Tip: Dynamic text visualization with multi-line fields

May 14, 2026

Multi-line text fields aren’t just for user input — they excel at displaying dynamic information that updates automatically based on form data. When users adjust filters, selections or calculations, these fields can instantly show summaries, statistics or formatted reports. This transforms static form layouts into interactive dashboards that provide immediate feedback without requiring separate screens or complex navigation.

Traditional approaches display filtered data through drop-downs or separate result pages. Multi-line text visualization keeps everything visible in one place, letting users see the immediate impact of their choices while maintaining context for further adjustments.

Beyond simple form inputs

Multi-line text fields with the Value property set through dynamic formulas become powerful information displays. Unlike drop-downs that show only one selected value, or single-line fields limited to brief outputs, multi-line fields can present rich, formatted summaries that include counts, lists and structured information.

These fields are live reports rather than input mechanisms. Users interact with other form elements (date and time fields, drop-down fields, switch fields) while the multi-line field automatically updates to reflect their current selections and provide immediate visual feedback.

Example: Conference planning dashboard

Here’s a demo app showing dynamic text visualization in action:

Adjust the Start date and End date fields to filter the conference schedule, then watch how the Event schedule field immediately updates to show detailed information for each matching event. This provides a comprehensive overview that helps with planning decisions.

Note: The techniques shown below require sophisticated formula knowledge due to the way Calcapp represents data tables, as one named value per column. While these approaches work well today, future versions of Calcapp will provide simpler ways to work with data tables.

Understanding the data structure challenge

Before diving into the solution, it’s important to understand why this gets complex. Our event data is stored as separate column arrays:

• EventName: { “Tech Innovation Summit”, “Marketing Strategy Workshop”, … }
• Speaker: { “Dr. Sarah Chen”, “Marcus Johnson”, … }
• EventDate: { DATE(2025, 10, 5), DATE(2025, 10, 8), … }

(View the complete data table.)

When we filter by date range, we need to:

1. Find which positions in these arrays match our criteria.
2. Extract information from multiple arrays using those positions.
3. Combine the extracted data into formatted text.

Making this work requires SEQUENCE.

Using SEQUENCE to create position indices

The SEQUENCE function generates consecutive numbers. For example, SEQUENCE(4)SEQUENCE(4) produces { 1, 2, 3, 4 }{ 1; 2; 3; 4 }.

In our case, SEQUENCE(SIZE(EventData!EventName))SEQUENCE(SIZE(EventData!EventName)) creates position numbers for every event in our data. If we have 12 events, this produces the following:

These numbers represent array positions. Position 1 corresponds to the first event (“Tech Innovation Summit” by “Dr. Sarah Chen” on October 5), position 2 corresponds to the second event, and so on.

Filtering positions instead of data

Now we can filter these position numbers based on our date criteria:

This returns only the positions where the corresponding event date falls within our range. For example, if events 2, 5, and 7 match our date filter, we get { 2, 5, 7 }{ 2; 5; 7 }.

These filtered positions become our FilteredEventIndices named value.

Reconstructing event information with MAP and INDEX

Once we have the matching positions, we use MAP and INDEX to reconstruct complete event information:

(The EventIndex ->EventIndex -> syntax lets us create a custom name for the parameter instead of using the default name Element.)

For each position in our filtered list, this formula:

• Gets the date: INDEX(EventData!EventDate, EventIndex)INDEX(EventData!EventDate; EventIndex).
• Gets the name: INDEX(EventData!EventName, EventIndex)INDEX(EventData!EventName; EventIndex).
• Gets other details from their respective arrays.
• Combines everything into a formatted, multi-line description.

This becomes our EventReportLines named value.

Assembling the final display

Finally, we combine these formatted descriptions with TEXTJOIN:

This formula:

• Checks if any events match: SIZE(FilteredEventIndices) > 0SIZE(FilteredEventIndices) > 0.
• If yes: combines all event descriptions with double line breaks between them.
• If no: shows a helpful “No events found” message.

The NEWLINE function creates line breaks, allowing you to structure detailed information across multiple lines for better readability.

Summary: The complete approach

To implement this technique:

1. Create FilteredEventIndices: Use SEQUENCE and FILTER to find matching positions in your data arrays.
2. Create EventReportLines: Use MAP and INDEX to format information from multiple arrays into readable descriptions.
3. Set your text field value: Use IF and TEXTJOIN to display the results with appropriate spacing and fallback messages.

This three-step approach handles the complexity of working with column-based data while providing users with rich, automatically updating information displays.

Formatting for readability

The structure of your TEXTJOIN formula determines how information appears to users. Consider these formatting approaches:

Clear section headers: Use consistent capitalization and spacing to create visual breaks between different types of information.

Consistent spacing: Multiple NEWLINE()NEWLINE() calls create blank lines that separate sections, improving visual hierarchy.

Informative labels: “Number of events:” and “Unique speakers:” provide context for the statistics, making them immediately understandable.

Rich event details: Each event includes the date, name, speaker, room and event type, formatted across multiple lines for easy scanning.

Adapting to different scenarios

This technique adapts to various information display needs:

Project dashboards: Show task counts, deadline summaries and resource allocation based on project filters or date ranges.

Inventory reports: Display stock levels, category breakdowns and reorder alerts based on warehouse selections or product type filters.

Sales summaries: Present revenue totals, top-performing products and regional performance based on time period or territory selections.

Training overviews: List course availability, instructor schedules and enrollment statistics based on department or skill area filters.

The pattern remains consistent: use other form elements for user input and filters, then display rich, formatted results in multi-line text fields that update automatically.

This approach works particularly well alongside date-filtered drop-downs, creating interfaces where users can interact with specific data selections while simultaneously viewing comprehensive overviews of their current choices. While date-filtered drop-downs focus users on actionable selections, dynamic text visualization provides the broader context needed for informed decision-making.

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Note: This technique requires named values, which are not available in our Starter plans.