Guidelines for designing a form to use in the Form widget

When you configure the Form widget to use a form attachment or form template, you must design the form according to specific guidelines to ensure that form content displays correctly.

You can create the forms that are used by the Form widget by using IBM® Forms or FileNet® P8 eForms. You can save the form to a Content Platform Engine object store directly from IBM Forms, FileNet P8 eForms Designer, or from Workplace XT.

You can then configure the Form widget by using one of the following methods:

Typically, you configure the Form widget to use a form template if you want to take advantage of the enhanced interface features that the form provides and you do not need to save form data documents each time that case or step properties are updated. If you want to save form data documents each time that case or step properties are updated, configure the Form widget to use a form attachment.

Tip: You do not need to create form policies, entry templates, and other documents that are related to IBM Forms or FileNet P8 eForms. These objects are not used in the Form widget implementation.

When designing a form, keep in mind that the attribute of a mapped case property is combined with the attribute of a form field. A case property can have a default value, and you can specify it as required or hidden. In a step, the case property can be read only, editable, or so on. A form field has a default value and you can specify that the form field is required, read only, and so on. When a case property is mapped to a form field, the attributes are combined. For example, if a case property is required, but the mapped form field is not required, then after combining the case property is still required. Another example is if a case property is editable, but the mapped form field is read only, then after mapping, the case property rendered in the form field is read only.

Designing a form by using IBM Forms

When you configure the Form widget to use a form that was designed in IBM Forms, the Form widget provides the following features that are not available in the Properties widget:

High-precision multi-page user interface definition
Dynamically hiding controls, sections, or pages
Customizable accessibility and data formatting
Wizard-driven interaction pages
Ability to embed scripts, web service calls, calculations, and custom controls
Inclusion of file attachments and XML digital signatures within the form

Use the following guidelines when you design a form by using IBM Forms:

Ensure that the form field name and type match the corresponding case property field symbolic name and type. The widget maps the translated Name property of the workflow data field to the public data name that is specified in the form. This name is set in the Properties window when the form field is made public.
Tip: When designing an IBM Forms template, the form field that is going to map to case property has to be public.
Design the form page layout to fit the expected dimensions of the widget.
Choose font styles and color styles that match the other widgets in your environment. The Form widget renders these styles as they are defined in the template.
To use an open selection combination box, a multiselection list box, or a multiselection check box group, map the form item to a single-valued case property instead of a choice list case property. Put the choice list in the form template.
Use a column of a table item to map to an array case property.

Designing a form by using FileNet P8 eForms

When you configure the Form widget to use a form that was designed in FileNet P8 eForms, the Form widget provides the following features that are not available in the Properties widget:

Customizable user interface
Ability to embed scripts, calculations, and custom controls
Multiple tabbed-page view
Creation of high-resolution paper copies (PDF)

Use the following guidelines when you design a form by using FileNet P8 eForms:

Ensure that the form field name and type match the corresponding case property field symbolic name and type.
The widget maps the translated Name property of the workflow data field to the Cell Name property or Display Name property in the form. The widget first checks the translated Name property against the Cell Name property. If no match is found, the widget checks the translated Name property against the Display Name property.
Set the page size of the form to fit in the expected dimensions of the widget.
Use short page names so that the page tab labels are readable in the widget view.
Select font styles and color styles that match the other widgets in your environment. The Form widget renders these styles as they are defined in the template.