The string data type holds a sequence of characters considered as a single whole in the context of the variable. This data type is used to enter relatively small pieces of textual data such as names and titles.
In Web Application, a String fields looks as shown in Fig. 1, which features an editing form of a property.
Fig. 1. String field in Web Application (editing form)
If you want to use rather long texts, we recommend using the Text type.
String type settings in ELMA Designer
When you select String in the Type *field, additional fields appear on the Common and Advanced tabs apart from the basic fields.
Common tab
Fig. 2 shows the additional fields that appear if the String type is selected on the Common tab.
Fig. 2. Common tab. Additional fields.
Check the Several strings box if you want the text field in Web Application to hold text which is several lines long (Fig. 3).
Fig. 3. Several strings in Web Application
By checking the Is a name box you select the property as the key one.
In the Default Value field you can specify the value that will be used by default in Web Application.
Advanced tab
Fig. 4 shows the additional fields that appear if the String type is selected in the Advanced tab.
Fig. 4. String settings in ELMA Designer, Advanced tab
The Length field specifies the range of the string's length, that is, the number of characters that a user will be able to enter in this field in Web Application.
Check the Not Limited box if you want to make the string length unlimited.
The Regular expression field specifies the regular expression for checking if the entered string data is correct. If it is incorrect, Web Application will display the error message, entered in the eponymous field.
Here are some frequently used regular expressions for E-mail and Phone string fields:
^(.+@{1}.+)?$ – check that the field contains an @ character;
^([9]{1}[0-9]{9})?$ – check that the mobile phone format matches "9123456789".
In the Error message field you can specify the text of the error message that will be displayed in Web Application if the entered string does not satisfy the regular expression.
