Creating Custom Forms

Before you create a form, first determine where it will be used. The form may be automatically assigned to a process app element, depending on where it is created. You can also assign a form to elements after it is created.

  • To create a form for an application, and assign it to workflows, states, or transitions later:

    In App Explorer, select Visual Design, and then right-click the Forms heading. Select Add New, and then select a form type.

  • To create a default form for a workflow:

    In App Explorer, select Workflow Design, and then select the application workflow. Then select the Forms tab of the workflow Property Editor.

  • To create a form for a for a specific state or transition:

    In App Explorer, select Workflow Design, and then select the application workflow. In the workflow editor, select the state or transition, and then select the Form tab of the state or transition Property Editor.

  • To create a form for a primary or auxiliary table:

    In App Explorer, select the Data Design filter, then select the primary or auxiliary table. Select the Forms tab of the table Property Editor.

After you decide where to create the form, follow these steps to design it:

  1. On the Form Configuration dialog box, choose the type of form (state, transition, print) as needed.
    Note: When you design a print form, note the following:
    • Consider the limitations of printing from a Web browser. If the page is too wide to fit on a printed page, information could be truncated or garbled.
    • If you specify a fixed size or vertical autofill for Journal fields, Memo fields, and containers, a scroll bar will automatically appear if the content does not fit in the allotted space. When the user prints the form, this may cause the overflow content to be cut off.
  2. Select an option to create the form with pre-populated sections or auto-sections, to create the form based on another form, or to create an empty form. For details on these settings, refer to Form Configuration Dialog Box.
  3. From the Layout drop-down list, select Responsive for a form layout that adjusts to the size of the screen (available only for modern forms), or select Standard for a non-responsive layout. For details, refer to Working With Responsive Forms.
  4. If you do not want to create a modern form, select the Legacy mode check box to create a form using legacy technology (used in all releases prior to SBM Composer 11.1).
  5. From the Labels drop-down list, choose to display labels to the left of form controls or on top of form controls.
    Note: By default, label text does not wrap on standard (non-responsive) forms. To enable label text to wrap, set the Width control of the label to a fixed value.
  6. Select the number of columns for the form, from 1 to 4.
  7. Click OK.
  8. To change the overall layout for the form, select a layout from the Form Layout area on the Design tab of the Ribbon. For details on the options, refer to Form Layout.
  9. To create visual sections on the form, drag container controls onto the form, configuring the rows and columns of the containers as needed. To create visual subsections, drag container controls into existing cells on the form. For details, refer to Form Controls.
  10. To add data fields to the form, drag field controls into privilege or visual sections. Each field control and detail control can be used only once on the form. For details, refer to Controlling Access to Data.
  11. To control form behavior, add form actions, widgets, or JavaScripts. For details, refer to Managing Form Behavior.
  12. To view a mockup of the form, click Preview on the Design tab of the Ribbon. For details, refer to Previewing Forms.

Related Topics