¶ 1. Overview
The Data Form is the T6 feature used to view, insert, update, and remove records from a Data Table. It works as an interaction interface with the database, allowing you to configure which fields will be displayed, which actions will be available, and which rules will apply during use.
When creating a form, the first step is to decide how it will be linked to a Data Table:
- Creating a new table, directly in the editor.
- Using an existing table, previously configured in T6.
¶ 1.1. Prerequisites
To access this feature, you must enable the DataForm New Create or Edit preview.
To create and edit data forms, the following permissions will be required:
The user must have the following Manager Features enabled under Permissions:
It will also be necessary to be associated with a global group with the following Manager Features enabled:
¶ 2. Features
¶ Association with a Data Table
- Create a new Table: When selecting this option, a side panel will open. In it, you can configure all the fields of the new table without needing to switch tabs or leave the current screen. For more details about this process, see the Data Table creation documentation.
After creating a new table through this screen, the data form will open for editing without the need to access other screens.
- Use an existing Table: A dropdown will display all registered tables. Just select the desired one to link it to the form.
¶ Editor Structure
The editor is divided into side panels:
- Data: lists all the available columns in the linked Data Table.
- Designer: allows you to choose which columns will be displayed in the form and how they will be organized.
- Pages: displayed only when there are columns of type Data Link (such as "User" or "Data Table") or column metadata of type Dimension. These pages allow you to create subdivisions of information within the form.
When adding columns in the Designer, the form preview is updated in real time.
¶ Designer
When we add a column from the Data Table to the Designer panel, some interactions will be possible, depending on the type of column added.
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Delete: Available for all column types. Removes a column from the Designer panel.
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Link Column: Available for all column types. Allows linking the selected column to an existing data form; when we create the link, we can access the associated form without leaving the source form.
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Filtering: available only for columns of type Data Table or Dimension during editing.
- By clicking the filter icon, a side panel will open, where we select the Hierarchy and the Aggregation Type. For more information on aggregation types, see: Member selection. In this panel, we select the members and/or attributes that will be displayed in the selected column.
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Edit: Available for all column types. By clicking Edit, a side panel will open where we can change the properties of the selected column. The following fields are available:
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Name: allows changing the display name in the form header;
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Column Size: allows changing the dimension of the selected column; default value 210px;
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Decimal Places: available only for columns of type Value; allows defining the number of decimal places to be displayed after the comma in a decimal number;
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Column Alignment: dropdown where we can define the alignment of the data within the selected column; options Undefined, Left, Center, and Right;
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Read Only: switch button; when disabled, allows writing in the cells of the selected column; when enabled, writing in the cells is blocked, allowing only data reading;
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Apply User Security: we can use the flag "Apply User Security" in data form columns, making the displayed records filtered based on the logged-in user, hiding records intended for other users. To perform this filtering, a query-type Data Table will be required, where we bring the system users. We will use this Data Table to link with a column in the data form, thus allowing filtering by logged-in user. To apply this filter in pages, it will be necessary to create a Data Table to which we will link the data form identifier and add it in "Pages", applying user security and selecting, in the dropdown, the column we want to filter from the Data Table.
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Data Table Columns: will only be enabled if the "Apply User Security" flag is active. Enables a dropdown for selecting a specific column of the associated Data Table;
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Hierarchy: field enabled only when we have a column with a direct link to another column of the same Data Table;
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Field Width: will only be applied when the opening type is set to Panel. The width limit for displaying a column in a panel is "12"; thus, if the value is set to "12", the column will occupy the entire row; if we set the value to "6", we will have two columns displayed in the same row, and so on.
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Example: In the image below, we have the display of a data form with the view mode set to Panel.
- In the first row, we have the display of "3" columns, as their width was set to "4";
- In the second row, we have the display of "2" columns, as their width was set to "6";
- In the third row, we have the display of only one column, as its width was set to "12", thus occupying the entire available width in the panel;
- In the fourth row, we have the display of "12" columns, as the width was set to "1".
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Number of characters to open the dropdown: available only for columns of types Dimension, User, and Data Table. We can define how many characters are required to display the available options for selection; the default value is 3 characters;
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Default value for the column: Through this field we can define a default value that will be displayed as an example before data entry; we can enter any value as long as it respects the insertion format allowed by the column. In a column with a defined default value, if we add a new row in the form without filling in data in the column in question, it will be automatically filled using the value defined as the default.
Example:
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View: the View option will only be enabled for columns of type Data Table, or columns linked to a Data Table. When we click the icon
, a side panel will open where we can select the metadata that we want to be displayed in the form cell.- Metadata: are reference information and cannot be changed directly by the form.
¶ 3. Settings
¶ Properties Tab
The Properties tab centralizes the form settings.
Save Button: Saves the settings and the arrangement of defined columns and pages.
Edit/View: Button that allows us to switch between edit and view modes without the need to change screens or reload the page. In edit mode the form configuration options will be active, while in View mode the configuration options cannot be changed.
←→
Properties Button: When we click Properties, a side panel will open, where we will define:
- View Mode: controls how the form will be displayed (Standard, Panel, Dynamic, or Window).
Permissions: We have the following checkboxes:
- Allow inserting rows – enables the inclusion of new records.
- Allow removing rows – allows the deletion of existing records.
- Allow updating rows – allows the editing of records.
¶ Sorting and Formatting
- Sort Columns: allows defining the display order by selecting multiple columns and opting for ascending or descending order (alphabetical for text-type columns).
- Formatting Group: applies predefined styles to the form. When we click it, a side panel will be displayed where we will select a formatting group via a dropdown.
¶ Formatting Tab
In addition to the property settings, it is possible to apply visual styles:
- Selecting a previously created Formatting Group.
- Using Ribbon tools for specific adjustments.
More details at: Formatting.
¶ 4. Step by step
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Access the T6 main menu;
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Select the Explorer option;
- After accessing Explorer, navigate to the desired location to create the object;
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Click New Item in the Ribbon;
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Click Data Entry to display the available options;
- Select the Data Form option;
- Open the created object, with a double click or via the Ribbon, by clicking Open;
- The screen will be updated, displaying two options: Create a new Data Table and Use existing Data Table; select one of the options;
- Create a new Data Table: For more details about this process, see the Data Table creation documentation.
- Use Existing Data Table: A dropdown will display all previously registered tables, organized by folders according to the Explorer's folder hierarchy. Simply choose the desired Data Table to link it to the form (if the user does not have permissions to create data tables, the previous screen will not be displayed, forcing the user to select an existing table).
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After selecting the Data Table, the configuration and editing screen for the form will open, where we will configure the data dynamically. Initially, no row, column, or page will be displayed; we must configure the layout through the Data and Designer panels.
- In the Data panel, the columns of the previously selected Data Table will be displayed. Click "|||" to add as a column. Click "≡" to add as a page. It is also possible to define the layout using drag and drop.
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When selecting a column from the Data Table, it will be placed in the Designer panel, respecting the previous selection (column or page), and will be reflected alongside, in the data form preview.
- To change the order of arrangement of columns and pages, after adding them to the Designer panel, change the display order using drag and drop.
- After defining the arrangement of columns and pages, access the Properties tab and configure as needed (Settings).
- To finish creating the data form, return to the Home tab and click Save.
Attention: If you switch between viewing/editing modes without saving, the changes made will be lost.
After saving the form, it will be ready for use.