Form Field Controls

Purpose

This article reviews the form field types and includes common field properties and field-specific properties.

The Form Field Types detailed below allow you to construct effective and user-friendly form templates. Each Form Field Type has unique properties and functionality as well as a number of generic properties. These generic properties are outlined below, followed by a detailed explanation of each Form Field Type and its specific properties. 

Common Field Properties

Note: Depending on the specific Field Type, not all of these properties will be available.

• Name – Each field in the form template is assigned a name. These names are what is visible when viewing a dashboard or report. In order to report on fields, they must be given a unique name (that is not the default assigned name). Initially, this defaults to DataFieldXX, where XX is the next sequential number.
• Background – Sets the background color of the form field.
• Foreground – Sets the color of the text displayed.
• Text Alignment – Changes the alignment of the contents of the field (Left, Center, Right).
• Font Weight – Defines the text within a field as Regular or Bold.
• Font Size – Defines the size of the text within the field.
• Width – Defines the total width of the field (can be wider than the total width of the text).
• Max Length – Sets a maximum number of characters that can be entered into the field.
• Wrap Text – Will put text onto a second row if the length of the text exceeds the pre-defined width of the form field.
• Z-Order – This property allows fields to be layered on top/beneath other fields in the form.
• Layout Top – Defines the position of the field from the top of the editor page. Each grid square has a value of 10 i.e. A Layout Top value of 20 will set the field two grid squares from the top of the editor page.
• Layout Left – Defines the position of the field from the left edge of the editor page. Each grid square has a value of 10 i.e. A Layout Left value of 20 will set the field two grid squares from the left edge of the editor page.
• Tab Order – Sets the order in which pressing the ‘Tab’ key will move through the fields on the page.
• Enable Listener – This property allows the field to be populated when the form is loaded by using values from the URL of the form. Refer to the Dynamic Content help pages for details on using this feature.
• Enable Reporting – Allows the field to be used in the construction of dashboards and reports.
• Enable Printing – Allows the field to be visible when the form is printed.
• Initial Value – This is used for pre-populating a field with a value – e.g. an instruction for filling in that particular field.
• Validation – Allows a check to be performed on the field when the user tries to save the form. This can be that the field has not been left blank, that the original value has been changed, or that the field must contain a number.
• Script Editor – Opens the script editor. Refer to the Form Scripting help pages for details. 

Form Fields

Label

This field type is used for displaying text to the user. It cannot be modified when filling in the form and does not have any field-specific properties.

Textbox

This field type allows the user to enter text.

Field Specific Properties:

• Borderless – Removes the border around the textbox.
• Read Only – Disables the ability for the user to enter text into the field. This is useful when pre-populating the field or populating the field with external information. Refer to the Dynamic Content help pages for details on populating Form Fields.
• Enable Masking – Masks characters in the textbox. Specified users and groups can be authorized to unmask the text.
• Data Lookup – Enables data queries to be used to populate the textbox. Refer to the Dynamic Content help pages for details on creating and using the Data Lookup feature.  

Textbox Properties View

Multiline Textbox

This field is similar to the textbox but allows the user to enter a larger amount of text into a single field over multiple lines.

Multiline Textbox Properties View

DropDown List

This field allows the user to select a specific option from a pre-defined list.

Field Specific Properties:

• Item List – This is for creating the list of items to display. The list items can be defined in any order.
• Reporting Data Column– A dropdown list item can have two properties which can be displayed in dashboards and reports:
  • The text property – The text that is displayed in the dropdown.
  • The value property – This property can be different to the text displayed when the dropdown list is created using a Query. Refer to the Advanced Tools help pages for details on creating and using Queries.
• Query Driven Option List– The list items are created using a query to extract data from other sources within VisualVault. These lists can have both a text property and a value property.
  • Enable Query – Allows database queries to be used.
  • User Query – This is a default query that creates a list of all users of VisualVault.
  • Group Query – This is a default query that creates a list of all the security groups that have been created.
  • Custom Connection and Query – This allows for a list to be created using queries that have been produced by users in the Database Connection administration. Refer to the Advanced Tools help pages for details on creating and using Queries.
    • Connection – Defines what type of database connection is required (forms, document/security data, or custom-made dropdown lists).
    • Query – Selects the individual query to be used.
    • Text Field – Defines which column in the query will be shown as the text in the dropdown.
    • Value Field – Defines which column in the query will be used as the value for the dropdown. This property is can be required for cascading dropdowns and for outside processes where you need to transfer a value that is different from the text you wish to display.
  • Fill DropDown List – This refreshes the list in the form designer to show the latest list.
• Cascade Options– This allows a dropdown to populate a database query with a value to apply as a filter to display a certain list.
  • Enable – Turns the cascading property on.
  • Parent Dropdown – Defines which dropdown field to use as the filtering value.
• Data Lookup- This allows the value selected from the DropDown List to be populated into another field on the form by utilizing a query. Refer to the Dynamic Contenthelp pages for details on creating and using the Data Lookup feature.
  • Enable – Allows the use of the Data Lookup functionality.
  • Connection – Defines the source of the query.
  • Query – Selects the specific query to be used for the lookup.
  • Field Mappings – Defines which fields on the form are populated and which column of the query is used. 

DropDown List Properties View

Checkbox

This field is a box that when clicked populates with a ‘tick’.

Field Specific Properties:

• Text Alignment – This will put the text to the left or right of the checkbox.
• Cell Alignment – This will change the placement of the text within the cell.
• Checked State – When the form is opened for the first time, the checkbox can be set to be checked or unchecked by default.

Checkbox Properties View

Signature Stamp

This field is used as an electronic signature of the user. The UserID of the logged-in user will be printed to the form when this field is checked along with the date and time the click was performed.

Field Specific Properties:

• Text Alignment – This will put the text to the left or right of the checkbox.
• Cell Alignment – This will change the placement of the text within the cell.
• Text – The default text that will show next to the checkbox. This will be overwritten with the logged-in users’ details.
• Authentication – Requires the user to re-enter their password to be able to check the checkbox.
• Signature Image – Gives users a pen tool and canvas to sign with as opposed to a checkbox to mark.

Signature Stamp Properties View

Button

This places a button on the form. When the user clicks the button a number of things can occur.

Field Specific Properties:

• Text – Defines the text that is on the button and visible to the user.
• Render Hyperlink – Converts the appearance of the button to be a hyperlink. This must be used in conjunction with the ‘Enable Redirect’ property.
• Enable Form Save – When the user clicks on the button, it will save the form to the database.
• Email Form Link – When the user clicks the button, a new email will be created with a URL to the form. The email will open in either the VisualVault email client or the users’ default email client depending on the configuration settings for VisualVault.
• Enable Redirect– When the user clicks the button they will be taken to another website as defined in the properties.
  • Open in New Window – The website will open in a new Internet Browser window when the button is clicked leaving the form open.
• External Form Validation– When the user clicks the button an outside process will run that performs a specific task or tasks.
  • Enable – Allows an outside process to be used.
  • Outside Process Select – Defines which process will be run when the button is clicked.
• Wizard Configuration– Allows wizard actions to occur when the button is clicked. Refer to the Dynamic Content help pages for details on configuring Wizard Steps.
  • Enable – Allows the wizard configuration to be used.
  • Step #’s – Defines which wizard step number applies to the ‘True’ and ‘False’ states of the button. ‘True’ is achieved when the button has been clicked.
• Fill In and Relate– When the button is clicked a new form opens which is pre-populated to contain information extracted from the original form. This new form can be the same Form Template as the original or any other Form Template that has been created.
  • Enable – Allows a new form to be opened.
  • Selected Form to Fill In – Selects the new form to be opened and pre-populated.
  • Field Mappings – Defines which fields from the main form are extracted and which fields on the new form they are populated into.
  • Relate the current form to the new form – When this is ticked an automatic form–form relationship will be created when a new form is created and saved. These can then be viewed in the ‘Related forms’ tab of both the main and new forms.
• Copy Field Values– Allows fields on the form to be populated with the same information as other fields on the same form.
  • Enable – Allows field values to be copied when the button is clicked.
  • Field Mappings – Defines which field values are extracted and which fields are populated with these values.

Button Properties View

Upload Button

This places a button on the form. When the user clicks the button it allows them to upload documents to VisualVault.

Field Specific Properties:

• Hide File List – When files have previously been uploaded to VisualVault using an existing form, each time the upload button is clicked on that form the users will be able to see a list of the files that have previously been uploaded. Enabling this property stops the users from being able to see the previously uploaded files.
• Text – Defines the text that is on the button and visible to the user.
• Upload Folder – This defines the folder that the documents are uploaded into. This can be set to be a specific folder or can utilize values from other fields in the form to create a folder path dependent on their values.
• Select Field Mappings – This allows users to map form field controls to index fields
• Allow IndexField Edits – When uploading content to the form, a second window will open, allowing users to make edits to the index fields.

Note:  The Enable Listener property for this field type enables the Text property to be modified by using a URL query. Refer to the Dynamic Content help pages for details on using this feature with the Upload Button Field Type. 

Upload Button Properties View

Image Control

This field displays an image on the form. It can be pre-defined in the form template setup or can be created by the user filling the form.

Field Specific Properties:

• Keep Aspect Ratio – Maintains the height/width ratio of the original image. If the height property is modified, the width will update to maintain the ratio (and similar if the width property is modified. The height will update).
• Upload Image – Allows an image not stored in VisualVault to be uploaded.
• Select Existing Image – Allows an image stored in VisualVault to be used.
• Image Width – This is the width of the image as it was when it was created.
• Image Height – This is the height of the image as it was when it was created.
• Document ID – This is the Document ID of the image stored in VisualVault.
• Description – This is the Description of the image stored in VisualVault.
• Filename – This is the filename of the image stored in VisualVault.
• Client Upload – This enables the user to upload the image to be placed into the field.
• Upload Folder – This defines the folder that the image is uploaded into. This can be set to be a specific folder or can utilize values from other fields in the form to create a folder path dependent on their values.
• Use Placeholder – Enables a text label to be placed onto the image field when it is empty that is visible to the user.
• Placeholder Text – The text that is visible to the user on the image field.

Image Control Properties View

Barcode Image

This field displays a scannable barcode on the form.

Field Specific Properties:

• Barcode Type – Sets the barcode type. The types define the complexity and usage of the barcode.
• Display Value – Shows the value of the barcode underneath the barcode image.
• Barcode Value – Sets the value of the barcode. This can be set to a pre-defined value or can be extracted from a field on the form.
• Supplement Code – For certain barcode types a Supplement Code can be added. Again this can be set to a pre-defined value or extracted from a field on the form.
• Image Orientation – Sets the orientation of the barcode.
• Unit of Measure – Defines the units used to create the size of the barcode as displayed on the form.
• Bar Width – Sets the width of the barcode bars.
• Bar Height – Sets the height of the barcode bars.
• Left Margin – Sets the distance of the barcode image from the left edge of the overall form field size.
• Top Margin – Sets the distance of the barcode image from the top edge of the overall form field size.
• DPI Resolution – Sets the resolution (Dots per Inch) of the barcode image.

Barcode Image Properties View

Calendar

This field allows the user to select a date from a pop-up calendar.

Field Specific Properties:

• Enable Initial Value– Allows a date to be set for each form that is opened.
  1. Initial Value – The date is set to be a specific date.
  2. Current Date – The date will always be pre-set to be the current date of when the form is first opened.

Calendar Properties View

Cell Field

This field is used specifically for containing numbers. They can then be used in conjunction with Sum Fields to perform calculations.

Field Specific Properties:

• Row Group – Assigns the cell field to a group of cell fields based upon their row alignment.
• Column Group – Assigns the cell field to a group of cell fields based upon their column alignment.

Cell Field Properties View

Sum Field

This field is used to perform calculations using form field values.

Field Specific Properties:

• Sum Group – A Row or Column Group of cell fields can be summed by defining the group in this property.
• Column Group – The sum field itself can be assigned to a Column group.
• Row Group – The sum field itself can be assigned to a Row group.
• Formula – A mathematical formula can be defined to calculate a value-based upon field values, pre-defined values, or a combination of both. Advanced formulas can be used by creating a script. Refer to the Form Scripting help pages for details.
• Round-Up – This will round up the answer from the formula to the nearest decimal place as defined in the Decimal Places property.
• Decimal Places – Defines the number of decimal places the answer will be provided (including rounding the answer up to the correct number of decimal places).

Sum Field Properties View

Form ID Stamp

This field creates a label that is the unique identifier for the form. It cannot be modified when filling in the form and does not have any specific properties. Refer to the Form Template Identification Conventions for details on how to define the value of this label.

Routing Link (Outdated)

The routing link form field allows the user to create a workflow step without modifying other forms for the template.

Field Specific Properties:

• Link Text – The text that is displayed to the user.
• Task Type – Defines the type of workflow task that will be created.
• Queue Mode – Defines whether the workflow task is a Queue Mode task or not. Refer to the Form Workflows help pages for details on Queue Mode.
• Insert Task – Defines whether the new workflow task is inserted before or after the currently active task or at the end as an additional workflow task.
• User Can Edit – If this is checked for any of the properties that have this option, the user creating the workflow task will have the option to edit the default value for the property.
• Default Due Days – Defines the default number of days that the workflow task has to be completed by the assigned user(s).
• Task Description – Defines the description of the task that is sent to the assigned user(s).
• Rejected Task Options– Defines the behavior of the workflow if the newly created workflow task is rejected. Refer to the Form Workflow help for details on task rejection.
  • Continue Workflow – Allows the workflow to continue if the new task is rejected.
  • End Workflow – Ends the workflow immediately if the new task is rejected.
  • Return To – Will move the workflow to the task before or after the new workflow task or to the final task.

Routing Link Properties View

Slider

This field control places a moveable indicator on the form. This can be moved by dragging the indicator or pressing left/right or up/down arrows.

Field Specific Properties:

• Orientation – Defines whether the slider moves horizontally or vertically.
• Skin – Changes the physical appearance of the slider field.
• Visible Handles– Defines which methods can be used to change the slider value.
  • Decrease – An arrow button to decrease the value.
  • Increase – An arrow button to increase the value.
  • Drag – Allows the user to select the slider indicator and drag it to change the value.
• Slider Item Values– These properties define the values allowed by the slider.
  • Minimum – Sets the minimum value of the slider.
  • Maximum – Sets the maximum value of the slider.
  • Large Change – Defines the value of a large change to the slider.
  • Small Change – Defines the value of a small change to the slider.
  • Animation – Defines the speed of the movement of the slider indicator.
  • Track Position – Defines the position of the slider bar and indicator within the overall field dimensions.
• Item Type – When the Item option is selected it sets the items to be between segment indicators on the slider bar. When the Tick option is selected, the list items are aligned with the segment indicators on the slider bar.
• Query List – The list of items can be created using a data query. Refer to the Advanced Tools help pages for details on creating and using Queries.

Slider Properties View

Conversation List

This form field provides a link to a ‘conversation’ window where users can add comments allowing a conversation to happen between users about the form information.

Field Specific Properties:

• Link Text – The text shown on the form to the users.
• Conversation Topic – The desired topic of the conversation/comments. This is shown to the users when they open the conversation window.

Conversation List Properties View

Rectangle

This field type is designed for formatting purposes only, cannot be modified when filling in the form, and does not have any field-specific properties.

Repeating Row Control

This Control allows rows of fields from another form templates to be added into individual forms.

Field Specific Properties:

• Border – Will put a border around the rectangle in the selected color.
• Border Thickness – Defines the width of the border around the rectangle.
• Selected Form To Fill In– Defines the form template that the fields will be extracted from.
  • Columns – Defines the fields that are extracted and the properties of the fields, as well as defining the column display.

Repeating Row Control Properties View

Data Grid

This control displays form dashboard records embedded within a form.

Field Specific Properties:

• Dashboard – Defines the form dashboard the control will draw data from.
• Sort Column – Defines the column the data will be sorted by.
• Sort Direction – Defines the direction (ascending or descending) the data will be sorted. 
• Data Filter – Allows the user to filter the data shown.

Data Grid Properties View