Truncate Description in a View - Text Mode?

[sydneyp50459827]

Is it possible to use text mode to truncate the description in a view to make the viewing and scrolling experience better? Does anyone have the text mode they could share? Also, if I were to apply this text mode, would I lose the ability to in-line edit the description field?

[AnthonyIm]

Hi Sydney,

@NRYN R - inactive‚ on his lovely WF Pro site has the code you need! :) But yes, you would lose the ability to inline edit because you are not looking at the field itself.

displayname=Description Summary

textmode=true

usewidths=true

valueexpression=IF(LEN({description})>140, CONCAT(SUBSTR({description},0,139),"... (open issue for more)"), {description})

valueformat=HTML

width=250

For all of his great examples: https://wf-pro.com/home/training/text-mode-examples/

[sydneyp50459827]

Thank you Anthony! One follow up, how do I get rid of the (open issue for more) ? I tried but I broke it! 😖

and thank you for the additional resource! I will poke around in there!

[AnthonyIm · Accepted solution]

Try...

displayname=Description Summary

textmode=true

usewidths=true

valueexpression=IF(LEN({description})>140,CONCAT(SUBSTR({description},0,139)),{description})

valueformat=HTML

width=250

[sydneyp50459827]

That worked, thank you so much!

[AlanZa1]

Is it possible to do this with a custom field that's a part of a custom form?

[AnthonyIm]

Hi Alan - you should be able to, although I have never tried LEN in a calculated field. The biggest difference will be getting rid of the brackets and doing the real name of the field instead of the tech name. Try...

IF(LEN(Description)>140,CONCAT(SUBSTR(Description,0,139)),Description)

[AlanZa1]

Hey Anthony -

Thanks for the quick reply.

The field I'm working with is a Paragraph Text Field (format = text) and the name of the field is "Please describe your licensing clearance needs".

I tried removing the curly brackets and entered the below in text mode. After saving changes, the column appears blank in the report, which I'm guessing means I'm doing something wrong:

displayname=Please describe your licensing clearance needs

textmode=true

usewidths=true

valueexpression=IF(LEN(Please describe your licensing clearance needs)>140,CONCAT(SUBSTR(Please describe your licensing clearance needs,0,139)),Please describe your licensing clearance needs)

valueformat=HTML

width=250

Any ideas? Could this have to do with the fact that the field exists on a custom form in the issue, rather than the default "Overview" form that appears on every issue?

Thanks!

[AnthonyIm]

Hi - If you are doing this as a calculated field on a custom form, you don't need all the extra stuff. You just need the formula. The code you have up there is still for a custom field in a report.

If you want for a calculated field on a custom form, you just need...

IF(LEN(Please describe your licensing clearance needs)>140,CONCAT(SUBSTR(Please describe your licensing clearance needs,0,139)),Please describe your licensing clearance needs)

If you still want a custom field in a report, you will need the bracets but you were probably missing the DE: for custom fields.

displayname=Please describe your licensing clearance needs

textmode=true

usewidths=true

valueexpression=IF(LEN({DE:Please describe your licensing clearance needs})>140,CONCAT(SUBSTR({DE:Please describe your licensing clearance needs},0,139)),{DE:Please describe your licensing clearance needs})

valueformat=HTML

width=250

Hope that helps and sorry for any confusion.

[AlanZa1]

That did the trick. Thank you!