SyteLine User-Defined Fields Implementation Guide
User-defined fields (UDFs) in SyteLine extend the standard data model to capture business-specific information without modifying base tables. SyteLine supports UDFs on most major entities—items, customers, vendors, orders, and more. However, UDF implementation decisions have long-term consequences for performance, reporting, and upgrade compatibility. This guide covers how to implement UDFs that serve your business needs without creating technical debt.
UDF Architecture and Data Type Selection
SyteLine stores UDFs in dedicated columns on the base tables (Uf_ prefix) rather than in separate extension tables. This approach provides excellent query performance but limits the number of available UDFs per entity. Choose data types carefully: string UDFs are flexible but hinder reporting if they store numeric or date values that need aggregation or sorting. Use the correct data type from the start because changing it later requires data migration.
- Use numeric UDF types for values that will be used in calculations, sorting, or aggregation
- Reserve string UDFs for truly textual data that does not need mathematical operations
- Plan UDF allocation across entities before implementation—slots are limited and cannot be easily reclaimed
- Document every UDF's business purpose, valid values, and owning department in a central registry
Form Integration and Validation
UDFs appear on SyteLine forms through form personalization, which controls their placement, labels, and visibility. Adding UDFs to forms is straightforward, but implementing proper validation requires event handlers or form-level scripting. Without validation, UDFs quickly fill with inconsistent data that undermines their value. Dropdown lists, input masks, and required-field rules should be configured through personalization wherever possible.
- Place UDFs in a dedicated tab or section on forms to separate custom data from standard fields
- Implement dropdown validation lists for UDFs with a defined set of valid values
- Use form personalization required-field rules to enforce data entry for critical UDFs
- Add tooltips to UDF labels explaining what data should be entered and in what format
UDFs in Reporting and Integration
UDFs are accessible in SyteLine reports and integrations through the same IDO and SQL view mechanisms as standard fields. However, reporting on UDFs requires updating report datasets and potentially creating custom views that include UDF columns. For integrations, UDFs are exposed through the REST API as standard IDO properties. Plan your UDF naming convention to make them self-documenting in reports and API payloads.
- Use descriptive Uf_ column aliases in custom report views for readability in report datasets
- Include UDFs in IDO property lists explicitly—they are not returned by default in all contexts
- Create indexed views for UDFs that are frequently used as report filter criteria
- Map UDF names to business-friendly labels in integration documentation for external system teams
Need help designing your SyteLine UDF strategy? Our consultants plan UDF architectures that scale.
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