Date Field Type

Description:
The date field type is used to capture date and time information from users. It supports various date formats, timezone handling, and provides flexible input and export options. This field ensures that date and time data is captured consistently and can be used for scheduling, tracking, and temporal analysis within your application.

Elasticsearch Mapping: date (format: dateOptionalTime)

YAML Definition 

- name: date_of_birth
  type: date
  display_name: "Date of Birth"
  guidance: "Enter the date of birth."
  required: true
  readonly: false
  hidden: false
  default_value: ""
  time_format: ""
  input_format: ""
  input_timezone: ""
  export_format: ""
  export_timezone: ""
  validation: ""
  validation_message: ""

Attributes

  • name (string): Required.
    The unique identifier for the field.

  • type (string): Required.
    Must be set to date for date fields.

  • display_name (string): Optional.
    The label displayed in the user interface. If not provided, a formatted version of name is used.

  • guidance (string): Optional.
    Help text or instructions for the field, assisting users in understanding what data to enter.

  • required (boolean): Optional.
    If true, the field must be filled before submission. Default: false.

  • readonly (boolean): Optional.
    If true, the field is read-only and cannot be edited by the user. Default: false.

  • hidden (boolean): Optional.
    If true, the field is hidden from the user interface. Default: false.

  • default_value (string): Optional.
    The default date value displayed when the form is first loaded (ISO format).

  • time_format (string): Optional.
    Time format specification for displaying time components.

  • input_format (string): Optional.
    Input format for date entry by users.

  • input_timezone (string): Optional.
    Timezone for input processing.

  • export_format (string): Optional.
    Format specification for data export.

  • export_timezone (string): Optional.
    Timezone for export processing.

  • validation (string): Optional.
    Validation rules for the date field.

  • validation_message (string): Optional.
    Custom validation error message to display when validation fails.

Examples

Basic Date Field:

- name: date_of_birth
  type: date
  display_name: "Date of Birth"
  required: true
  guidance: "Enter the date of birth"

Date with Time:

- name: appointment_time
  type: date
  display_name: "Appointment Time"
  time_format: "HH:mm"
  input_format: "YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm"
  input_timezone: "UTC"
  required: true

Date with Export Formatting:

- name: created_date
  type: date
  display_name: "Created Date"
  export_format: "MM/DD/YYYY"
  export_timezone: "America/New_York"
  readonly: true

Date with Validation:

- name: start_date
  type: date
  display_name: "Start Date"
  validation: "min:today"
  validation_message: "Start date must be today or in the future"
  required: true

Usage Notes

  • Date Formats:
    • The field supports various date formats for input and display.
    • Common format patterns include:
      • YYYY-MM-DD: ISO date format
      • MM/DD/YYYY: US date format
      • DD/MM/YYYY: European date format
      • YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm: Date with time
  • Time Handling:
    • Use time_format to specify how time components are displayed.
    • Use input_format to define the expected input format from users.
  • Timezone Support:
    • input_timezone: Specifies the timezone for input processing.
    • export_timezone: Specifies the timezone for export operations.
    • Common timezone values include UTC, America/New_York, Europe/London, etc.
  • Validation:
    • Use the validation attribute to enforce date constraints.
    • Common validation rules include:
      • "min:today": Date must be today or in the future.
      • "max:today": Date must be today or in the past.
      • "range:2024-01-01,2024-12-31": Date must be within a specific range.
  • Default Values:
    • Use default_value to pre-fill the field with a default date.
    • Default values should be in ISO format (YYYY-MM-DD or YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm).
  • Readonly Fields:
    • Use readonly for system-generated dates like creation timestamps.
    • Readonly date fields are typically calculated or set by the system.
  • Export Formatting:
    • Use export_format to specify how dates appear in exports.
    • Use export_timezone to ensure consistent timezone handling in exports.
  • Use Cases:
    • Personal Information: Date of birth, anniversary dates.
    • Scheduling: Appointment times, meeting dates, deadlines.
    • Tracking: Creation dates, modification dates, completion dates.
    • Business Processes: Start dates, end dates, due dates.
    • Historical Data: Event dates, milestone dates.
  • Internationalization:
    • Be mindful of date format preferences in different locales.
    • Consider timezone differences when dealing with global applications.
    • Ensure that date validation rules are appropriate for the target audience.
  • Accessibility:
    • Provide clear labels and guidance for date input.
    • Ensure that date pickers are keyboard accessible.
    • Consider providing multiple input methods (text input, calendar picker).

By incorporating the date field type into your schema, you ensure consistent and reliable capture of temporal data, which is essential for scheduling, tracking, and temporal analysis within your application.

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