Text field

TextFieldDefinition renders a field that allows the user to enter textual values. It is one of the most commonly used UI components.

This text field definition is part of the Magnolia 6 UI framework. The fully qualified class name is info.magnolia.ui.field.TextFieldDefinition.

If you work with the Magnolia 5 UI framework, see Text field for Magnolia 5 UI instead.

Example definition

text:
  $type: textField
  label: Body
  rows: 5
  maxLength: 300

You can preview this example using the field-examples-module. See Field examples module for more information.

Field properties

Field-specific properties

Property Description

Property	Description
`maxLength`	optional, default is `-1` Maximum number of characters allowed in the field. Value of `-1` means unlimited. A counter below the field shows how many characters you have left.
`placeholder`	optional Placeholder text to be displayed when the field is empty. The value is i18n-able.
`rows`	optional Number of rows in the field. When set to a value greater than `1`, a text area is rendered.
`valueChangeTimeout`	optional, default is `400` The pause length (in milliseconds) while editing the text field before changes are sent to the server. The timeout may help to reduce the number of validations and requests, particularly the following. Costly field validations on the server side. Extensive data source text filtering requests.

maxLength

optional, default is -1

Maximum number of characters allowed in the field. Value of -1 means unlimited.

A counter below the field shows how many characters you have left.

placeholder

optional

Placeholder text to be displayed when the field is empty. The value is i18n-able.

rows

optional

Number of rows in the field. When set to a value greater than 1, a text area is rendered.

valueChangeTimeout

optional, default is 400

The pause length (in milliseconds) while editing the text field before changes are sent to the server. The timeout may help to reduce the number of validations and requests, particularly the following.

Costly field validations on the server side.
Extensive data source text filtering requests.

Common simple field properties

Property Description

name

required

Name of the field definition item. Derived from the configured node name. Use alphanumeric characters without spaces.

class

required (unless $type is used)

Type of the field definition item. The value must be a fully qualified class name and a subtype of info.magnolia.ui.field.FieldDefinition. See Field types for possible values.

$type

You can use this as a shortcut for class if the definition class is annotated with info.magnolia.ui.field.FieldType. The proper value is defined by the annotation.

Example class annotation

@FieldType("textField")
public class TextFieldDefinition extends ConfiguredFieldDefinition<String> {
...
}

See Field types for possible values.

type

optional

Property type of the field.

A default type is typically hard-coded in each definition class. You only need to add this property if you want to override the default implementation.

In text fields, make sure that type has a value matching the type of data you entered (for example, java.lang.Long for long values) and that converterClass is set accordingly.

A scenario where you might require users to enter a particular numerical type is, for example, sorting the delivery REST JSON on your frontend.

Long example definition

text:
  $type: textField
  type: java.lang.Long
  converterClass: com.vaadin.data.converter.StringToLongConverter

Double example definition

text:
  $type: textField
  type: java.lang.Double
  converterClass: com.vaadin.data.converter.StringToDoubleConverter

converterClass

optional

Converts values between the presentation (UI) and model (stored data). The property must extend com.vaadin.data.Converter. Available classes:

info.magnolia.ui.editor.converter.JcrNodeToIdentifierConverter
info.magnolia.ui.editor.converter.JcrNodeToPathConverter
info.magnolia.ui.editor.converter.JcrNodeToWorkspaceAndIdConverter
info.magnolia.ui.editor.converter.JcrPathToIdentifierConverter

com.vaadin.data.converter.StringToBigDecimalConverter and com.vaadin.data.converter.StringToDoubleConverter always round the presentation value by default. For non-rounding converters, use the following classes instead:

info.magnolia.ui.field.converter.NonRoundingStringToBigDecimalConverter
info.magnolia.ui.field.converter.NonRoundingStringToDoubleConverter

conversionErrorMessage

optional, default is translated conversion.message.error key

Message shown when there is an error in the conversion process. The value can be literal or a key of a message bundle.

defaultValue

optional

Pre-filled default value displayed in the field. The value can be overwritten by the user. Use alphanumeric characters.

You can use the i18n key for defaultValue to have translations for default values in a form: defaultValue: some.i18n.key.

If so, you need to configure: converterClass: info.magnolia.ui.field.converter.TranslatingConverter as shown below.

Text field definition with an i18n key for defaultValue

salutation:
  $type: textField
  defaultValue: app-name.salutation.defaultValue (1)
  converterClass: info.magnolia.ui.field.converter.TranslatingConverter (2)

1	Setting the default value for `salutation` app.
2	Configuring the `converterClass`.

i18n keys/translations (en/de)

app-name.salutation.label=Salutation
app-name.salutation.defaultValue=Mr

app-name.salutation.label=Anrede
app-name.salutation.defaultValue=Herr

This is only applied only when creating a new item, not for existing items.

For defaultValue to work, the populate property in info.magnolia.ui.dialog.actions.OpenDialogActionDefinition must be set to false.

description

optional

Help text displayed when the user clicks the help icon. The value can be literal or a key of a message bundle.

factoryClass

optional

Defines the factory class that initializes and builds the Vaadin form field. The default factory class depends on the particular field.

The value must be a fully qualified class name and a subtype of info.magnolia.ui.field.FieldFactory.

fieldBinderClass

optional

Defines the binder class that applies configuration parameters from the field.

i18n

optional, default is false

Enables i18n authoring support, which allows editors to write foreign-language or regionally targeted content. A two-letter language identifier (en, de, fr, etc.) is displayed on controls where i18n is set to true.

label

optional

Field label displayed to editors. The value can be literal or a key of a message bundle.

If you do not provide the property, Magnolia will fall back to a generated i18n key.

If you do not want to have any label, set the property to an empty string such as label: "" in YAML.

readOnly

optional, default is false

Makes the field uneditable.

required

optional, default is false (not relevant for checkbox field)

Makes the field required. When true, an asterisk is displayed next to the field label.

When false, empty values are accepted as valid. For those empty values, any field validators are ignored.

requiredErrorMessage

optional, default is translated validation.message.required key

Error message shown when required is set to true and the user saves an empty field. The value can be literal or a key of a message bundle.

styleName

optional

Additional style information for an editor property definition item applied to the element when the form is rendered. The value can be a CSS class or a list of CSS classes separated by white spaces.

The style name will be rendered as an HTML class name, which can be used in a CSS definition. The class name is added to the field by calling the Vaadin method addStyleName.

The referenced class can be defined in:

validators

optional

List of field validator definition items. Any value must be a subtype of info.magnolia.ui.field.FieldValidatorDefinition.

See Field validators for more information.

Feedback

DX Core

Text field

Example definition

Field properties

Field-specific properties

Common simple field properties

Location

Main doc sections