Create custom fields

Overview

Every installation of Skedulo for Salesforce comes with a standard set of data objects and fields that we use to power the app. Custom fields are any fields added to the existing Skedulo data structure provided within your service platform (CRM).

While it is inadvisable to edit or remove this existing data structure (as doing so may stop Skedulo from working), you can add new fields to the existing objects—or add entirely new objects, that can then be used within the Skedulo app.

Add a custom field

Adding a custom field to one of Skedulo’s existing data objects should be done through the normal process of adding fields to objects provided by your service platform.

Add a custom field using Salesforce Classic

For this example, we will go through adding a custom field named Cause to the Skedulo Job object using the Salesforce CRM.

To begin, go to the Custom Objects page within Salesforce and select the Job record (this record will have Sked as the Installed Package). The custom objects page can be found at the following location:

Setup > Build > Create > Objects > Job (Edit Job) > Fields & Relationships

An example showing how to locate the object named job using Salesforce Classic.

An example showing how to locate the object named job using Salesforce Classic.

Add a custom field using Salesforce Lightning

Same process as with Salesforce Classic–only the location of the custom objects page is as follows:

Setup > Object Manager > Job > Fields & Relationships.

An example showing how to locate the object named job using Salesforce Lightning.

An example showing how to locate the object named job using Salesforce Lightning.

Add a new field in Salesforce

From the Job object, add a new field clicking the New button.

  1. Choose the field’s data type. You can select the provided data types; however, if you select one of the relationship data types (lookup relationship, master-detail relationship or external lookup relationship) then the field becomes a reference custom field. Reference custom fields are linked to another object in Salesforce; this can be a standard Skedulo object or a custom object that you have added to the system. If you are going to a reference a custom object, then please refer to the Referencing a Custom Object section. For our example, we will select the Text data type.

  2. Set the details of the field. These settings will change depending on the data type selected, but for this text field, we will set the label as Cause and set a maximum length of 100 characters.

  3. Accept the default security settings provided.

  4. Final summary. It provides a final review of the field we are adding before we save the details.

Step one, showing a text field selected.

Step one, showing a text field selected.

Step two, showing the field label, field name, and length defined.

Step two, showing the field label, field name, and length defined.

Step three, showing the default security settings.

Step three, showing the default security settings.

Step four, showing a final summary of the new field named Cause.

Step four, showing a final summary of the new field named Cause.

Once you have saved the new field, it should appear in the Custom Fields & Relationships section of the job object page.

An example showing the new field named cause added to the job object in Salesforce Classic.

An example showing the new field named cause added to the job object in Salesforce Classic.

Also, see the documentation on managing custom fields.

Creating a new auto number custom field.

Creating a new auto number custom field.

Reference a custom object

If you set up a custom field that references a custom object (i.e., an object outside the standard set of Skedulo objects) then you must ensure that the object has the following fields:

  • UID–the unique key field for records of this object.

  • Name–a descriptor field that will be used when displaying records of this object.