Working with SubForms

The SubForm special field lets you link a secondary “child” form to your primary “parent” form so the end user can create a list of similar entries. This function is particularly useful when the number of entries required isn’t known, or when it will vary between users. For example, you might use a SubForm field to create a list of Attendees on an Event Registration form or a list of family members for an insurance form.

Example of a form with a subform open to add additional attendees

Adding a SubForm field is a three-part process. First, the “child” form is created (it needs to be created first before you can link to it). Next a SubForm field is added to the “parent” form. Finally, the SubForm field is linked to the “child” form, and the Linked Form Settings are configured.

Creating the 'Child' Form

You create the “child” form in the same manner as any form. While there are no set limits on the number of fields a “child” form can contain, it will generally have only a small number of fields. Your child form may be for each attendee at an event, products being ordered or a list of creditors on a financial services form.  

Adding the SubForm Field to the 'Parent' Form

To insert the SubForm field below a field already on your form, right-click the field in the Form Outline panel or the Form Workspace, then choose Insert New Form Element > Special Fields > SubForm. The new element appears immediately in the Form Workspace.

Enter a Field Name and configure any other Field Properties as desired.

When you add the SubForm field to your 'parent' form, it includes a default "Example Entry." You'll use the Linked Form Settings property to link the SubForm field to your 'child' form, and to configure the display and functional properties for the SubForm field and the 'child' form.

Warning

After adding the SubForm element, selecting the child form,  and clicking save, the child form will have a special system field added to its outline that will contain a reference to the parent recordID for each child record.  This field should not be deleted from the child form or the link between the two forms may no longer function as expected.

Configuring Linked Form Settings

The Linked Form Settings property lets you configure settings for the SubForm field and the associated "child" form. You can configure the following options:

• Linked Form Settings
• Save Changes Made to Child Items Immediately
• Labels
• Additional Settings
• Optional Validation
• LightBox/Modal Settings
• Content Settings

To configure linked form settings:

• Select the SubForm field in the Form Outline panel, then choose Linked Form Settings from the Field Properties panel to display the Linked Form Settings window.
• Use the Previous and Next buttons to scroll the available options.
• When all desired options have been configured, scroll to the last page and click the Save button.

Linked Form Settings

Use Linked Form Settings to select the 'child' form the SubForm field will link to, select a specific Form View for the 'child' form (if applicable), and select the data sources for columns in the data display area of the SubForm field.

When configuring data sources for the data display area of the SubForm field, you may choose from:

• Any field included in the 'child' form
• The system-supplied RecordID, DataSubmitted or LFUUID (a unique ID assigned to every record)
• The system-supplied ParentRecordID_for_field_(field number), where the field number is the field ID of the SubForm field.

NOTE: While you can define up to four 'Source' columns for display in the data display area of the SubForm field, only one column is required.

Save Changes Made to Child Items Immediately?

Use the Save Changes Made to Child Items Immediately option to specify at what point changes made to 'child' form entries are saved.

Labels

Use the Labels settings to define labels and headings for the SubForm field action buttons and data display fields, as shown below.

Additional Settings

Use the Additional Settings to define optional features and functions for the SubForm.

Editing URL Paramters

Use the URL Params option to display data entered on the 'parent' form in a specified field of the 'child' form. For example, if a Registration Form allowed a user to register for a seminar on one of three days, you might wish to display the content from a 'Seminar Date' menu on the 'parent' form in a 'Registering For' field on the 'child' form. Edit URL parameters as follows:

1. Click the Edit URL Params button to display the URL Parameters window.
    
2. Click the Add Row button to add a data entry row.
    
3. Select the desired Source Field (the field from the 'parent' form containing the data you want to display on the 'child' form).
    
4. Select the desired Destination field (the field on the 'child' form in which you want to display the value taken from the 'parent' form).
    
5. Repeat steps 2 thru 4 to define additional URL Parameters as needed.
    
6. When all desired URL Parameters have been defined, click the Save button to save your changes.

Optional Validation

Use the Optional Validation settings to validate entries made through the 'child' from by a selected field, or by total number of submissions (minimum and/or maximum).

LightBox/Modal Settings

When the 'Add' button in the SubForm field is selected, the SubForm opens in an overlay window. Use the Light Box/Modal Settings to specify display parameters for the SubForm overlay window.

Content Settings

Use the Content Settings to optimize the display area of the overlay window.