Harness, Section, and Flow Action forms
Adding an Input Box

Field

Description

(Appears only when this field is in a section included within the current open rule.) Click to open the section that immediately contains the field.

Select or type a property reference that identifies a single text value. (If you are only prototyping a form and the property you want to reference is not yet defined, use the template property .pyTemplateInputBox.)

Alternatively, you can drag a property name from the lists of properties visible in the Application Explorer. Typically, this works for Single Value properties belonging to in the Applies to class of the current rule (or a higher class). If the container in which this field sits has a non-blank Using Page value, you can drag a Single Value property from within that embedded page property.

Click the pencil icon () to review the property rule (if the reference is to an existing property in the Applies To class of this rule or a parent of that class). If the property is not found, the New dialog box for the property form appears.

You can reference properties on any page identified on the Pages & Classes tab, using the normal notation pagename.propertyname for pages other than the page corresponding to the Applies To class of the rule.

If this field is in a cell of a section that includes parameter declarations on the Parameters tab, you can enter the notation param.NAME here, to use a parameter value for the field, where NAME identifies a string parameter. Make sure that the NAME parameter is declared on the Parameters tab, and that your application provides a non-blank value for the parameter value in all possible situations where the section appears. See Section rules — Completing the Parameter tab.

Optional. Select a HTML property rule to format the property value. The wireframe preview changes to reflect the value (when presented in read-write mode.)

If you leave this blank, the form uses HTML property rule identified in the property rule. (If no HTML Property rule is referenced in the property rule, the HTML property rule named Default is used.)

Click the magnifying glass icon () to see in a new window a list of suggested HTML property rules that may be suitable to present the property in the Property field. Columns in the window identify the name of an HTML property rule, a preview of in the read-only mode, and a preview in the read-write mode. To choose one HTML property rule, click the radio button next to the row and click  Save  . (This window does not include all choices available to you. It includes only those HTML property rules with a non-blank Property Type value (on the HTML tab that matches the Type of the property in the Property field. )

Click the pencil icon () to review the HTML property rule identified in this field.

Parameterized HTML Property rules

When feasible, use a parameterized HTML property rule for runtime efficiency and economy. See Atlas — Standard HTML Property rules accepting parameters.

Click the magnifying glass icon () to access a pop-up window that identifies each parameter. You can see the default value and preview the runtime appearance of the property. Enter parameter values as desired and click  Save  .

If this input box is within a section that itself has parameters (defined on the Parameters tab of the Section form), you can reference a section parameter to supply an HTML Property parameter value, with the normal notation PARAM.Name.

Width determined by Expected Characters Length

Some properties represented by an Input Box control have an Expected Length (in characters) defined on the Advanced tab of the Property form. Enter the special value auto for the Width parameter of the HTML property rule to cause the width of the input box to be set at runtime based on the Expected Length.

The auto overrides the column width restrictions of Smart Layouts.

Specific formats

These standard HTML Property rules provide specific capabilities:

• DynamicSelect — Supports display of a drop-down list at runtime that is computed on request. See Adding a Dynamic Select control.
• CalculatedValue — Choose for target property that is computed by a Declare Expression rule, presented in read-only mode, and is to be recomputed interactively based on the Enable Expression Calculation field on the HTML tab of the Harness form or Flow Action form.
• WordTextArea — Enables inline Word display for the value of a property. See How to implement inline Word property display.

Optional. Leave blank if no dynamic form actions to other parts of the form are to occur based on user updates or values for this field.

To establish a dynamic form action, click the magnifying glass icon () to open the Client Event Editor in a new dialog window. Complete the Client Event Editor to select an event (OnBlur, OnChange, or OnClick) and the resulting form action.

Click the help icon ( ) on the Client Event Editor for assistance. For general information on this capability, see Implementing dynamic form actions and the Client Event Editor.

Client event support is not available for harness, section, or flow action rules that use directives.

Field

Description

Select to determine when the property value is to appear. (If this setting is not applicable, the cell contents are blank.)

• Choose Always, If Not Blank, or If Not Zero to have the field appear or be hidden based on the property value at the time this area of the work object form (section or flow action) is first presented or refreshed. This condition is checked only once.
• Choose Other Condition to make the visibility depend on a when condition rule, a Boolean expression evaluated only once, or a test evaluated repeatedly upon JavaScript events.

When a user submits an HTML form, an input field that is not visible is not included in the HTTP details. Don't make an input field invisible if your application expects user input on the field.

If you selected Other Condition for the Visible field, complete this field. Enter an expression involving another property, or identify the When Name key part of a when condition rule. Specify one of three outcomes:

• When condition rule — Enter the When Name key part of a when condition rule that determines the visibility of this field at runtime. The system uses the Applies To key part of the current rule in rule resolution to locate the when condition rule. Click the pencil icon () to review or create the when condition rule.
• Expression evaluated once — Enter an expression that returns true or false. This expression can involve multiple properties, function calls, and other syntax as supported by the <pega:when > JSP tag.
• Simple Java expression evaluated upon JavaScript events — To dynamically control the visibility of this property with a JavaScript event, enter one or more comparisons involving a target property values to literal constant values and select the Run on Client? box. You can use parentheses and the && and || operators to group comparisons. At runtime, the result determines whether the content of this cell appears in read-only mode or in the mode of the enclosing layout. Examples:

.Color =="Blue"

.Phone !="0"

(.Phone!="0")&&(.StateCode=="MA"||.StateCode=="VA"))

• Depending on the state of the Run on Client check box, the comparison can be executed only once as the form is initially displayed, or dynamically. See Implementing dynamic form actions and the Client Event Editor.

This field appears only if you select Other Condition for the Visible field and a simple expression in the Condition field.

Select to indicate that the Condition field contains one more property comparison tests that will be evaluated on the user workstation in response to a client event. See Implementing dynamic form actions and the Client Event Editor.

Clear to indicate that the Condition field contains a when condition rule name or an expression to be evaluated once upon initial display of the form.

This box appears only for fields in cells on flow action rules and section rules. Select to require that (when the form appears at runtime in read-write mode) users cannot successfully submit the form if the field is blank.

Selecting Required marks the label for this field with an orange asterisk () when the flow action form appears in read-write mode. (The asterisk also appears if the Label control's Value For field is not blank and the Label control's Required box is checked.)

For section rules, checking this box enables client-side format validation when this section is part of a harness form that has the Enable Client Side Validation box selected on the HTML tab. At runtime, users who leave this field blank and submit the form are notified immediately that the field is required; the form is not transmitted to the server.

Don't select Required if the field is hidden or read-only. At runtime, users can see the error message but cannot alter the field.

Select if the text in the cell is to be presented as multiple lines when the text is longer than the cell width. If the box is not selected, the text visible in the cell may appear truncated at runtime.

Select to cause the property value to be presented in read-only mode always, or based on a when condition rule or client-side test, even when the enclosing layout is in read-write mode. Complete the next field to modify the effect of this check box.

Optional. Enter an expression involving another property, or identify the When Name key part of a when condition rule. Specify one of three outcomes:

• Leave blank to present the content in read-only mode always, regardless of the mode of the enclosing layout.
• When condition rule — Enter the When Name key part of a when condition rule that determines the mode of this field at runtime. The system uses the Applies To key part of the current rule in rule resolution to locate the when condition rule, and executes the When rule once as it renders the form. Click the pencil icon () to review or create the when condition rule.
• Expression evaluated once — Enter an expression that returns true or false. This expression can involve multiple properties, function calls, and other syntax as supported by the <pega:when > JSP tag.

This field appears only when you select the Read Only check box.

Field

Description

As a best practice, use Smart Layouts to achieve uniform width of cells throughout your application's forms. You can set the width of Smart Layout templates using the Application Skin wizard.

Optional. Enter a positive number for the width in pixels of this cell. (At runtime, normal browser processing for rendering tables determines the actual displayed width.)

This field appears only when the cell is not controlled by Smart Layout column restrictions. In that case, you can also adjust the width this column directly:

1. Click a vertical wireframe cell border.
2. Wait until the pointer shape changes (), then drag the border.

As a best practice, use Smart Layouts to achieve uniform height of cells throughout your application's forms. You can set the width of Smart Layout templates using the Application Skin wizard.

Optional. Enter a positive number for the height in pixels of this cell. (At runtime, normal browser processing for rendering tables determines the actual displayed height.)

This field appears only when all columns in the Layout are not controlled by Smart Layout column restrictions (that is, all columns have the None template). In that case, you can also adjust the height of a row directly:

1. Click a horizontal wireframe cell border.
2. Wait until the pointer shape changes (), then drag the border.

Optional. Enter a constant value for the property value, a property reference, or an expression, to be used only when the work object form or flow action form appears in read-write mode rather than read-only mode.

Click the magnifying glass icon () to start the Expression Builder. Click the pencil button () to review a property rule.

Choose a default value that speeds data entry. When the system renders a harness or section in read-only mode (for example because the read-write mode requires a privilege that the current user does not hold), the default value does not appear, because data entry is not permitted.

Optional. By default, when the work object form or flow action form appears in read-only mode, the CSS style named DataValueRead or DataValueRead RV2 applies. If this cell is not controlled by Smart Layout restrictions, you can enter another style name or select from those listed.

The SmartPrompt list shows all styles that start with the word Data. You are not limited to these styles.

Click the pencil icon () to review the text file rule that defines the style sheet.. Your application can override and extend this style sheet in an application text file rule.

Optional. By default, when the work object form or flow action form appears in read-only mode, the CSS style named DataValueRead or DataValueRead RV2 applies. If this cell is not controlled by Smart Layout restrictions, you can enter another style name or select from those listed.

The SmartPrompt list shows all styles that start with the word Data. You are not limited to these styles.

Click the pencil icon () to review the text file rule that defines the style sheet. Your application can override and extend this style sheet in an application text file rule.

To apply inline styling to this cell only, type a CSS style definition in this field, or click the magnifying glass to access a Style Editor window. Styles you enter in this field supplement and override style elements defined in style sheets, according to normal CSS rules.

Inline styles are recorded in the generated HTML for the form; they do not alter the CSS definitions.

Using the Style Editor

You can select the font, color, font size, borders, margins, and other attributes of this cell using selection lists. The Style Editor maintains a preview of the resulting presentation. If you alter the style definition directly, click  Apply   to update the preview.

Click  OK   to record the style defined with the Style Editor in the panel.

Select to change the cell HTML element from <TD> to <TH>, with a resulting style change.