User portal basics - Using work object forms

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Standard work object forms offer important capabilities and power to application users. However, your application may tailor the forms to meet specific needs.

This topic provides general guidance on standard work object forms and controls. Which of the controls described here are employed in your application, how a user interacts with the controls, and the function of the control, may vary from this description.

Definition

Process Commander includes two broad types of forms:

Work object forms support application users as they enter and process work. Standard work object forms have a white, silver, or blue background, depending on CSS styles in the skin rule (Rule-PortalSkin rule type) associated with the portal:

for work object forms created in Version 5.3 or later with the User skin rule.
for work object forms created in Version 5.1 + with the Metal skin rule
for work object forms created in Version 4

Developers tailor the appearance and function of these forms for each application.

Rule and data forms support developers as they create and evolve applications or maintain Process Commander systems. These forms have a green background ().

This topic presents general information about using work object forms. Details may differ based on the portal rules, harness rules, and other features of your applications.

The Process Work toolbar

Click a button in the toolbar to complete a function. The List view, Preview, and Form view buttons act as a group. Click one of these three to change the workspace display.

Button	Description
List view	Presents a worklist, a work queue, or a list of open work objects.
Preview	Shows a worklist or other list in the top half of the workspace, and part of a work processing form in the bottom half. Click once to enter Preview mode. Click any row to preview the assignment. Click the Form View, List View, or Home button to end Preview mode.
Form view	Presents a single work object, history, or attachment form.
Home	Return to the home view of the Process Work workspace.
Refresh	Force a server refresh of the page. Use this rather than the Internet Explorer refresh button . When animated, indicates that processing is in progress. Wait for a server response.
Screen Print	Print the current form using Internet Explorer printing. The result is generally less complete than the output of the Print icon () on the work object form header.

Parts of a work object form

The header usually identifies the work type, the urgency, and the work object ID. Use the buttons at the right of the header to work with the form, access history, or add attachments. The header may appear in a V5.3 compact style, V5.2 metallic style, V4.2 classic style, or other styles.

The orange or yellow action section appears only in Perform mode. This shows the actions available to you now. After you select an action from the TAKE ACTION list, a form appears. The appearance and inputs of the form change dynamically depending on your selection from the Take Action list and your input values.

Complete the action form and click Submit .

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Other sections contain cumulative facts about the work object, including the work parties.

Perform harness

Buttons, icons, and other controls

Click a tab () right triangle control (), or a plus sign control ( ) to expand an area of the form to make it visible.

Click another tab, a down triangle control (), or a minus sign control ( ) to hide or collapse an area of the form.

Click Create or Submit to send your input for processing. An animated busy icon ( ) appears if you must wait for the work object form to appear.

Top right buttons

These buttons may appear at the upper right in work object forms.

Button	How to use
Expand	Expands (makes visible) one section of the form.
Expand all	Expands all the sections in the form.
Hide all	Collapses (hides) all the sections of the form.
Save	Submits your input and saves the work object. Typically, does not complete the assignment or advance the work object through the flow.
Reopen	Presents the Reopen form, which allows you to reopen a resolved work object.
Contents	Indicates that the current work object is a cover. Click to access the contents (associated work objects) of the cover. See Understanding covers.
Paper clip	Lists attachments to this work object, and allows you to add, edit, or delete attachments. Standard access roles do not include the privileges needed to delete attachments. See User portal basics — About work object history and attachments and Understanding work object attachments.
Pencil	Opens the work object in update mode so you can change the values of fields that are not in the Action section.
Where am I?	Presents the current flow rule diagram, highlighting with a larger gold arrow the location of the current assignment. See Using the Where-am-I? display.
Close	Closes the current form without applying your changes.
Update	Presents the current work object in update mode rather than review (read-only) mode.
Folder	Indicates that the current work object is a folder. Click to list and access the work objects associated with the folder.
Spellcheck	Spellchecks in turn the words in each textarea of the current form, or in other fields also depending on configuration. Click the button again to exit spellchecking mode. Dictionaries available to you depend on your current locale setting.
History	Displays the history of this work object, also called the audit trail. See User portal basics — About work object history and attachments.
Copy	Create a new work object by copying some values from this work object. See Harness forms — How to support work object copying.
Print	Prints the entire work object (and optionally history and attachments) using a special form. In contrast, the toolbar print button () uses the current work object form and may produce less complete output. See Harness forms — How to support work object printing.

Field controls

These controls or images may appear near input fields on work object forms.

Control	How to use
	Identifies a text area that allows input. Click to disallow input.
	Prevents input to a textarea. Click to allow input.
	(Not a control) By convention, marks a text field required to contain a value; cannot be blank. See required field.
	Prompt text ending in "..." indicates either that: A selection is required. The current form may change after you make a selection. The word ERROR as an element of a drop-down list indicates that your connection to the server has failed.
Magnifying glass	Click to open a pop-up list you can browse to select a value.
Calendar	Presents a pop-up calendar aid so you can select a date and time.
Radio button	Selects one of a group of option buttons (radio buttons).
Check box	Sets the value of a property to `True` or a similar value.
	(Not a control) Marks a field in error. Review the error text that appears at the bottom of the form, or next to the field in error. Sometimes the input in this field is correct but other fields are incorrect. Correct input values and submit the form again.

Bottom text buttons

These buttons and other text buttons may appear at the bottom of work object forms.

Control	How to use
Create	Submits your input to create a work object.
Submit	Sends your input to update a work object.
Get Most Urgent	Searches for and retrieves an assignment for you to work on next using a GetNextWork algorithm. See Maximizing user productivity with GetNextWork.

Using the breadcrumbs control

Some work object forms include a sequence of steps known as "breadcrumbs" linked by arrows. Typically these appear across the bottom or on the left side of the form.

Names in blue rectangles identify those tasks in the business process for the work object that are completed (by you or others). The pink rectangle identifies the current assignment. You can click a blue rectangle to back up processing to a previous point in the business process. (This may require you or others to re-enter data.)