# Text, checkbox & date
In addition to [number](/planning-sheets/how-tos/adding-business-logic-and-formulae/measures-and-columns/insert-manual-input-columns/insert-manual-input-columns.md) and [dropdown](/planning-sheets/how-tos/adding-business-logic-and-formulae/measures-and-columns/insert-manual-input-columns/dropdown.md) input columns, Plan allows you to capture manual input using **text**, **checkbox**, and **date** columns.
### Insert a text column
You can use text columns to capture free-form input in reports.
To insert a text column:
1. Go to **Planning** > **Insert Column** > **Text.**
2. Enter a title and configure the required settings in the side panel that opens when you select **Text**, as shown below.
3. Select **Create.**
After creating the column, double-click a cell to enter text and press enter to save. You can [modify a text column](/planning-sheets/how-tos/adding-business-logic-and-formulae/measures-and-columns/insert-manual-input-columns/insert-manual-input-columns.md#modify-column-properties) to edit its configuration.
### Configure text input column properties
Key properties such as **Insert As**, **Input type**, **Default Value**, **Allow entry on Totals/Subtotals**, **Allow Input** and **Description** can be configured as in other data input columns. For more information, see [configure data input column properties](/planning-sheets/how-tos/adding-business-logic-and-formulae/measures-and-columns/insert-manual-input-columns.md#configure-data-input-column-properties) and [configure dropdown properties](/planning-sheets/how-tos/adding-business-logic-and-formulae/measures-and-columns/insert-manual-input-columns/dropdown.md#configure-dropdown-properties).
In addition, text columns support the following properties:
* **Word wrap** - Enable word wrap for long text values to improve readability. Use the **word wrap** option in the **Format** tab to adjust text based on column width.
* **Text validation** - Validate text input to ensure data quality. You can:
* Define **minimum** and **maximum length** to control the length of text input.
* Restrict input type (numeric, email, alphanumeric) by selecting the required option from the **Field Validation** dropdown.
* Use the **Custom** option to apply a regular expression (regex). Select **Custom** and enter the required text pattern.
{% hint style="warning" %}
Only text that satisfies the validation rules is accepted. Invalid entries display an error.
{% endhint %}
| Field Validation | Allowed Text |
| ----------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Any Value** | Allows numbers, alphabets, punctuation, and special symbols |
| **Numeric** | Only numbers |
| **Non Numeric** | Everything except numbers |
| **Alpha Numeric** | Numbers and alphabets |
| **Email** | Valid email addresses |
| **URL** | Valid URL links |
| **Custom** | Text that matches the defined pattern |
### Insert a checkbox column
Checkbox columns or measures are used to capture binary inputs such as selection, approval, or status.
To insert a checkbox column:
1. Go to **Planning** > **Insert Column** > **Checkbox**
2. Enter a title and configure the required settings in the side panel that opens when you select **Checkbox**, as shown below.
2. Select **Create**.
After creating the column, select a checkbox to check or uncheck it. You can[ modify a checkbox column](/planning-sheets/how-tos/adding-business-logic-and-formulae/measures-and-columns/insert-manual-input-columns/insert-manual-input-columns.md#modify-column-properties) to edit its configuration.
You can configure checkbox column properties similar to other data input columns. For more information, see [configure data input column properties](/planning-sheets/how-tos/adding-business-logic-and-formulae/measures-and-columns/insert-manual-input-columns.md#configure-data-input-column-properties) and [configure dropdown properties](/planning-sheets/how-tos/adding-business-logic-and-formulae/measures-and-columns/insert-manual-input-columns/dropdown.md#configure-dropdown-properties).
Checkbox columns are commonly used for filtering and selection scenarios. For example, you can filter data based on **Checked** or **Unchecked** values. The Writeback application within Plan can use these filters to write back only the selected (checked or unchecked) records based on the configured criteria.
### Insert a date column
Date columns allow you to capture or populate date values in the report.
To insert a date column:
1. Go to **Planning** > **Insert Column** > **Date.**
2. A side panel opens, as shown below, where you can enter a title and configure the required properties.
3. Select **Create,** an empty date column is inserted into the report with default configuration.
4. To enter a date, double-click a cell and select a value from the date picker or calendar.
You can [modify a date input column](/planning-sheets/how-tos/adding-business-logic-and-formulae/measures-and-columns/insert-manual-input-columns/insert-manual-input-columns.md#modify-column-properties) to update its properties.
### Configure date column properties
You can define properties such as **Insert As**, **Input type**, **Allow entry on Totals/Subtotals**, **Allow Input**, and **Description**, similar to other data input columns. For more information, see [configure data input column properties](/planning-sheets/how-tos/adding-business-logic-and-formulae/measures-and-columns/insert-manual-input-columns.md#configure-data-input-column-properties) and [configure dropdown properties](/planning-sheets/how-tos/adding-business-logic-and-formulae/measures-and-columns/insert-manual-input-columns/dropdown.md#configure-dropdown-properties).
Additional configurations for date columns include:
* **Format**: Select the required date format from the **Format** dropdown.
* **Minimum and maximum date**: Set the allowed date range by defining minimum and/or maximum values. Users cannot enter dates outside this range.
* **Default value**: Pre-fill the column with a default date to avoid manual entry. You can set the default value using:
* **Static**: Use the date picker to define a common date for all rows.
* **Measure/Column**: Select a measure or column (native, formula, or date input) to source the default value.
After configuring the properties, select **Create** to insert the column. You can overwrite the default value by double-clicking a cell and selecting a new date from the date picker.
{% hint style="info" %}
The default value option is available for both visual measures and visual columns. Invalid date formats are automatically handled as blank values to ensure clean export and writeback.
{% endhint %}
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