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Adding paragraphs to place rich text in a layout cell or header

By referencing a paragraph rule (Rule-HTML-Paragraph rule type), a cell in the layout can present rich text, which can include the results of JSP tags and stream processing. Unlike a label, display text in a paragraph can be longer than 64 characters. (You can add paragraphs to headers as well as to cells.)

Follow these instructions to present the paragraph, with contents defined by a paragraph rule. Optionally, you can identify a pop-up section to appear when users hold the mouse pointer over the paragraph cell.

Use a paragraph rather than a label to present the formatted text provided by a paragraph rule.

1. Drag and drop the Paragraph control

Paragraphs can appear in any cell.

Click the down-arrow Arrow at the right end of the Controls control group and select the Paragraph control. Click and drag the paragraph control to the cell. When the pointer changes shape to indicate that a single cell is selected, release the mouse button to drop the control.

If the destination cell is not empty, the dropped paragraph replaces the current contents of the cell. Click the gear icon to display the Cell Properties panel.

 

2. Complete the Cell Properties panel

Complete the Cell Properties panel that appears. Click the "change" link to select a different control.

Field

Description
Paragraph Select or enter the second key part — Purpose value — of a paragraph rule. The system uses the Applies To key part of the current rule to find the paragraph rule during rule resolution at runtime. Use the magnifying glass icon to create a new paragraph rule.
Wrap text Check the check box to have the text wrap at the cell margins. If this is unchecked, text longer than the available width of the paragraph will not display.
Read only Leave cleared in most cases. Paragraphs, like labels, are always presented in read-only mode. Select to cause the paragraph to be presented with read-only styles always, or based on a When condition, even when the enclosing layout is in read-write mode. Complete field that appears to modify the effect of this check box.
Display advanced presentation options

Note: As a best practice, define custom styles in the skin.

Option Description
Use heading styles Check this check box to have the paragraph use heading styles.
Cell width You can set a fixed width in pixels for the cell.
Cell height You can set a fixed height in pixels for the cell.
Cell read-write style

Optional. By default, when the user form or flow action form appears in read-only mode, the CSS style named DataValueRead or DataValueRead RV2 applies. You can enter another style name.

Your application can override and extend this style sheet in an application text file rule.
Cell read-only style

Optional. By default, when the user form or flow action form appears in read-only mode, the CSS style named DataValueRead or DataValueRead RV2 applies. You can enter another style name.

Your application can override and extend this style sheet in an application text file rule.
Cell inline style

To apply inline styling to this cell only, type a CSS style definition in this field, or click the magnifying gear icon 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, text align, vertical align, 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 OKto record the style defined with the Style Editor in the panel.
Visibility

Select one of the available options:

  • Always (default): This option has the paragraph appear or be hidden based on the visibility of the enclosing section or flow action when the form is first presented or is refreshed. The system checks this condition only once.
  • Condition (expression): In the field that appears you can provide a simple expression based on the comparison of a pair of constants, properties, or both, combined by Boolean operators, such as .Color="Red". You can combine the expression with a when condition rule or another expression using the && and || operators. However, as a best practice, click the gear icon and create the expression by using the Expression Builder. See Using the Condition Builder to configure dynamic UI actions.

    Check the Reserve space when hidden check box to have a blank area appear in the section when the paragraph is hidden.
  • Condition (when rule): In the field that appears provide the When Name key part of a when condition. Clickmagnifying glass to review or create the rule.

    Check the Reserve space when hidden check box to have a blank area appear in the section when the paragraph is hidden.

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