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Calculating Time in the Advanced Form Builder

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Lauren Sunday
Community Manager
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This article provides detailed instructions for configuring the Time, Date, and Calculation fields to calculate time within a day or across multiple days.

Admins and Designers can track possible roadblocks and measure operational successes using these creative solutions.

Calculating with Time fields

Calculating time can be sorted into two broad categories: calculating time within a 24-hour period or calculating time across more than one day.

One day

Calculating time within one day

Total time onsite is a simple calculation that has multiple practical applications and is a data point that can be used to make data driven decisions and process improvements.

  1. Add two Time fields and a Calculation field to you form using your preferred method.
  2. Label the three fields:
    1. The first Time field, "Start Time,"
    2. The second Time field, "End Time,"

    3. The Calculation field, "Total Time Onsite."

      Calculating Time_Field Labels.png

  3. Select "Start Time" to open Field Settings in the left panel. The Style defaults to AM/PM but can be changed to one of the following formats:

    • 24 hour
    • HH:MM:SS
    • MM:SS
    Builder_Time_Field Settings_Style.png
  4. The Default value is Current Time but can be changed to one of the following options:
    • No Default (Blank)

    • Custom Time

      Builder_Time_Field Settings_Default.png
  5. Select "End Time" to open Field Settings in the left panel. Determine the appropriate Style and Default value.

  6. Select "Total Time Onsite" or the orange triangle beside the field to open Field Settings.

    Builder_Calculating Time_Add Calculation Orange Triangle.png

    To configure the Calculation, follow these steps:

    1. Under the Calculation menu, expand the first dropdown and select "End Time."
    2. Click the Subtraction symbol to change the operator.

    3. Expand the second dropdown and select "Start Time."

      Builder_Calculate Time_Total Time Onsite.png
    4. Expand the Format dropdown to change the default to one of the Time formats:
      • HH:MM
      • HH:MM:SS

      • MM:SS

        Builder_Time_Field Settings_Format.png
  7. Click Save.
  8. Click Publish and assign to users.

Be sure to test your Calculation in the mobile applications or the Web Client.

Multiple days

Calculating time across days

Calculating time across several days is also possible with a simple expansion to the calculation.

  1. Add two Date fields, two Time fields (alternating Date and Time), and a Calculation field to you form using your preferred method.
  2. Label the four fields:
    1. The first Date Field, "Start Date,"
    2. The first Time Field, "Start Time,"
    3. The second Date Field, "End Date,"
    4. The second Time Field, "End Time,"
    5. The Calculation Field, "Total Time Onsite."

  3. Select "Start Date" to open Field Settings in the left panel. The Style defaults to MM/DD/YYYY but can be changed to one of the following options:

    • DD/MM/YYYY
    • YYYY/MM/DD
    Builder_Date_Field Settings_Style.png

  4. The Default Value is Current Date but can be changed to No Default (Blank).

    Builder_Date_Field Settings_Default.png

  5. Select "Start Time" to open Field Settings in the left panel. The Style defaults to AM/PM but can be adjusted to another preferred format.

    • 24 Hour
    • HH:MM:SS
    • MM:SS
    Builder_Time_Field Settings_Style.png
  6. The Default value is Current Time but can be changed to one of the following options:
    • No Default (Blank)

    • Custom Time

      Builder_Time_Field Settings_Default.png
  7. Select "End Date" to open Field Settings in the left panel. Determine the appropriate Style and Default value.
  8. Select "End Time" to open Field Settings in the left panel. Determine the appropriate Style and Default value.

  9. Select "Total Time Onsite" or the orange triangle beside the field to open Field Settings.

    Builder_Calculating Time Across Days_Add Calculation Orange Triangle.png

    To configure the Calculation, follow these steps:

    1. Under the Calculation menu, expand the first dropdown and select "End Date."
    2. Leave the operator as Addition.
    3. Expand the second dropdown and select "End Time."
    4. Click Add Value.
    5. Click the Subtraction symbol to change the operator.
    6. Expand the third dropdown and select "Start Date."
    7. Click Add Value.
    8. Click the Subtraction symbol to change the operator.

    9. Expand the fourth dropdown and select "Start Time."

      Builder_Calculate Time Across Days_Total Time Onsite.png

    10. Expand the Format dropdown to change the default to one of the Time formats:

      • HH:MM
      • HH:MM:SS
      • MM:SS
      Builder_Time_Field Settings_Format.png
  10. Click Save.
  11. Click Publish and assign to users.

Be sure to test your Calculation in the mobile application or the Web Client.

Calculation time formats on mobile

24 Hour AM/PM
iOS_Time Calculations_24 Hour.png

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