Text Input

Operator UI: Text Input
  Label: Serial Number (required)
  Placeholder: SN-001
  Help: Enter the unit's serial number to start testing

You can create a text input with text_input:

ui:
  components:
    - key: serial_number
      type: text_input
      label: "Serial Number"
      placeholder: "SN-001"
      description: "Enter the unit's serial number to start testing"
      required: true

Properties

Display

You can configure how the input field appears to the operator.

Value

You can set default values and bind to measurements or unit properties.

Modifiers

You can automatically add prefix or suffix to the operator's input when the value is submitted.

The prefix and suffix render as fixed text locked around the input — the operator types only the middle part, and the value recorded through bind is prefix + input + suffix. An input left empty stays empty; it never records a bare prefix.

Validation

You can validate input format and length before the value is submitted.

These constraints validate what the operator types — before any prefix/suffix is added — so a pattern never needs to repeat the prefix.

On the CLI, Station runs and the web operator UI, a pattern must match the entire entry, not merely appear somewhere in it: SN-\d{4} accepts SN-0042 and rejects SCRAP SN-0042. Writing the anchors is optional there — [A-Z]{4} and ^[A-Z]{4}$ are the same rule.

A phase can change min_length, max_length, pattern, pattern_message, prefix and suffix while the screen is open, for example a serial format that depends on the product under test. See Update Properties.

These constraints gate the entry, not the test result: a failing entry is refused at submission, but it never fails the run. Do not rely on them as pass/fail criteria.

Instead, you can capture the input as a Measurement using Binding and validate it with Validators. TofuPilot will record the actual operator input while enforcing pass/fail criteria.

Examples

Length Validation

We'll enforce character count limits:

main:
  - name: Enter Part Code
    ui:
      components:
        - key: part_code
          type: text_input
          label: "Part Code"
          min_length: 3
          max_length: 10
          required: true

Pattern Validation

We'll use regex pattern to enforce specific formats:

main:
  - name: Collect Serial Number
    ui:
      components:
        - key: serial_number
          type: text_input
          label: "Serial Number"
          placeholder: "SN-12345678"
          pattern: "^SN-[0-9]{8}$"
          pattern_message: "SN- followed by 8 digits, like SN-12345678"
          required: true

A pattern that reads as a fixed sequence of characters and character sets ("^[A-Z0-9-]+$", "^\\d{4}$", "^SN-\\d{4}$") explains itself: the operator sees the exact offending character, like Remove the space (character 3). Allowed: uppercase letters, digits, - or Character 6 “X” should be a digit. A pattern that branches (alternation, groups, lookaheads) can't, so without a pattern_message the operator only sees Wrong format.

Prefix and Suffix

We'll automatically add prefix or suffix to the submitted value. A scanned or pasted value that already carries the prefix or suffix gets it once, not twice. Text typed by hand is never trimmed: typing PCB-1234 under prefix PCB- records PCB-PCB-1234. For example:

main:
  - name: Component Information
    ui:
      components:
        - key: part_number
          type: text_input
          label: "Component Part Number"
          placeholder: "Enter part ID"
          bind: unit.part_number
          prefix: "PCB-"
          # Operator enters "1234" → recorded as "PCB-1234"

        - key: firmware_version
          type: text_input
          label: "Firmware Version"
          placeholder: "2.4.1"
          bind: measurements.firmware_version
          suffix: "-prod"
          # Operator enters "2.4.1" → recorded as "2.4.1-prod"

        - key: test_reference
          type: text_input
          label: "Test Reference"
          placeholder: "reference-id"
          bind: measurements.test_reference
          prefix: "TEST-"
          suffix: "-REV"
          # Operator enters "A1" → recorded as "TEST-A1-REV"