@Mike_Ball, would you please consider adding to your excellent feature request the ability to set the default value via either formula or string expressions?
For instance, where you suggest that
“on …date [fields], the obvious [default value] is Today”,
such a default could be implemented by typing the following formula in the default field: today()
Additionally, by allowing a FORMULA to be entered as the fields default value, it allows users to prepopulate each record with more value scenarios which could easily account for and predict the default value for 30-90% of the time, yet still allow the user to quickly and CLEANLY override the default value.
For instance, instead of simply setting the default value of a field as Today() a business could set the expiration of a short term lease as Today()+90, but allow the two parties to adjust it to more amenable/responsive terms.