Data input in screens on Mobile Access
- Last UpdatedOct 29, 2026
- 4 minute read
To get data input from the user in screens viewed on Mobile Access, you can choose to display a customized Data Input dialog box. Displaying this dialog box automatically invokes the built-in keyboard on mobile devices.
Note:
At this time, the Data Input dialog box is displayed only for the following screen objects and functions:
- Text object with Text Data Link animation (if the Input Enabled option is selected in the object properties)
- Text Box object (if the Input Enabled option is selected in the object properties)
- KeyPad function
More objects and functions will be supported in the future, as the Mobile Access web interface is improved.
The Data Input dialog box is automatically displayed for all Text objects with Text Data Link animations. It cannot be disabled. There are several reasons for this, but the most important to you and your users is that it makes it clear when the project is waiting for input from the user. Without the dialog box, it might be difficult to see that a Text object has become active in the Mobile Access web interface, especially if a project screen has been scaled to fit a smaller display.
In contrast, the Data Input dialog box is optional for Text Box objects. It is enabled by default, but you can choose to disable it and then have the user type directly into each Text Box object like they would type into a text box in a standard web form. To disable the dialog box for Text Box objects, clear the Always Use Data Input Dialog option in the Mobile Access Configuration worksheet. For more information, see Configure the global settings for all areas.
When the Data Input dialog box is invoked, it is displayed in the center of the web browser window. It is actually part of the Mobile Access web interface, so the user cannot move or close it like they might move or close a dialog box that is displayed by the underlying operating system. The user must acknowledge it โ either by entering a value or by clicking/tapping Cancel โ and the project screen is paused (that is, graphics and tag values are not updated) until they do so.
The Data Input dialog box has the same appearance on all client stations, regardless of the station's web browser or operating system, because it is part of the Mobile Access web interface. However, displaying the dialog box on a mobile device also invokes that device's native virtual keyboard, and the appearance of that keyboard can vary greatly from device to device, depending on the device's operating system and settings.
Examples of the Data Input dialog box
The appearance of the Data Input dialog box is determined by which options are selected in the object properties for a specific screen object. The following table shows some examples:
|
Options Selected |
Description |
Appearance |
|---|---|---|
|
Single-line data input dialog box. |
|
|
Single-line data input dialog box with hint. |
|
|
Single-line data input dialog box with hint and obfuscated password. Note: Password obfuscation applies to text values only. In other words, the specified project tag must be String type. If it is not, the option is ignored. |
|
|
Multi-line data input dialog box. To include line breaks in the entered value, press Return on the keyboard (either physical or virtual). The value will not actually be entered until you click/tap OK in the dialog box. Note: Multi-line applies to text values only. In other words, the specified project tag must be String type. If it is not, the option is ignored. |
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|
Single-line data input dialog box with the minimum and maximum values allowed. The user must enter a value that is between the minimum and maximum values, and if they do not, the entered value is highlighted in red and the OK button is disabled. Note: The minimum and maximum values are valid for numeric values only. In other words, the specified project tag must be Integer or Real type. If it is not, the options are ignored. |
|
Entering negative values
Some mobile device operating systems have limitations on how users can enter negative values.
For example, the default numeric keyboard on some Android devices does not allow the user to enter negative values, so it might be necessary to install/use a different keyboard.
Keep these limitations in mind and communicate them to your users, if necessary.