Time selector

This article explains the features of the Time Selector block and how it can be used to design your app.

Use Cases

1. Providing current, future, or past time as input.

2. Attendance systems.

3. Incidence reporting.

4. Field Force Management.

Editing the Block

Click on the block and configure it by editing on the right panel.

Label

The label is the name of the block that the end user sees in the app.

Example: Time of Dispatch is written as the label and is saved. 

Description

The description is the additional information provided to the end user which will be displayed below the input area.

Example: Enter the time manually or select from the clock

Required

Enable this option if you want the user to compulsorily input the data. If enabled, the end user can submit if and only if the data is entered in this field.

Advanced Options

Use this option to show the advanced options to configure the time selector text block.

Default to the current time

Enable this option to automatically get the current date.

Allow time to be changed by user

Enable this option to allow the user to change the default date input.

Start Time

Use this option to set the earliest time a user can select in the Time Selector block.

Accepts spreadsheet formulas and allows pulling field values from date and time fields only, excluding the same field being configured.

Example: In an attendance app, set the start time to 9:00 AM to restrict login times before this hour.

End Time

Use this option to set the latest time a user can select in the Time Selector block.

Accepts spreadsheet formulas and allows pulling field values from date and time fields only, excluding the same field being configured.

Example: In an attendance app, set the end time to 5:00 PM to restrict login times after this hour.

Display this field if

Use this if you want to show or hide a field under certain conditions. It accepts the standard Clappia Formulae, similar to conditional sections.

1. You can type ‘@’ to get a list of all the variables in the app and select variables.

2. Using these variables you can write spreadsheet-like formulae.

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Example: For a Yes or No question, you can show the date field when the answer is Yes.

Retain value if hidden

This option appears once a condition is set in the Display this field if option. Enable this setting if you want the field's value to be retained even when the field is hidden. This is useful for preserving user input in cases where the field may temporarily disappear based on conditions.

Example: If the field is hidden based on user selection but you still need to keep the entered value for future reference, enable this option to ensure the data is retained.

Allow value to be changed after initial submission

This option is enabled by default. When active, end users can edit the value entered in this field after creating a submission. Disable this option if you want the initial value to remain uneditable once submitted.

Advanced Label

The Advanced Label option allows you to change the label of a field dynamically based on a condition you define. Instead of always showing the same fixed label under the ‘Basic’ tab, the field can display different labels depending on requirements of the form. Use spreadsheet-like functions such as IF, AND, OR, etc. and make use of other field variables to set your conditions. Type @ and select the field.

This is useful when the meaning of a field changes based on context, business logic, or user choices.

For example assume you have a dropdown field called Session Type with “Morning Session” and “Evening Session”.
Your Time Selector field records when the session begins, but the label should update accordingly.

So:
– For Morning Session, show label “Start Time (Morning)”
– For Evening Session, show label “Start Time (Evening)”

Formula:

IF({session_type} = "Morning Session", "Start Time (Morning)", "Start Time (Evening)")

This allows the same field to adapt its displayed purpose without needing multiple separate fields.

Advanced Description

The Advanced Description option works exactly like Advanced Label, but it changes the description text instead. This is useful when guidance or instructions for a field need to change depending on earlier answers.

For example, using the same scenario from Advanced Label:
If you have a dropdown called Session Type with options like “Morning Session” and “Evening Session”, you may want the description of your Time field to guide the user differently depending on what they selected.

So:
– If the user selects Morning Session, the description could say: “Select the start time for the morning session.”
– If the user selects Evening Session, the description could say: “Select the start time for the evening session.”

Formula:

IF({session_type} = "Morning Session", "Select the start time for the morning session.", "Select the start time for the evening session.")

This helps users understand what is required from them without showing unnecessarily long or irrelevant instructions.

Important Notes (applies to both Advanced Label and Advanced Description)

1. Variables do not change
When a field is created, its variable name is derived from the label you set in the Basic tab. That variable name is what you must use in formulas, workflows, and other logic. The visible label or description shown by Advanced Label / Advanced Description does not change the variable name.

2. Submissions tab: table view vs right panel
In the Submissions area, the table view always displays the labels from the Basic tab. When you open an individual submission, the right panel shows the labels and descriptions as they appear in the form (i.e., the Advanced Label and Advanced Description applied for that submission). This keeps the submission list consistent while letting reviewers see the context-aware labels and descriptions when viewing a record.

3. Bulk Edit shows Basic tab labels and descriptions
When you need to Bulk Edit submissions, the spreadsheet you download shows the labels and descriptions from the Basic tab only. Advanced Label and Advanced Description are not applied in Bulk Edit, so keep that in mind when preparing bulk updates.

4. Some fields cannot be used inside Advanced Label/Description formulas
Certain block types do not expose a variable that can be referenced in Advanced Label or Advanced Description. If a block does not expose a variable, you cannot use it inside the formula.

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