Requesting a more robust numeric input canvas control

Suggestion Box
1

I can create an input control to get a number using a slider or stars. But entering a precise number is difficult on the slider. And picking stars has too small a range.

I could use a select control and type the possible numbers, but that has a fixed range and I have to convert the data type from text to numeric.

I could use a text control to let users type a number, but then I have to do data validation for invalid values and also convert data types.

I’d like a numeric input control that is fairly narrow (unlike a slider or stars), about the width of the number entered. I could set the range and step using formulas. The user could type a number, use a drop-down, or little up/down arrows to enter the number.

Two use cases I have encountered recently:

  • I built a set of controls for filtering data in a table. One of those filtering controls needs a number. For example, only show rows where a particular column is greater than a particular number.

  • I built a quiz doc and the user specifies the number of questions to be asked with a number. (I am currently using a slider, but I would much prefer the type of control I am requesting.)

I am sure there are plenty of other use cases.

2

I’ve often felt Codans have left money on the table when it comes to data capture controls on the canvas. Ideally, the length of controls is also important if you need a form-like behavior on he canvas. Many times I have forced users into a table for data entry when it was unnecessary.

3

This doc that was shared by Brian Klein in the Coda doctorate program is another example of where this input type would be useful. He uses a text input to get a number from the user. If the user types letters, the formula produces an error. However, it would be better if there was a numeric input control to restrict people to typing only numbers.

(Unrelated, this is a cool calculator doc, and it makes me want to re-create some of my quilting calculators in Coda when I have time.)

4

You could just use a normal select control, and set its values using the Sequence() formula which easily allows you to set the range as well as steps.

Coda will interpret the inputs as a number type value.

That should work yeah?

1 Like
5

Yes, that works. I have been using that for ages.