Understand Radio Field | Zoho Creator Help

Understand Radio Field

The Radio field enables your users to select a value from a predefined set of choices that are displayed as radio buttons.
Notes
Note: Radio fields do not support search or auto-completion. They are best suited for presenting a small set of mutually exclusive options. If you require search or auto-complete functionality for single selection, consider using a Dropdown field instead.

When to use this field?

You may consider the following pointers to determine when to use a radio field:
  • Opt to use a radio field if the data that you want to enable your users to enter spans a defined set of choices, and only one of these choices can be present per entry (or record)
  • The drop down field also enables your users to select a value from a predefined set of choices. Where the radio and drop down fields differ is the way the choices are displayed when your users access them on a web-browser: as radio buttons and in a dropdown menu, respectively. (They look the same when accessed from a phone or tablet)
  • If you want to enable your users to select multiple values, you must opt to add a multi select or checkbox field to your form
  • If you want to create a dynamic picklist, i.e., if you want to provide an initial set of choices to select from, but want to accommodate the growth of this set, then you must opt to use a single-select lookup field

Character limits

A choice displayed by the radio field contain up to 100 characters. In other words, the radio field can store an input that has up to 100 characters.
NotesMaximum character length validation will be implemented strictly for all your form fields if a record is added via Deluge, API, or email input. This validation ensures that all the records added via various inputs undergo a thorough check for their field characters to ensure they're on par with the predefined character limits that you set, thereby minimizing error handling. 

Features

  • You can manage the choices that the radio field displays:
  • Set an initial value: Initial value for a radio field refers to the choice that your users will see pre-selected when they access your form. Setting an initial value does not restrict your users from selecting a different choice.
  • Allow the entry of another choice: Instead of selecting one of the predefined choices, you can enable your users to type an input (that has a maximum of 255 characters) for the radio field. This enables your users with the option to enter a more appropriate input in the radio field. When your users access the such a radio field, Other will be displayed as the last radio button. When your users select Other, an input box will appear where they can type the required input.

  • Customize the field name and field link name of this field
  • Make it mandatory for your users to enter an input in this field
  • Enable showing this field only to the app’s admin (and hide it from other users)
  • Change this field's type
  • Set this field’s size
  • Enable displaying a tooltip message when your users hover their mouse on this field

Adding a radio field

  1. Open the Form Builder in your application.

  2. Drag and drop a Radio field onto the form (if not already added).

  3. Select the Radio field and navigate to Field Properties > Choices in the right panel.

  4. Click the + (Add) icon next to an existing choice. An input box will appear.

  5. Enter the new choice and press Enter.

Learn more on how to add and import data to a radio field here.