Modifying Control Properties: Type and Enabled

In this step, you will modify other properties of selected controls in order to enhance the functionality of the Capture Claim form.

The type of control that is generated from user task parameters, for instance, depends upon the type of the data fields from which those parameters are derived. The eight basic types for data fields in TIBCO Business Studio result in the control types listed in the table Data Field Types.

Data Field Types
Data Field Type Control Type
String Text
Decimal Number    Text
Integer Number Text
Boolean Checkbox
Datetime Datetime
Date Date
Time Time
Performer Text

Often the generated control types are best, but there are many other control types to consider.

In this part of the tutorial, you will change the type of several controls and configure the properties of the new types. The first control you will modify is Date of Birth, which was generated as a Date-Time control. The customer’s date of birth has a bearing on the insurance claim but the time does not. Therefore, you will change the type for this control from Date-Time to Date.

Procedure

  1. The type of the Age field is Text, which doesn’t need to be changed. But you want the value for this field to be calculated dynamically at runtime based on the value specified for the Date of Birth field. This means that you do not want a value to be typed by the user.

    To make the field uneditable, clear the check box for the Enabled property for this control.

  2. The type of the Personal Injury field is Text and you will change it to Radiogroup, which ensures that a valid value will be specified, since the value will be chosen from among those you provide.

    Click the optionlist for Control Type and select Radiogroup.

  3. For a Radiogroup control the values of the radio buttons must be configured.

    On the Properties tab, select auto for Choice Layout.

    Add Values and Labels for Personal Injury


  4. Specify the following values and labels, clicking the + (plus) next to each value/label pair once it is specified:
    • YES/Yes
    • NO/No
    • UNKNOWN/Unknown
      Note: The values can be anything you choose, but they must match the names used in your business process so that they will be properly handled at runtime when the form is submitted. The labels are used for display only. Their purpose is to aid users in making their selection.
  5. The control type of the Customer > Description field is Text. Change it to Text Area in the General tab to allow space for a longer description.

    Click the Properties tab of the Properties view, and type the values of 4 for Rows and 60 for Columns.

  6. The type of the Insurance Company field is Text and you will change it to Optionlist, to ensure that a user will choose among the names that you provide.

    Click the optionlist for Control Type and select Optionlist. For an Optionlist control, the values in the list must be configured.

  7. Click the Properties tab for the Insurance Company control and type the following values and labels, clicking the Add button as needed next to the last value/label pair to add space for an additional empty optionlist value:
    • UNKNOWN/Unknown
    • GECKO/Gecko
    • STATE FIRM/State Firm
    • FORMERS/Formers
    • FROGRESSIVE/Frogressive
  8. If there are any extra labels, remove them by clicking the Delete (X) button.
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