---
title: "Create form control - Text box"
slug: "create-form-control-text-box"
description: "Learn how to add and customize a text box control in your form, including properties like visibility, validation, and linked variables for enhanced functionality."
tags: ["Task", "Anywhere Mobility Studio"]
updated: 2026-03-20T12:49:19Z
published: 2026-03-20T17:46:51Z
canonical: "docs.staedean.com/create-form-control-text-box"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.staedean.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Create form control - Text box

You can add a control of type **Text box** to a form.

### Steps

1. Click **Mobility design**.
2. Click the **Forms** tab.
3. In the list, find and select the desired record.
4. Click **Edit**.
5. If you add a control, it is positioned before the selected control on the form.

On the preview, select the desired control.

> [!NOTE]
> Note
> 
> If the control list is shown instead of the preview, in the list, find and select the desired control.
6. On the **Properties** tab, click **Add**.
7. Click **Text box**.
8. Sub-task: Define control properties.
  1. In the **Control** field, type the text box control name.

> [!NOTE]
> Note
> 
> Only use letters and numbers, no spaces.
  2. In the **Label** field, enter or select a value.
  3. In the **Text** field, you can enter a free text as display name.

If you use a **Text**, do not define a **Label** and make sure **Get caption from extended data type** is set to **No**.

In the **Text** field, type a value.
  4. By default, the text box is shown on the form.

If you want to hide the text box on the form, select No in the **Visible** field.
  5. If you want the control value to be cleared when the form is loaded, select **Yes** in the **Clear on load** field.
  6. If you want the control value to be cleared when the form is reactivated, select **Yes** in the **Clear on reactivate** field.
  7. By default, the text box can be used on the form.

If the text box must be unavailable on the form, select **Yes** in the **Read-only** field. As a result, the text box appears dimmed.
  8. You can define if the text box must be filled on validation.

The actual validation can be done if a button of the form is clicked. Therefore, if the validation must be actually done, also select Yes in the Validate textbox field for the related button.

If the text box must be filled on validation, select **Yes** in the **Required** field.
  9. By default, the next control is positioned on the same line.

If the next control must be positioned on a new line, select **Yes** in the **Append** new line field.
  10. On a text box, you can use a variable as defined for the application or for the form.

By default, this field is empty. So, in the **Linked variable name** field, you can link an application variable to the text box.

To link a form variable, in the **Linked variable form** field, enter or select the current form.
  11. You can link an application variable or a form variable to the text box.

In the **Linked variable name** field, enter or select a value.

> [!NOTE]
> Note
> 
> Make sure, the extended data type of the variable has the same type as the control. In this case, it must be a text box.
  12. If a variable is defined, the label of the related extended data type can be used as display name for the check box. By default, the label of the extended data type is not used.
  13. If you use the label of the extended data type as display name, do not define a Label or Text.

If you want to use the label of the extended data type, select **Yes** in the **Get caption from extended data type** field.
  14. In the **Text mode** field, select an option.
  15. You can use the **Preview** field to enter an example value. This value is only used to be shown in the text box on the preview.

In the **Preview value** field, type the example values.
9. In the **Documentation** section, write the text box control documentation. For example, describe the purpose and characteristics of the text box control.
10. To show the added control on the preview, on the **Design** tab, click **Refresh**.

> [!NOTE]
> Note
> 
> - In general, if you add a form control, it is positioned before the selected control on the form.
> - Where the control is exactly positioned on the preview, also depends on:
>   - The Append new line property of the previous control and of the added control.
>   - The preview style sheet.
> - You can use the **Up** and **Down** buttons on the **Properties** tab to move a form control to another position on the form.