Copyright © TIBCO Software Inc. All Rights Reserved
Copyright © TIBCO Software Inc. All Rights Reserved


Chapter 3 Tasks : Using Form Data Fields

Using Form Data Fields
Form data fields are used to store data that is needed only for the lifetime of the form.
What Is a Form Data Field?
User task parameters offer a way to associate a user task with process data fields so that data that is available to the entire process can be used, viewed, or modified through the form associated with the user task. But in some cases, you want to track data that is useful for the functioning of the form, but is unrelated to other tasks in the process and is not needed by the server. In such a case, instead of using parameters, you can create one or more form data fields to store that data for the lifetime of the form.
The same data types available for parameters are also available for form data fields. The key difference between a form data field and a parameter is that a form data field has no Mode property (In, Out, or In/Out). Since a parameter’s Mode property is used to specify the way parameter data interacts with the larger business process, it has no relevance to form data fields.
As an example of how a form data field might be used, suppose there is a set of panes in the form that are invisible, and you want them to become visible when a certain value is specified (or other action is taken) by the user who is interacting with the form. In this case, you can use a form data field to track which of those panes are visible. In effect, the form data field functions as a global variable within the context of the form.
Another example would be to use a form data field with a form containing a wizard pane where you want to track which page of the wizard is currently visible to the user.
Configuring a Form Data Field
To create a form data field follow these steps.
1.
2.
In the Outline view for the form, right click the Data folder and click New Data Field.
3.
Provide a label, name, and type for the data field. Select External Reference to choose a type from all the types defined for the process.

Copyright © TIBCO Software Inc. All Rights Reserved
Copyright © TIBCO Software Inc. All Rights Reserved