Adding Content to Field-Based Templates

For field-based forms, the form template can be designed in advance and uploaded using the composite form wizard, or you can create it from scratch during the procedure for creating a form. In this case, you create the required input fields manually in the Adobe LiveCycle Designer. You need to map them to the form context if you want to use form context data for them.

• If you want to build a template based on logical criteria, you must have created the logical criteria objects in advance.

  For more information, see Creating Logical Criteria .

• To create new templates during this procedure, you must have installed on your computer the ActiveX controls that enable you to open the Adobe LiveCycle Designer in your Web browser.
  Caution

  The relevant ActiveX controls are only supported by Internet Explorer. Since they are officially signed, you can install them on your machine, unless the browser settings are such that prohibit installation of officially signed ActiveX controls.

  For more information, see Security for Additional Applications .

1. Configure the pre-filling services for your composite form object.

   For more information, see Building and Using a Form Context .

2. Define additional fields if required. They can be used to hold data that is not retrieved using pre- or post-processing services.
   • To add a field, choose Insert New. You can modify the field's name, technical name, namespace, and type.
   • To create a child parameter for a Structure type field, select the field and choose Insert Child.

   For more information about parameters and their types, see Callable Object Parameters .

3. Make sure you are in the Logical Criteria step of the wizard for creating composite forms.
4. To add a single form template:
   1. Select Single Template from the Associate dropdown box.
   2. Choose Add Template.
   3. From the Upload dropdown box, choose whether you want to add an existing template or create a new one.
   4. If you have chosen to upload an existing template, choose Browse to select the template file in your file system.

      It must be a file with the extension XDP .

   5. If you have chosen to create a new template, enter a template file name such as MyFirstForm .
   6. Choose Create Template.

      The Adobe LiveCycle Designer opens in a new Web browser window.

   7. Add the necessary fields to your form, then choose Save. Make sure you receive a confirmation message that your data is saved, then choose Close.
      Note

      Adobe LiveCycle Designer provides the option for configuring complex data patterns on Date, Time, Date and Time, and Decimal fields. Whenever you upload a form template, the system parses these data patterns automatically to fit them in a format acceptable for GP. In case GP cannot resolve the pattern, you are prompted to correct it and re-submit the template.

   8. If your system is configured with the Adobe Document Services back end, you can also add a translation.
      1. To do this, choose whether you want to upload an existing translated template or to create a new one.
      2. Select the relevant language and choose Create Translation.
      3. If you have chosen to create a new translation, this opens the Adobe LiveCycle Designer with the form in the original language. Translate the texts as required, and choose Save and then Close.
   9. Finally, choose Save.
5. To build a template based on logical criteria:
   1. Select Logical Criteria from the Associate dropdown box.
   2. Choose Add Criteria and browse the gallery to select the appropriate object.

      To confirm your choice, choose Select.

   3. To build complex logical criteria, select an entry from the already imported one, and choose Add Criteria.

      The new object is added as a child for the selected node.

   4. To add a physical template for each logical criteria node, select the node and choose Add Template.

      Use the procedure described in step 4 to either upload or create a template.

6. To enable form pre-filling and data transfer from the form fields to the form context, you must map the relevant fields to context parameters.
   1. Choose Define Template Mapping.
   2. In the Map Input Parameters tab page, select a template parameter in the table on the left and then choose the form context parameter to which you want to map it in the table on the right.

      At runtime, the relevant form field is pre-filled with the value of the selected form context entry.

   3. In the Map Output Parameters tab page select a form context parameter in the table on the left and then the relevant template field in the table on the right.

      At runtime, the value entered in the relevant form field is transferred as an output to the form context, and can be processed further.

7. Optionally, you can map a form context parameter that comes from a pre- or post-processing service to the logical criteria nodes.

   To do this, select a logical criteria node in the table on the left-hand side, then select a form context parameter in the table on the right-hand side, and choose Map to Node.

   Caution

   You cannot map structures and lists to logical criteria nodes.

   If you have defined mappings, at runtime the physical form is rendered according to the parameter value. If mappings are not defined, the form is rendered by the default logical criteria value.

   Tip

   Once you create the composite form, you can view template definitions and mappings on the Logical Criteria tab page of the form design time by choosing View Defined Mappings. You can also edit parameter mappings by toggling edit mode.

More Information

Logical Criteria