Forms Designer
The Forms Designer tool is used to configure the layout of input forms and output reports using an intuitive drag and drop interface. The tool can configure various items in the Site Configuration suite, from small tasks like rearranging a form's fields to large tasks like creating an entirely new form or report section.
The Forms Designer tool is used to configure the format and layout of the following items:
Forms Designer is accessible from the Design button or
symbol found on the
above-mentioned Site Configuration tools pages.
When Forms Designer is opened, the admin will see the following screen:
The Forms Designer tool consists of three primary sections:
- Form Edit Area This section shows the current format of the form or object being edited. This is the finished result that the user will see when using the form or object.
- Add Controls This section shows the controls that can be added to the form.
- Control Properties This section shows the current settings for the selected control and allows the admin to make changes.
The following information describes using Forms Designer to create a brand-new form starting from a blank slate. However, the same processes described below can be used to edit pre-existing forms and objects.
A new form will be completely blank:
Specialty Controls
Additional specialty controls that can be added to the form include:
- Logo Image Added to forms (typically output forms) to display a logo.
- Send Email Button When clicked, this will trigger an email alert to send. The email alert must be set up and configured with "Button Click" in order for an email alert to be sent.
- Assignment Log Displays the workflow history of the report.
- Details Grid Displays the report history.
- Scheduling Grid Displays the scheduling history.
Metadata Controls
Additional metadata controls that can be added to the form include:
- Asset Metadata Specific asset info, such as asset name, asset code, etc.
- Report Metadata Specific report info, such as the report owner, who it's assigned to, etc.
- Project Metadata Specific project info, such as project name, start date, etc.
- Work Spec. Metadata Specific work specification info, such as work spec. name, status, etc.
Template Controls
The user control that can be added to the form uses templates that were created with the "User Control" template type.
Example: If an agency wanted to have the same header appear on all of their forms, they could create a header template and insert it into each form with the user control rather than individually making the header on each form.
Side Panel Controls
On the left side of the Forms Designer are many important form controls:
Open The Open button allows the admin to select, open, and edit the forms or objects in the system.
Save The Save button allows the admin to save the changes made to the current form. Changes must be saved before exiting the Forms Designer or switching forms in order for the changes to be maintained.
View Switch The View Switch button allows the admin to view the desktop, tablet, tablet landscape, mobile, and mobile landscape views of the form.
Undo/Redo The Undo and Redo buttons allow the admin to undo a change made to the form or redo a change that was undone.
Import/Export Import or export a form definition. This is often used to move a form from a test site over to a production site.
Toggle Field Bindings The Toggle Field Bindings button allows the admin to display the name of the field to which each control is linked to within the form
Grid The Grid button displays a grid to help with alignment.
Toggle Report Toolbar (Left) Displays where the Report Toolbar will show up on the left side of the screen when it is expanded. Any form controls or information behind this area will not be visible.
Toggle Report Toolbar (Right) Displays where the Report Toolbar will show up on the right side of the screen when it is expanded. Any form controls or information behind this area will not be visible.
Toggle Report Sidebar Displays where the Report Toolbar will show up on the screen when it is expanded. Any form controls or information behind this area will not be visible.
Validate Page Checks for errors within the form and guides the user on how to resolve them.
Status The status symbol reveals whether a save was accepted (
), a change has been made (
), or en error has occurred
(
).