Data Fields

Locating the Data Fields feature

Anyone in a Role with the View Data Fields privilege can view your program’s Data Fields by opening the PROGRAM DESIGN menu and clicking on Data Fields:

 

 

 

How to work with Data Fields

The Data Fields feature allows you to conveniently retrieve a list of all your program’s available Data Fields. Use the search bar at the top to search Data Fields text and narrow down the list. PowerClerk also has a subset of Data Fields which are built-in and as such are always available across programs:

 

 

 

Template Tags will be used to reference the data field and populate it in features like Communication Templates. Template Tag naming is set in the Forms feature when you’re adding fields to capture necessary program inputs.  See Forms for information on how to edit the Template Tags to make sure they are consistent with how you want to name Data Fields that require reference. You can also filter the list of Data Fields by selecting the Only show fields referenced on current forms option.  This will filter out older or unused Data Fields in the list and in an exported CSV file, limiting unnecessary or defunct data fields.  Exporting can be done by clicking the Export to CSV button as shown in Figure 3 below:

 

 

Custom Lists and Data Field Groups

PowerClerk’s Data Fields functionality allows you to define Custom Lists under the Custom Lists-tab. If you do not see this tab present, please contact PowerClerk’s Support Team to request this feature to be enabled for your PowerClerk program. A Custom List can be any kind of hierarchical list of data, that you would like your applicants to be able to select pre-defined data from.

 
To initialize a Custom List you need to create a .csv file with the columns you desire as your hierarchical fields in the Custom List. A sample file can be seen in Figure 4: CSV template for a Custom List:

 

 
Now please navigate within PowerClerk to Program Design >> Data Fields, click on the Custom Lists tab, and click on the Add Custom List button to upload your template CSV file as the Custom List data source:
 

 
In the subsequent dialog you will be able to configure your data source columns to make them Key Columns (selectable within your Forms), or to exclude certain columns, or to define the data type of your output column to either be string, integer, decimal, or email, or to rename the display of the column name:
 

 
Click on Create Data Source to create your Data Field based on your Custom List Data Source.
 
Please note: If you import a custom list from a .csv file that has a column solely consisting of email addresses, then PowerClerk will automatically recognize this column as emails and set the Custom List data type for the respective output column to “email”. This enforces the email format of the data to be xxx@yyyy.zzz and allows you to further process this output field within your Communication Templates in the To, CC, and BCC email fields. For required fields that are Email Type, no@email.com can be placed in values where you do not have a valid email for that entry. PowerClerk recognizes no@email.com as an indicator to not send a communication to no@email.com.
 
When ingesting a custom list from a .csv file, empty values will not automatically convert the field type to a String Type when an empty value is found. A warning will be displayed noting the empty values but the desired Type will be retained. If you require a field on a Custom List this can result in a user selecting an entry with no data preventing submission with that selection.
 
Next, please navigate to the Data Field Group-tab and click on Add Custom List Group:

 

 
The dialog that follows will present you with options to configure your new Custom List Field Group as shown in Figure 7 below:
 

 
You can also select to display Custom List output columns as static text by choosing the following option:
 

 

 

To use your Custom List within a Form you will be able to drag the “Custom List” data type onto your Forms once you have at least one Custom List Data Field Group defined as shown in Figure 9 below:
 

 

Table form element in Data Field Groups

PowerClerk’s Table element allows to input data into a group of input fields organized in columns and rows. For the Table form element to become available in the Form editor, the table’s schema will first need to be defined under Program Design >> Data Fields >> in the Data Field Groups tab. Please note: Once defined, the table schema is immutable and cannot be altered after initial setup:
 

 
Please note: The newly created Table element is not yet present on any Form, you will need to use display option Show fields not referenced on current forms to reveal it in the list of available Data Field Groups in your program. Once created, the Form editor will allow you to drag a Table form element onto a Form to allow data entry in columns and rows:
 

 
In some scenarios data entered in the table should be locked after entry. For this situation the editor option “Add Row Only” prevents editing and reordering of existing data, but still enables additional rows to be added to the Table element for further data entry:
 

 
When targeting a Table element via Data Import the column header to use to target the respective cells is as follows:
 

 
Please note: only one row per project may be targeted within the same Data Import, which means each import only adds one row to the table.
 

Enabling PV System + batteries element (“Add Battery” button)

CPR recommends as a best-practice to only have one, single PV System element in your program to ease reporting, and to enable the battery component on their program’s *existing* PV System element (as opposed to adding an additional PV System Data Field Group). This will streamline reporting and help minimize program changes. Please note: once the “Show Battery Component?” switch is turned on for a PV System element this setting *cannot* be reversed or turned off. To switch the battery component on for an existing PV System Data Field Group, please navigate to PROGRAM DESIGN >> Data Fields >> tab Data Field Groups, then use the Edit PV System Group button to enable switch “Show Battery Component?” and confirm your selection with the OK button:
 

 
The separate Energy Storage System form element can be used to capture stand-alone energy storage system specifications, or as a separate field in AC-Coupled scenarios where PV + Energy Storage System specifications need to be captured. To capture battery equipment tied into systems where the battery module is sharing an inverter with the PV arrays (DC-Coupled) enable the Show Battery Component option of the PV system element. Please note: Please contact support@powerclerk.com to request the Energy Storage System element to be enabled for your PowerClerk program:
 

 

Attachments and Sensitive Attachments

The Attachments tab offers you insight into existing attachment slots present in your program. You do have the option to mark an attachment slot as sensitive as shown below in case you are capturing sensitive document uploads from your applicants such as W-9 forms or otherwise personally identifiable information (PII) that you wish to protect. Please note: setting an attachment slot as sensitive is irreversible and cannot be unchecked once set:
 

 
Please also note in above screenshot that you can denote which file extensions you wish to allow for the respective attachment slot to accept, and you can also denote in this dialog if you wish to Allow Large Files to be accommodated. Enabling Allow Large Files allows files up to 5 MB for the respective attachment instead of the default 5 MB. This option ideally should only be used when unusually large files are expected. The option to enable Allow Document Merge is explained in more detail within the Support Center here.

Video Guides

Would a video guide help to better explain Data Fields? Contact us and let us know.

FAQs

Have additional questions? Contact us to nominate your FAQ and help others find answers to your own questions concerning this feature.

Create A Support Ticket

Not finding your answer here?  Submit a question to our support team at the PowerClerk Ticket System and leverage the PowerClerk team’s expertise.