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Date: Adds a field that launches a calendar applet when users click inside it.
Date and Time: Adds two fields. The first field launches a calendar applet, and the second field
launches a time-selection applet when users click inside.
E-Mail Address List: Adds a field that lets you specify email addresses.
Description: Adds an HTML text editor that lets you provide a description of the folder.
File Upload: lets you upload files.
Group List: Adds an element that enables users to add groups.
Hidden Field: Adds a hidden element. When you design the custom form, you can use this element
to add boilerplate text to every entry that is created. This text is “hidden” because it does not appear
on the entry form when users are creating an entry; however, the text does appear on the entry view
after the entry is created.
HTML Editor Text Area: Adds an HTML text editor where you can compose messages, create links,
upload pictures, and more. The information that you create in this HTML editor is displayed in your
folder.
Icon: lets you change the folder icon that is displayed in the Navigation panel.
Number: Adds a field that requires users to enter a number. Alphabetic characters are rejected.
Picture: Adds a field that lets you upload a picture to display in your folder.
Radio Buttons: lets you display options that users can select with radio buttons.
Remote Application: lets you display certain applications that have been configured by your Vibe
administrator.
For more information on remote applications, see Chapter12, “Managing Remote Applications,” on
page 173.
Selectbox: lets you display options that users can select.
Team List: Adds a field that enables users to specify teams.
Text: Adds a field where users can enter text.
Text Area: Adds an expandable field where users can enter text.
Title: Adds a field that lets you specify a title for the workspace.
URL: Add a field that converts any text into a hyperlink.
User List: Adds a field that lets you specify other Vibe users, using type-to-find functionality. When
you specify a user’s name when you modify the workspace, as described in Section8.5, “Populating
Elements in the Folder View,” on page110, Vibe displays the user’s name on the folder home page,
with links to his or her personal workspaces.
Users External to Vibe: Vibe uses this option internally when synchronizing tasks and calendars to
another application through iCal. You should not manually add this element to any form or view.
For more information about iCal in Vibe, see “Synchronizing Tasks and Calendars to a Desktop
Application” in the Novell Vibe 4.0.1 User Guide.
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8.6.2
Folder View Elements
Any form element that you create can be added as a view element, if you want it to show up in the
view.
The following elements are specific to views; they cannot be added to a form.
Accessory Panel: Displays the Accessory Panel on the workspace home page. Users can use this
panel to add community or personal accessories, depending on their individual rights.
For more information on Accessories, see “Managing Accessories” in the Novell Vibe 4.0.1 User
Guide.
Discussion Folder: Displays folder entries in the Discussion folder view.
Entry Creation Date: Displays the date and time that an entry was created.
Entry Creator: Displays the creator of an entry.
Entry Creator and Creation Date: Displays who created the entry and when they created it.
Landing Page Layout: Adds a landing page creation form that lets you create landing page
elements to display in your folder.
You must add the Landing Page Layout layout option in the folder form before you can add it as a
view element.
Title: Adds a field that lets you specify a title for the workspace.
8.7
Understanding Layout Options
Layout options can enhance the presentation of your folder forms and views in Novell Vibe.
When you are adding layout options to a form, remember that you need to add the same layout
options to the view in order for them to be displayed in the folder.
You can add the following layout options:
Box: Places a box around the specified elements.
Custom JSP: lets you reference a custom JSP from the Vibe directory.
Custom JSPs must be created by Vibe administrators before you can reference them, as described in
Chapter10, “Using Custom JSP Files to Enhance Your Vibe Pages,” on page129.
Divider: Displays a horizontal line between elements.
Expandable Area: Displays an expandable tree element.
Use this option if your form is exceptionally long.
Fieldset: Adds a box that can contain other elements.
HTML: Adds HTML formatting.
Landing Page Layout: (For the View Definition, the Landing Page Layout is in the
Elements
section.) Adds a landing page creation form that lets you create landing page elements that you can
populate when you modify your workspace.
Three Column Table: lets you add elements within a three-column table.
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Two Column Table: lets you add elements within a two-column table.
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9
Designing Custom Folder Entry Forms
115
9
Designing Custom Folder Entry Forms
Folder Entry forms in Novell Vibe can be customized to suit your precise business needs. You can
create your own custom entry forms and views by using the Vibe Form and View Designers tool, or
you can download existing custom entry forms from the Novell Vibe Resource Library.
Section9.1, “Downloading Existing Custom Forms and Workflows,” on page115
Section9.2, “Understanding Entry Forms and Views,” on page115
Section9.3, “Creating a Custom Folder Entry Form,” on page117
Section9.4, “Modifying an Existing Entry Form,” on page123
Section9.5, “Understanding Elements,” on page124
Section9.6, “Understanding Layout Options,” on page126
9.1
Downloading Existing Custom Forms and
Workflows
The Novell Vibe Resource Library provides a collection of existing Novell Vibe folder entry forms and
workflows that have been designed to solve specific business problems. You can easily download the
custom forms and workflows, and then import them into your Vibe environment. You can further
customize these forms and workflows to suit your individual business needs.
1
Go to the Novell Vibe Resource Library website (http://www.novell.com/products/vibe-onprem/
resource-library/).
2
Click
Forms and Workflows
.
3
Select the custom form or workflow that you want to use in your Vibe environment.
4
In the
Attachment
section, click the
zip
file to download it.
5
Import the file into your Vibe environment and deploy it for use.
For information on how to do this, follow the Novell Vibe Resource Library Deployment
Instructions (http://www.novell.com/products/vibe-onprem/resource-library/demos/
form_workflow_deployment.html).
9.2
Understanding Entry Forms and Views
When creating custom forms, you must create both the form and the view.
The form is how users enter data into the Vibe system. Forms contain a series of fields, presented in
a specific order and layout defined by the user who created the custom entry. Each form must have a
corresponding view that contains all or some of the elements and layout options that exist in the form.
The view defines how the data for the entry is displayed after it has been added to Vibe by users
filling out the form.
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For example, the form for a File entry is what users see when they are creating a File entry. Users
access this form by clicking
New File Entry
in a Files folder. It looks like this:
The view for a File entry is what users see after the File entry is created. It looks like this:
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9.3
Creating a Custom Folder Entry Form
Novell Vibe lets you create custom folder entry forms that contain fields that are unique to your needs.
To do this, you must create both the form and the view. For more information about forms and views,
see Section9.2, “Understanding Entry Forms and Views,” on page115.
For example, you can create a custom entry form for an expense report.
Section9.3.1, “Creating the Folder Entry Form,” on page118
Section9.3.2, “Adding Elements to the Entry Form Definition,” on page118
Section9.3.3, “Adding Elements to the Entry View Definition,” on page120
Section9.3.4, “Adding Elements to the Summary View,” on page122
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9.3.1
Creating the Folder Entry Form
1
Navigate to the folder or workspace where you want to create the custom entry form.
If you create the entry form in a folder, the form can be applied only to entries in that folder. If you
create the entry form in a workspace, the form can be applied to entries in any folder in the
workspace.
2
Click the
Configure
icon
next to the folder or workspace title, then click
Form/View
Designers
, depending on whether you are creating the entry form at the folder or workspace
level.
The Form and View Designers page is displayed.
3
Click
New
>
Entry Definitions
.
The Add a New Definition form is displayed.
4
Specify the following information in the Add a New Definition section:
Caption: Specify a name for the folder entry.
This is the name that appears in the Vibe interface. Users see it when they create an entry of this
type. (For example, “Expense Report.”)
Name: Specify the internal name for the folder entry.
The name that you enter in this field is not visible to users who create this type of entry. (For
example, “expense_report.”)
Family: Select the item type that is closest to the function of the item you are creating. Users
can use the family type when performing filtered searches.
Allowed Comments/Reply Types: Select all of the comments or reply types that you want to
allow on the entry.
When users comment on this type of entry, they can choose from the options that you specify in
this section.
To select multiple options, hold the Ctrl key while selecting the comment or reply types.
5
Click
OK
.
6
Continue with Section9.3.2, “Adding Elements to the Entry Form Definition,” on page118.
9.3.2
Adding Elements to the Entry Form Definition
The entry form is what users see when they are creating a new entry. This form needs to contain all of
the fields necessary for users to create this type of entry. For example, an Expense Report form
needs to contain the expense code, the purpose for the expense, the cost of the expense, and so
forth.
After you add elements and layout options to the entry form, you must then add all of the elements
and layout options to the entry view in order for them to be displayed when users view the entry. (For
information on how to add elements to the entry view, see Section9.3.3, “Adding Elements to the
Entry View Definition,” on page120.)
To add elements to the form:
1
Under the custom entry form that you created, expand
Entry Form Definition
, then expand
Form
.
All of the elements and layout options that are currently applied to your form are displayed.
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Designing Custom Folder Entry Forms
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2
Add, modify, and delete the desired elements and layout options, as described in the following
sections:
“Adding Elements to a Form” on page119
“Modifying Elements in a Form” on page119
“Deleting Elements in a Form” on page120
“Adding Layout Options to a Form” on page120
Based on the modifications that you make to a form element or option, you might need to make the
same modifications to the corresponding view element or option.
Adding Elements to a Form
1
Click
Form
.
2
In the Form window on the right side of the page, click
Add
.
3
In the
Standard Form Elements
section, click the element that you want to add.
For information on the types of elements that you can add, see Section9.5.1, “Entry Form
Elements,” on page124.
4
Specify the appropriate information to configure the element.
5
Click
OK
.
Modifying Elements in a Form
1
Expand
Form
, then click the element that you want to modify.
2
In the window on the right side of the page, click
Modify
.
3
Make the desired modifications, such as changing the caption or data name, then click
OK
.
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Deleting Elements in a Form
1
Expand
Form
, then click the element that you want to delete.
2
In the window on the right side of the page, click
Delete
.
3
Click
OK
.
Adding Layout Options to a Form
1
Click
Form
.
2
In the Form window on the right side of the page, click
Add
.
3
In the
Layout Options
section, click the layout option that you want to add.
For information on the types of layout options that you can add, see Section9.6, “Understanding
Layout Options,” on page 126.
4
Specify the appropriate information to configure the element.
5
Click
OK
.
9.3.3
Adding Elements to the Entry View Definition
The entry view is how the information from your entry form is displayed to users who view your entry.
Every form must have a corresponding view. This view needs to contain all of the fields necessary for
users to get the information they need when viewing the entry; it is made up of elements from the
form.
Before you can add elements and layout options to the entry view, you must first add those same
elements and layout options to the entry form in order for them to be displayed in your entry. (For
information on how to add features to the entry form, see Section9.3.2, “Adding Elements to the
Entry Form Definition,” on page118.)
To add elements to the view:
1
Under the custom entry form that you created, expand
Entry View Definition
.
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