Is there a way to limit the max number of characters in a text/number field?

Bill Lafferty

I have a form that I want to use to capture telephone info. Is there a way to limit the max number of characters that can be input in a cell and perhaps show an error message to the user? Also, is there a way to limit input to numerical text only?

Thanks.

Bill

Barry Bowles

@William Lafferty @Mark Salamon Hey there you probably figured a workaround for this by now but just in case you haven't I had the same issue and I resolved it at the data entry stage rather than through update requests. In my case it was just the number of characters to be limited. I created a new hidden column I called #chrs and used the LEN() formula to count the characters in the column I wanted to limit. Then I used conditional formatting to apply a very visible format to the cell where I wanted the limit using a maximum of 25 in the #chr column as the criteria. See screenshot as an example.

Although it doesn't stop the error being made it does make it obvious something is wrong and just needs a little training of the user. Hope this is helpful.

However I agree with Mark, the real answer is for smartsheet to provide real data entry validation at least to the level that excel offers in its basic functionality. Data validation is the key to accurate data entry and prevention is far better and more efficient than cure, without that basic validation smartsheet becomes notsosmartsheet ;-).

Instead of spending all the time effort and then pomp and ceremony to add a few color additions to the dashboards and hardly any additional functionality, that time and effort would have been far better invested in data validation or maybe adding the basic time function to the date columns.

Smartsheet is a great product but the omission of some very basic functionality that has existed in excel for 20 years makes smartsheet really outdated and leaves a huge gap for smartsheet competitors to grow.

Screenshot (28).png

Bill Lafferty

I did see how to validate if numerical text only using the "ISNUMBER()" formula.

Genevieve P.

Hi Bill,

No, there currently is no way to limit the number of characters in a form field, and to restrict it to numerical values only (please submit an Enhancement Request when you have a moment!)

I would suggest adding some Helper Text above the text box identifying exactly how the phone number should be laid out:

Then, as you suggested, you could use an ISNUMBER function to see if the cell contains only numbers (my example above wouldn't fit this criteria).

Additionally, you could trigger an Update Request to the person who submitted the form asking them to re-do that one field if the ISNUMBER formula detected that the cell wasn't all numbers. Just a few ideas!

Cheers,

Genevieve

Bill Lafferty

Thanks Genevieve. We have done that. However, we were looking for ways to flag it to the user entering data in the form vs. an on the backend via an update request.

Bill

Mark Salamon

I am continually amazed that SmartSheet does not offer such basic features as field validation. We're not talking complicated stuff, like making sure an entry is a valid SSN, but simply ensuring that a number has been entered or limiting the length of a text field. :(

Barry Bowles

@William Lafferty @Mark Salamon Hey there you probably figured a workaround for this by now but just in case you haven't I had the same issue and I resolved it at the data entry stage rather than through update requests. In my case it was just the number of characters to be limited. I created a new hidden column I called #chrs and used the LEN() formula to count the characters in the column I wanted to limit. Then I used conditional formatting to apply a very visible format to the cell where I wanted the limit using a maximum of 25 in the #chr column as the criteria. See screenshot as an example.

Although it doesn't stop the error being made it does make it obvious something is wrong and just needs a little training of the user. Hope this is helpful.

However I agree with Mark, the real answer is for smartsheet to provide real data entry validation at least to the level that excel offers in its basic functionality. Data validation is the key to accurate data entry and prevention is far better and more efficient than cure, without that basic validation smartsheet becomes notsosmartsheet ;-).

Instead of spending all the time effort and then pomp and ceremony to add a few color additions to the dashboards and hardly any additional functionality, that time and effort would have been far better invested in data validation or maybe adding the basic time function to the date columns.

Smartsheet is a great product but the omission of some very basic functionality that has existed in excel for 20 years makes smartsheet really outdated and leaves a huge gap for smartsheet competitors to grow.

Screenshot (28).png

AJMoede

How has this capability continued to elude Smartsheet for 3 years now? What's the point of an enhancement request for a minimum product expectation if three years later nothing was delivered?