Online Assessment Form Activity: Columns
Overview
The Columns (Cols) field is a feature in the Assessment Form that can be used to organise and structure content. It serves multiple purposes, such as acting as a background for headings, grouping multiple fields together within a box, and creating tables with specific formatting. This allows for a cleaner, more organised layout in assessment forms, making it easier for users to read and complete them.
This field can be found on the Main fields tab, under the Grid System section in the left-side panel of the assessment form. It is available in different variations, ranging from 1 Col to 6 Cols.
In this tutorial, we’ll guide you through the different use cases of this field and demonstrate how to apply them effectively.
Uses of Columns
As a Background for Headings
Headings can be used alone as the title of a page. However, you can customise their appearance by placing them in a column and setting a background color and border for that column.
Once a column is added to the page, its corresponding settings will appear on the right side of the assessment form. By default, the background and border are disabled. To enable them, turn ON the corresponding toggle fields.
After enabling, you can customise the color by either entering the hex code of your chosen color or using the color picker.
Once the column is set up, you can add the heading on top of it, as shown below.
NOTE: You can also use a column as background for other fields such as text fields, upload fields, and more.
To Group Multiple Fields
Multiple fields can be placed within one or more columns to customise their layout and appearance.
For example, if you add a 2 Cols column and enable the border, you can place multiple fields inside each column. This allows you to organise related fields neatly side by side, improving the readability and overall design of the form.
NOTE: If you duplicate a column that contains multiple fields, the duplicated version will include all fields inside it.
This is a useful trick when you need to reuse several fields across different tabs within the same assessment form. Duplicating the entire column saves time by preventing you from having to recreate those fields manually.
Creating a Table
This is one of the primary use cases for columns. By using the available column fields, you can create a table-like structure to organise information clearly. Arranging fields into columns and rows allows you to control how the data is displayed within the assessment form.
As an example, suppose you need to recreate the table shown below in the assessment form:
Steps to Create the Table
Step 1: Add a 3 Cols field. This will serve as the table header.
Enable the background and border, then set both colours to black (#000000).
Step 2: Add a Heading field inside each column. These will act as the table headers. You can customise each heading’s formatting from their Input tab.
Step 3: After creating the first row, add another 3 Cols field.
This time, you only need to enable the border.
Step 4: Add your preferred text field inside each column to enter the row information.
Repeat Steps 3 and 4 to create additional rows.
NOTE: There is no limitation to the types of fields you can place inside the columns. For example:
- If you only need plain text, you can use HTML View or Headings.
- If you need fillable fields, you can use Single Text, Multiple Text, or HTML Input Field.
And that's how to use the columns in the assessment form!
Congratulations on completing this tutorial. We hope this has been helpful to you and your organisation. For any questions or concerns regarding this function, please reach out to the contact support via email.
FAQs
What if the table I need to create has more than 6 columns?
In the Assessment Form, the maximum number of columns you can add at once is 6.
If your table requires more than 6 columns—for example, 8 columns—you can achieve this by using nested column fields.
Step 1: Add a 2 Cols field.
Step 2: Inside the first column of the 2 Cols field, add a 4 Cols field.
Step 3: Repeat the same step inside the second column. This will give you a layout equivalent to an 8-column table.
IMPORTANT: Nested (overlapping) columns can be tricky to manage. To make sure you are editing the correct column:
Hover over the Move field icon.
Gently drag the field.
This will highlight and display the specific field you are currently moving, helping you confirm which column you are working on.
Can I adjust the width of each column?
Yes. You can adjust the width of each column by hovering over the column’s resize handle (the divider between columns) and dragging it left or right. This allows you to customise how much space each column occupies, giving you more control over the layout of your form.
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