Dynamic Default Value for Date/Time Field

[dayvidp]

I am creating a form for applicants to a selective program.  To be competitive for selection, applicants need to have worked in our industry for 3-7 years after graduating with their bachelor's degrees.  I want the user-entered graduation date field (Date/Time field type) to default to a value that is roughly 5 years (1825 days) before the date in which they are entering the data, and I want the user to see an empty field until they select it to enter their graduation date.  Initially, I created a static default value in the "Value" tab, but that value is displayed when the form is generated, which I don't want.  Then I tried adding the following code to the "enter" event of my graduation date field, but it also didn't help:

form1.#subform[0].ServiceDate::enter - (JavaScript, client)

if (this.rawValue == null){

  this.rawValue = (d.getDate() - 2190);

}

I appreciate any recommendations.  Thanks!

[Magus069]

Hi there,

I suggest you use this approach instead, using the util.printd();

First put this in the enter event, if you want it to stay default when no value is entered you can put it in the exit event as well.

I hope this will help.

[dayvidp]

That helps a lot!  Strangely, though, even after the new dynamic default value appears upon entering the field, the initial date in the calendar dropdown where the user can select a date is still in 2019.  Any suggestions for how to change that to match what's in the field?

[Magus069]

In this case, it should be set before entering the field... that means the field would not be blank before entering the field.

If this is what you want, I suggest you put the script within the initialize event.

[dayvidp]

I tried moving it to the initialize event, but the dropdown calendar still started in 2019, even though the date displayed in the field was 9 Jan 14.  If I manually enter 01/09/14 in the field, then the dropdown calendar begins with 9 Jan 2014.

[Magus069]

Mhmm, I don't know why it is behaving like this... maybe change the data pattern to yyyy-mm-dd, or change the pattern in util.printd to match the data pattern of the field... otherwise I don't know, maybe if I could see the form I could test things out