Configuring Dynamic Field Display

Configurable field display provides an administrator with vast control over the general look and feel of a dataform. This is much more than just grouping fields into fieldsets or tabs but includes the ability to dynamically enable or disable fields and show or hide fields, fieldsets, or even tabbed dataforms based on the other data on that dataform. In combination with custom header links, an administrator can virtually set up any workflow or process in ClientSpace using dynamic field display.

When configuring field display, keep in mind what you would like to accomplish and map out how the result should work on your dataform. For example, when you select Organization as the Location, Organization fields can be made read-only or hidden based on configurable properties just as dataform fields. The source for these properties can be either based on Organization fields (where Field Source is This Table) or other related fields in ClientSpace using a field display proc (Field display Proc 1 or 2).

Field display can be cascaded. Combine this with required field rules, and it allows you to build incredibly complex workflows within a dataform. An example of this could be a form, where filling out a Pay Frequency field with a value of Weekly displays a Weekly payroll fieldset containing a required Pay Type field with values of Check or Direct Deposit. Selecting Direct Deposit displays a field for Bank Authorization, which is also required to save the form.

Required dataform fields hidden through configurable field display do not present their required attribute to the system’s dataform save logic, meaning these fields are only required if visible. This allows you to structure complex dataform logic and workflow within a dataform. This flexibility should be tempered with planning to ensure that appropriate data is captured when required. In short, make sure you are not hiding a required field (or a tab that contains a required field) that should be completed.

Field Display Validation

Validation for conflicts is in place to ensure that the target field does not already have a field display rule set up with a conflicting behavior. For instance, if a previous rule was set up to expand a fieldset and another rule that references the same Type, Field Source, controlling field (i.e., When this field), value (i.e., equals this value), and target field (i.e., this item) is set up to collapse the same fieldset on the same dataform, an error message similar to the following displays:

"There is already a 'State' Rule configured for the specified Table, Controlling Field, Target Field and Value."

This is illustrated in the image below:

The following ten behaviors are validated for conflicts:

This behavior... is validated to check for this conflicting behavior
Hide Display
Hide Expand
Hide Collapse
Display Hide
Disable Enable
Enable Disable
Expand Collapse
Collapse Expand

Field Display Configuration

To configure and manage dynamic field display:

  1. Go to System Admin > Advanced > Manage Field Display.
    The Field Display Rule Search dashboard opens. It is helpful to filter the presented list for the dataform to which you are adding field display. This helps you to understand the existing field display logic and determine if this affects the changes you want to make.
  2. When ready, click Add.
    The Field Display Rule Detail form opens. This form provides a number of configuration options to customize your field display.

The following graphic illustrates the Field Display Rule Detail form when the Type field contains State.

The following graphic illustrates the Field Display Rule Detail form when the Type field contains Style.

  1. Complete the form:

General(fieldset)

 

Location

Required. Select the location for which you would like to configure the field display. Many of the items on the list are dataforms. However, some are not, such as Organization. The Location selection affects several other choices on this form.

Field Source

Required. Select one of the following:

  • This Table: Indicates your field source is from the Location field (such as a dataform).
  • Field Display Proc 1: Indicates your field source is from a custom stored procedure.
  • Field Display Proc 2: Indicates your field source is from a custom stored procedure.

 

A Field Display Proc is a custom SQL stored procedure that allows you to aggregate information from other dataforms in the system. For example, this allows you to disable all of the fields on workspace Employee and Employment forms if the Client Status on the Client Master page is Terminated.

Type

Required. Determines whether this is a field display change that affects State or Styling:

  • State: Field interaction. Visibility / read-only attributes (default). 
    • When you select State, the will and Clear Field On Disable/Hide fields display in the Result fieldset.
  • Style: Sets CSS Styling changes to the field label based on a specific triggering condition. 
    • When you select Style, the Font Type, Font Style, Color, and Sample Text fields display in the Result fieldset.

When this field

Required. Presents a series of fields based on your choice of Location and Field Source. The selection in this field acts as the trigger for your field display action.

equals this value

Required. This is the triggering value and should be set to something appropriate for the triggering field selected in When this field. For example, a check box selected as the triggering value should equal either True or 1 to trigger your field display off the checked state.

 

The value of a Lookup trigger field should equal the code value of either one of the lookup options or a comma-separated list of code values.

 

You can set the triggering value to #Empty or #NotEmpty to trigger the field display rule when the triggering field is empty (i.e., blank) or not empty (i.e., populated).

 

You can also build OR statements using a comma-separated list of values in this field for distinct value fields such as lookups, text, or parent form fields. Lets' say you have a lookup field to store the days of the week. To trigger field display for weekend days using equals this value as Saturday,Sunday equates to where value equals Saturday OR Sunday. Note, there are NO spaces between the values in a comma-separated list.

this item

Required. This is the field, fieldset, or tab upon which to perform the field display.

Result (fieldset)

 

will

Note:  This field only applies to Type of State.

Required. Choose a field display action:

  • Enable: Opens field for edits, allows changes to the field to be saved.

  • Disable: Marks the field or tab as read-only and not editable.

  • Hide: Hides the field or tab from displaying.

  • Display: Shows the field or tab on the dataform.

  • Expand: Displays all fields within a fieldset. This can cue a user that one or more fields in the fieldset will require consideration based on a user's selection or action. The user can still click the chevron to collapse it again.

  • Collapse: Hides all fields within a fieldset. This can cue a user that the fields in the fieldset can be ignored based on a user's selection or action. The user can still click the chevron to expand it again.

Note:

  • If you set a field display rule to hide a required field or hide a tab that contains a required field, ClientSpace does not enforce the required field when the rule hides the field or tab. Also, the system does not create a copy of a hidden tabbed dataform when a user adds a new dataform that contains that hidden tabbed form.

  • Dynamic field display Expand/Collapse rules on fieldsets always supersede any default Expand/Collapse settings created on fieldsets in Dataform Administration.

  • If you apply a dynamic field display Expand/Collapse rule on a fieldset that has no Expand/Collapse settings configured on the fieldset in the Dataform Administration, the fieldset will necessarily become an Expand/Collapse fieldset and display the chevron.

  • Expand/Collapse rules may only applied to fieldsets - not to individual fields.

Clear Field On Disable/Hide

Note:  This field displays in the Result fieldset when a user selects State in the Type field up in the General fieldset.

Clear Field on Disable/Hide does precisely that. It removes any information previously stored in this field when it is hidden or disabled. This is a hard delete from the system, so exercise careful planning when choosing this option. Hiding a fieldset hides all fields within the fieldset, masking any required field actions for those fields.

 

This option is hidden when a tab is selected in When this field.

Font Type

Note:  This field displays in the Result fieldset when a user selects Style in the Type field up in the General fieldset.

Select one or more of the following options:

• Normal
• Bold
• Underline
• Italic

Font Style

Note:  This field displays in the Result fieldset when a user selects Style in the Type field up in the General fieldset.

Select one of the following options:

• Normal
• Small
• Large

Color

Note:  This field displays in the Result fieldset when a user selects Style in the Type field up in the General fieldset.

Select the color picker drop-down to select a color or to enter a color hex value (for example, #d31414). Click Update to apply the color, or click Discard to close the color picker.

Sample Text

Note:  This field displays in the Result fieldset when a user selects Style in the Type field up in the General fieldset.

The Sample Text is a preview of how the Font Type, Font Style and Color settings will display when applied.

If you do not approve of the current style settings, select the Discard button to remove the current settings and then reapply changes to Font Type, Font Style, and Color.

 
  1. After you have configured all the field display options, click Save.

Examples

On the Organization, when the field DoNotCall is selected (equals 1), then the tab Org Other Info is hidden.

When the field named MultiTest has a value of 20 or 25, then the tab named Tab One is hidden.