based on underlying data type, ensuring accurate results even with formatted displays (e.g., filtering numeric data with currency formatting still uses the actual numerical value). 

Numeric Data Type

Numeric data types represent numerical values and often require formatting to enhance readability and provide context within your Fullcast grids. When your data type is decimal or integer, your format options become a mixture of smallNumbers and largeNumbers.

smallNumber

A smallNumber is a value considered significantly smaller than a reference point and can be formatted in the following ways: 

largeNumber

A largeNumber represents a value considerably larger than a reference point and can be formatted in the following ways. 

Date Data Type

Date data types provide options for displaying dates in various formats. When this data type is selected, the format options within Fullcast are: 

• shortDate
• shortDateAndTime
• longDate
• longDateAndTime

shortDate/shortDateandTime

longDate/longDateAndTime

Long date is a format that displays date values in a more detailed format. 

String Data Types

String data types, while offering limited formatting options, allow you to format text as URLs. URL Format converts plain text into clickable hyperlinks. 

We'll use a special URL(prefix) format to define hyperlinks within your grid.

• Prefix: This is the base URL of the target system (e.g., your Salesforce instance).
• {value}: A placeholder that will be replaced with the actual value from the grid cell.

Implementation with DevExterme Grid

We’ll use the DeveExtreme Grid to implement this solution. Here is a step-by-step breakdown: 

1. Define the Hyperlink Format: 
   1. Specify the URL (prefix) format for the desired column in your grid configuration. 
   2. For example, to link to a Salesforce record based on its ID, you might use:

“Format”: “URL(https://your-salesforce-instance.com/{value})”

2. Customize the Grid’s Behavior: 
   1. Use the CustomizeText function to process the format string and field value. 
   2. Extract the field value from the grid data. 
   3. Replace the {value} placeholder in the prefix with the actual field value. 
   4. Convert the resulting URL into a clickable hyperlink. 

Benefits 

• Flexibility: You can link to various external systems, not just Salesforce. 
• Improved User Experience: Users can directly navigate to related records with a single click. 

By following these steps, you can significantly enhance your grid’s functionality. This will save your users time and effort, making their workflow more efficient. Remember to tailor the specific implementation to your application’s requirements and the capabilities of your chosen grid library. 

Configure Hyperlinks

1. Navigate to Settings > Entities & Fields and choose the data type you want to link, such as “Accounts.” 
2. Edit the specified field you want to use for the hyperlink, often the record’s unique identifier (i.e., “ID”).
3. In the “Basic Information” tab, locate the “Format Text Box” option. 
4. Enter the following URL format: URL”https://your-salesforce-instance.com/{value}”. 

5. Save Changes. 

Using the Hyperlink 

• In the “Segments” grid, the chosen field (e.g., “ID”) will display as a clickable hyperlink. 
• Clicking on this hyperlink will automatically open the corresponding record page in your Salesforce organization, assuming you’re logged in. 

Additional Resources

Creating and Editing Field Values in the Entity