Designer Studio —
Completing the Create form

Use the Create form to add a new rule or data instance to your application.

Overview

The Create form defines one or more parts that together determine a unique record key. This form also defines the context in which a record is added to your application; the position in the ruleset stack and how it may be reused or accessed in the class hierarchy.

Use these steps to complete and submit the form:

1. Open the Create form
2. Define the record configuration
3. Select additional configuration options (also known as Quick Create options)
4. Define the record context
5. Track changes in your Project Management Framework (if applicable)
6. Create the record

Step 1: Open the Create form

Records can be created in various ways. Use any of the following actions to open the Create form:

• Any Explorer menu — In the header, select > +Create > record category > record type.
• Application Explorer — Right click a class, record category, record type, or instance and select +Create.
• Records Explorer — Right click a record category or record type and select +Create.
• Record forms or record instance lists — Select Actions > +Create to create a record of the same type as the one that is currently open, or select Actions > +Create > record category > record type to choose a different type.
• Case Designer landing page — Select Actions >+Create other record > record category > record type.

Step 2: Define the record configuration

Use the record configuration area of the Create form to name your record and define its key parts.

Short description

Enter a short description in the form of a sentence (with spaces) that describes the purpose of the record. It is a best practice to enter no more than 30 characters (the limit is 64).

This field is required.

Identifier

The Identifier field represents the name key part of your record.

By default, this field is set to "To be determined". It then auto populates to a read-only value based on the sentence entered in the Identifier field; spaces and special characters are removed.

To manually set the Identifier to a value that is different from the Identifier, click the Edit link next to the Identifier. Update the field in the overlay and click OK to save your changes. Note that once you have explicitly set the Identifier in this manner it will no longer auto populate if a new Identifier is provided.

For additional guidance on setting the record Identifier, see Choosing good rule and data instance names.

Key parts

The remaining fields in the record configuration area of the form represent additional key parts for your record. The number of key parts, types and restrictions vary by record type.

Generally, start each key part with a letter and use only letters, digits, and the dash character. For key part guidance that is specific to the type of record you want to create, click the help icon on the Create form.

Step 3: Select additional configuration options (Quick Create)

Use additional configuration options to speed up the creation of your record.

Selections made in this area of the Create form are used as a starting point for the record. Using these options also allows you to directly create a record without having to first open and explicitly Save it.

Click the View additional configuration options link to include all other configuration options supported by this record type on the form. When selected, this link adds the Create and close button to the Create form header.

Click the Remove additional configuration options link to clear any selections you made to the additional configuration fields. When selected, this link removes the Create and close button from the Create form header.

Like key parts, additional configuration options vary by record type. Click the help icon on the Create form for guidance on how each configuration option affects the newly created record.

NOTE: Not all records support additional configuration options. Refer to Quick Create for a list of applicable record types.

Step 4: Define the record context

Use the record context area of the Create form to specify where the record will reside in your application ruleset stack and how it may be reused in the class hierarchy.

Development branch

The development branch field only appears when there are branches defined in the current application or one of the built on application layers.

Select a branch name from the list to create the record in a branched version of the ruleset specified in the Add to ruleset field. The branched rulesetversion will automatically be created and added to your Development branch when the Create form is submitted if it does not yet exist.

Choose the [No branch] option to indicate the record will be created in an unlocked ruleset version.

Branches from all levels of your application stack appear in the list of development branches, regardless of the application name your have chosen in the Choose app layer field.

Choose app layer

Define how your record will be reused by selecting the name of an application in your stack. Specifying an application name helps you define a record's full context by automatically filtering the list of available options in the Apply to and Add to ruleset fields.

Only application layers with access to the selected Development branch are enabled for selection. To choose an application name that is currently disabled, you first need to set the Development branch to the [No branch] option.

NOTE: The "Production Rulesets" option will appear as the top most option in the stack if your current Access Group has production rulesets defined. Choosing this option will restrict the Add to ruleset field only.

Apply to

Select a class to which this record applies. By default, this list is populated by the cases and data types accessible by your chosen app layer. To select a class name that is not a case or data type, click the View all link.

Generally, choose an Apply toclass that is the most specific — that is, the lowest in the class hierarchy — that serves the needs of your application. For example, choose MyCo-LoanDiv-MortgageApplication rather than MyCo-LoanDiv- as the Apply to class for a new flow or property, unless you are certain that the record is applicable to all the objects in every class derived from MyCo-LoanDiv-.

Add to ruleset

Select the name of a ruleset to contain the record. If the Development branch is set to [No Branch] or there are no available branches to choose from, you must also specify a version for the specified ruleset name.

The ruleset name list is populated by the rulesets available to your selected app layer and additionally filtered by any restrictions set by the selected Apply to class.

The ruleset version list is populated by all unlocked versions.

Step 5: Track changes in PMF

Use the Project Management area of the form to link your development changes to items in your PMF worklist. These options are only available if your application is enabled for Project Management tracking .

Project Item

Select an item from the list that you want to associate with this rule. This list is populated from your Project worklist. To update the list with the latest information from your integrated PMF system, use the Refresh link.

Description

This read-only field displays when a User Story item is selected from the Project Item list. Use this field to view more information about the item.

Effort tracking

Two additional fields display in this area when a Bug or Task item is selected from the Project Item list.

• Use the Additional worked field to capture the amount of time (in hours) you have spent working on this item since the last time it was updated. The time you enter here is added to the Actual Hours of the item.
• Use the Remaining hours field to estimate the amount of time (in hours) you think it will take to complete the item.

Note

Add a development note describing the work done for the item selected in the Project Item list. The text you enter here adds an entry to the Related Updates tab of the item.

To view a list of record changes for your operator without logging into PMF, launch your PMF worklist from the Home Page and click the View Changes link. You can choose display a list of your changes from the My Changes tab or all record changes in the application from the All Changes tab.

For more information about the framework and tracking development progress, see the PDN publication Project Management Framework User Guide.

Step 6: Create the record

Use one of the following buttons available in the Create form header:

• Click Create and open to reserve the record key you have entered and view the record form. This is an intermediate step; it does not save a complete, valid record until you click Save on the record form.
• Click Create and close to create the record, close the Create form and focus the work area on the most recently opened item. This button is only available when additional configuration options were provided for the record.
• Click Cancel to close the Create form, discard all selections and focus the work area on the most recently opened item.

Troubleshooting

Several restrictions may prevent the Create operation from completing. This list explains common situations:

• Apply to class — The list of available class names depends on the ruleset you select. Each class can restrict applying rules to an explicit set of rulesets as specified on the Advanced tab of the class form. For example, if class Alpha-One- belongs to RuleSet ALPHA, a restriction may prevent you from creating subclasses of Alpha-One- in RuleSet BETA, or from creating records in RuleSet BETA with Alpha-One- as the Apply to key part.
• Duplicate name — You cannot create a record that has the same name and RuleSet, version, circumstance, and so on as an existing record.
• Reserved names — You cannot create properties with a property name that starts with pz. You cannot create properties with a property name that starts with px or py, unless overriding a standard property.

• Access to Create form is restricted to users who hold the privilege @baseclass.ToolbarFull or @baseclass.ToolbarNew.