To create a new field in the Profile Database, proceed as follows:
1. | Click on Administration in the navigation bar, then on the sub-menu Edit profile fields. |
2. | In the contents area, the system will display a list of all defined fields. Fields managed by the OpenEMM like FIRSTNAME are invisible, but still there. Click on the New field tab. You will need to enter definition into six entry boxes: Field name, Description, Field name in DB, Type, Length and Default value. |
3. | Next to the Field name, insert the name the OpenEMM will use to characterize the user. The system will use this name each time you can select fields from a drop-down list, for instance. You should therefore select a meaningful name. All characters are valid. However, the field name should not be too long. Lengthy explanations can be entered into the Description box where you can explain the meaning of a field in one or two sentences. |

Fig. 8.21: A new field must first be given a meaningful name.
4. | Next to Field name in DB you will enter text which the OpenEMM database should use internally. This name will only be displayed in connection with field management. The user will never see this name. Experienced users like to select two-word names separated by an underscore (_) delimiter. You may want to select Interest_Cars or Age_in_Years. This prevents conflict with internal OpenEMMfield names. The name spelling need not be case-sensitive. The OpenEMM converts everything into upper-case letters anyway. |
5. | The Type column features the options Alphanumerical, Numerical and Date in a drop-down list. This specifies the format the new customer data need to be given for the Profile Database. While the Numerical fields takes only numbers and the Date only allows for a date to be entered, the Alphanumerical format takes any valid Unicode character. |
6. | The Length field defines the maximum number of characters that may be entered into the new field. This only concerns Alphanumerical fields where any type of character may be entered. The system specifies a maximum length of 7 characters for the Date field and a maximum length of 22 characters for Number fields. The OpenEMM will ignore all other entries. Since Alphanumerical does not have a default length, you must specify a length for this field. Otherwise, the system will give out an error message. |
7. | The Default value field defines the value the new field will initially have. For each new recipient, for instance, the OpenEMM will fill in the default value for the profile. Numerical fields should have a default value of 0. For fields like a Alphanumerical field indicating the main country traveled to, a default value of none would be useful. Then you can use the search function (chapter "Searching for fields") after a few months to filter all recipients who have not entered anything into that field yet. It is possible to change the default value any time. Once you set a new default value, all new recipients get this new value. Old recipients maintain the old default value.
Please note: No standard value is assigned for entries in the format Date. |
8. | Once you have made all your entries, click on the Save button. The system will now display an overview with the new field added at the bottom.
Please note: Once you have created a field, only the field name and the description may be changed. Other parameters (Length, Type, etc.) can no longer be amended. All you can do is to delete the field and start again. |

Fig. 8.22: The newly created field is displayed in its correct alphabetical sequence in the overview.