Custom columns
Custom columns are what turn a plain Qlik table into a writeback grid - each one adds an editable (or calculated) field alongside your dimensions and measures.
Adding a column
Section titled “Adding a column”In the property panel, go to Data → Scribe Configuration → Custom Columns Definition and select Add Column. Every column has these settings, regardless of type:
- Column name - an internal identifier, auto-generated from the label if you leave it blank. Must be unique among this object’s columns.
- Placeholder text - a hint shown in the cell before it has a value.
- Disable input column (expression) - grays out the cell for rows where this is true, without hiding it.
- Hide input column (expression) - removes the column entirely for rows where this is true.
- Type - which of the column types below it behaves as.
Column types
Section titled “Column types”| Type | What it is |
|---|---|
| Textbox | Free text, multiple lines. |
| Text | Free text, a single line. |
| Number | A numeric value. Can have a validation pattern, a [column |
| total](/rlvscribe/using-rlvscribe/formatting/#totals), and [bulk | |
| edit](/rlvscribe/using-rlvscribe/bulk-edit/). | |
| Numeric with Suggestions | A number, with a lookup of past values to pick from. See |
| Numeric input with suggestions. | |
| Calculated Column | Read-only - computed live from a formula. See [Calculated |
| columns](/rlvscribe/using-rlvscribe/calculated-columns/). | |
| Checkbox | A single on/off box. |
| Date | A date picker. |
| Dropdown | A single choice from a fixed, dynamic, or looked-up list of options. See |
| Dropdowns and tags. | |
| Multi-Select Tags | Multiple values as chips (tags, emails, phone numbers, and similar). |
| See Dropdowns and tags. | |
| Slider | A numeric value chosen by dragging, with a min, max, and step. |
| Rating | A star-style satisfaction rating, out of a configurable maximum (default 5). |
| Time Picker | A time-of-day value. |
| Switch | An on/off toggle, styled differently from Checkbox but functionally the same. |
Most types just need a default value and, where relevant, a min/max/step - set directly on the column in the property panel. Calculated Column, Numeric with Suggestions, and Dropdown/Multi-Select Tags have enough of their own settings to warrant the dedicated pages linked above; the rest are self-explanatory from the property panel.
Worked example
Section titled “Worked example”A procurement sheet needs a Quantity (Number, with a validation pattern rejecting negative values), an Approved flag (Switch), and a Priority (Rating, max 3). Each is added as a separate custom column, with a Placeholder text of “Enter quantity” on the Number column so an empty cell doesn’t read as zero.