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Application Form Field Rendering Hints (Input Types)

The inputType field on an ApplicationFormField serves as a rendering hint
for UIs that display application forms. It allows form designers to specify
how a field should be presented to the user, independently of the field’s
underlying data type.

Overview

Each ApplicationFormField has two related but distinct attributes that
together describe how a field should be handled:

  • baseField.dataType — describes the semantic type of the data being
    collected (e.g., string, number, email, url). The PDC service uses
    this for data validation.
  • inputType — describes the preferred UI control for collecting that
    data. This is purely a rendering hint; the service does not enforce
    constraints based on inputType.

When inputType is null, the UI should fall back to a sensible default
rendering based on baseField.dataType, that enforces the data type
at the user experience level.

Input Type Values

These are the currently supported inputType values in the
service.

Value Description
shortText A single-line text input. Suitable for brief, unformatted responses.
longText A multi-line textarea. Suitable for narrative or free-form responses.
radio A set of mutually exclusive options displayed as radio buttons.
dropdown A set of mutually exclusive options displayed in a dropdown (select) menu.
multiselect A control that allows one or more options to be selected simultaneously.
hidden The field is not displayed to the applicant. Useful for tracking metadata or system-populated values.

Relationship to baseField.dataType

The inputType and dataType are independent of each other in the API, but
UIs should use them together to render fields sensibly. For example, a field
with dataType: "string" could reasonably be rendered as shortText,
longText, radio, dropdown, or multiselect depending on the intended
use. A field with dataType: "boolean" might be rendered as radio buttons
offering “Yes” / “No” options.

The service does not validate that a given inputType is appropriate for a
given dataType; that responsibility lies with form designers and the
consuming UI.

Null inputType

An inputType of null means no rendering hint has been specified. UIs
encountering a null inputType should apply their own default rendering
logic based on baseField.dataType. For instance:

  • string → single-line text input
  • number or currency → numeric input
  • boolean → checkbox or radio buttons
  • email → email input
  • url → URL input
  • phone_number → telephone input
  • file → file upload control
  • date or date_time → date picker

API Usage

The inputType field is returned in ApplicationFormField responses. It can
be set at creation time or updated later via patch.

Setting inputType when creating an application form

ApplicationFormField records are created as part of POST /applicationForms.
Include inputType in each entry of the fields array:

{
	"opportunityId": 3203,
	"name": "2025 Grant Application",
	"fields": [
		{
			"baseFieldShortCode": "project_description",
			"position": 2,
			"label": "Describe your project",
			"instructions": "Please provide a detailed description of your proposed project.",
			"inputType": "longText"
		}
	]
}

Patching inputType on an existing application form field

Use PATCH /applicationFormFields/{applicationFormFieldId} to update label,
instructions, and/or inputType on an existing field:

{
	"inputType": "radio"
}

To clear a previously set inputType and revert to default rendering, patch
the field with "inputType": null.

Example ApplicationFormField response

{
	"id": 42,
	"applicationFormId": 7,
	"baseFieldShortCode": "project_description",
	"position": 2,
	"label": "Describe your project",
	"instructions": "Please provide a detailed description of your proposed project.",
	"inputType": "longText",
	"createdAt": "2026-01-15T12:00:00Z",
	"baseField": {
		"shortCode": "project_description",
		"label": "Project Description",
		"description": "A description of the project for which funding is sought.",
		"dataType": "string",
		"category": "project",
		"valueRelevanceHours": null,
		"sensitivityClassification": "public",
		"localizations": {},
		"createdAt": "2025-06-01T00:00:00Z"
	}
}

The OpenAPI schema for the enumerated values is defined in
src/openapi/components/schemas/ApplicationFormFieldInputType.json.

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