You can program Case IQ to automatically fill in form fields by evaluating an “expression”, which is a statement that accesses and processes the system's data using arithmetic, relational, and logical operators. A field that is set by an expression is called a “computed field” in Case IQ. Users will not be able to directly enter data or edit computed fields on a form. Instead, the system will automatically populate the expression's result in the computed field when the record is submitted or someone updates the record.

You can set any field type, such as textboxes, picklists, and money fields, as computed. Other form components cannot be computed, including copilot fields, data form sections, data lookup sections, entity grids, field groups, information boxes, and sections. However, any fields placed in sections and groups can be set as computed.

This article covers how to add a computed field to one of your application's standard, custom, or response records. To demonstrate these steps, we add a computed field to the case form that will calculate a due date based on the case's type. For comprehensive information on writing expressions for computed fields as well as other example expressions, see Case IQ Expression Language.

To add a computed field to a record type:

1. Navigate to the Forms page in Settings. Click the record type in the Forms grid to load it in the Form Builder.

2. Click the Edit button on the Form Builder. The form will now be in edit mode.

3. Click + Insert Fields button or the right sidebar to see all available components you can add to the record type. 

4. Use the “Search field type…” search bar to find a specific data type in the list. Click and hold the field type in the Field Type sidebar, drag it to the Form Builder, and let go of your cursor over the + Insert Fields section.

5. Select the field's properties in the Field Type pop-up, making sure to set the "Input Method" as "Computed". See a description of all standard field type properties below the screenshot. Some field types have additional properties, which you can review in Standard Record Field Types, Custom Record Field Types, and Response Form Field Types.

• Name: enter the name you want the system to use to refer to the field. The field's name will be shown on grids and reports.
• Caption: enter text to appear beside the field on the form. Adding a caption is optional. If you enter a caption, the caption text will be displayed on the record instead of the “Name” text.
  • For example, you can enter a concise "Name" for the field to show in grids and reports, such as “Interviewers”. Then, you can phrase the “Caption” text as a question to help users filling in the form, such as “Who interviewed the parties?”.
• Input method: select "Computed".
• ISEL Expression: enter the expression the system will evaluate to calculate the field's value. For comprehensive information on writing expressions for computed fields in Case IQ, see Case IQ Expression Language.
• Evaluation Timing: set when the system will evaluate the expression. Choose one of the following options:
  • Save and Submit: the system will evaluate the expression both when a user creates the record and any time a user edits the record afterwards.
  • Submit Only: the system will only evaluate the expression when a user creates the record. It will not rerun the expression when the record is edited, meaning the field will not be updated after intake.
• Live Compute: if you turn "Live Compute" on, the system will evaluate the field’s expression in real-time while the form is open. This means that users will see the computed field's value before they submit or save the record. 
  • If you want to use the computed field in another field’s display rules, turn "Live Compute" on.
  • If you leave "Live Compute" off, the system will only calculate the expression per your "Evaluation Timing" settings.
• Show on intake: choose if the field should be displayed when a user is creating a new record. For example, if you add a field to the case form and set "Show on Intake" to "On", the field will appear on the New Case Form. By default, "Show on Intake" is set to "Off". 
• Show on portal: choose if the field should be displayed on your application’s external portal (the Report Online form). "Show on Portal" will only be available if your application has an active portal and the form is available on the portal.
• Show on hotline: choose if the field should be displayed on the Hotline Intake form for hotline agents submitting a case on behalf of a caller. "Show on Hotline" will only be available if your application has an active portal and the form is available on the hotline form.
• Available for Case Filtering: when adding a picklist or picklist multiple field to the case form, you will see the "Available For Case Filtering" toggle. See Manage a User Role: Set up Case Filters to learn how to set up case filters to restrict the kinds of cases a user role can access. You can set up to 5 fields as available for case filters.
• Sub text: enter guidance text to display under the field. You can include URLs in sub text, for which Case IQ will automatically create a link. Make sure to include “http://” or “https://” in the link. In the screenshot below, the field’s sub text is highlighted in purple. 
• Help text: enter discrete guidance text, which will only be displayed when the user hovers their cursor over a question mark icon beside the field. See an example highlighted in pink in the screenshot below.

6. When you have finished selecting the field's properties, click Save on the pop-up. The field will now appear on the Form Builder. If you added a picklist or picklist multiple field, you can now add the options that users will be able to select in the field, see Add and Delete a Picklist Option article for details.

7. When you are done making changes to the form, click the Publish button. Then, click Confirm on the "Publish changes" pop-up to make the computed field available for your users.