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Controls, Knowledge Base, PowerForms Siverlight

Using the DataEntryGrid to save to separate lists

The DataEntryGrid control is used to allow users define a field structure and store complex information inside a multi-line text column formatted in XML. In many cases, there is a requirement to keep this information in a separate list instead of storing an xml formatted value in a list column. Users need to add the […]

August 15, 2017/by Konstantinos

Controls, Knowledge Base, PowerForms Siverlight

The Managed Metadata controls

In order to provide values to Sharepoint Managed Metadata Columns (available in Sharepoint 2010) a set of three controls are provided: The Managed Metadata Picker Multi Managed Metadata Picker Managed Metadata Textbox All of the above controls can be bound to a column of type ‘Managed Metadata’. The very same controls can be used to Enterprise […]

August 15, 2017/by Konstantinos

Controls, Knowledge Base, PowerForms Siverlight

Using the DataEntryGrid to save to separate lists

August 15, 2017/by Konstantinos

Controls, Knowledge Base, PowerForms Siverlight

The Managed Metadata controls

August 15, 2017/by Konstantinos

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Controls, Knowledge Base, PowerForms Siverlight

Using the DataEntryGrid to save to separate lists

The DataEntryGrid control is used to allow users define a field structure and store complex information inside a multi-line text column formatted in XML.

In many cases, there is a requirement to keep this information in a separate list instead of storing an xml formatted value in a list column. Users need to add the master record and its related detail records with a single “Save” action, without having to save the master record first and then add the detail records one by one.

For example, the user wants to add a new order and provide the order lines at the same time, while the order lines are stored in a separate list.

DataEntryGrid has a new working mode that allows users to achieve this. Instead of storing the results in XML format, the control keeps track of every change in the detail grid (insertions, updates, deletions) and sends the information to the server along with the changes in the master record. This allows a single action to persist multiple list items in the back end.

To do that a user has to do the following :

Create a list query that will provide the control with its detail information
Define the list query criteria that will retrieve only the related records from the detail list
Define the fields for the DataEntryGrid control using the column names of the detail list
Bind the control’s value to the list query
Define values of the DataEntryGrid that will be automatically set (for example the parent ID)
A special keyword : {ParentID} can be used to allow the control to set the ID of the master record to a value of all the detail records
The above will happen even if we are inserting a new record. The system will first insert the master record, get its ID and then use it to update every detail record provided.

Example

We have 3 lists :

Products (ID, Title)

Orders (ID, Title, OrderDate)

OrderLines (ID, Title, ParentOrder, Product, Quantity)

NOTE : The ParentOrder column of the OrderLines list is a lookup column referencing the Orders list. The Product column of the OrderLines list is a lookup column referencing the Products list.

After registering PowerForms for th Orders list this is what you will get :

We now have to create a list query that will retrieve the related OrderLines.

Switch to the designer, go to List Queries and define a list query using the settings below :

Note that we uncheck the “Ignore Blank Criteria” option since we do not want to get all order lines when the c_ID control is blank (for new orders).

Now we switch to the run time designer and add our DataEntryGrid control and set its height to 200.

We open control properties and in the “Value” tabm we bind its value to the list query we have just defined.

We now have to create the controls we will use for editing the order lines.

The DataEntryGrid grid, allows users to use hidden controls of the parent form. So we will create the required controls and mark them as hidden so that the control can use them when required.

We create a Label control for the OrderLineID named “c_DEG_ID” (no need to edit that). Then a LookupPicker control for the product named “c_DEG_Product” and finally a NumberTextBox for the quantity named “c_DEG_Quantity“.

Spefically for the c_DEG_Product lookup control we have to define its lookup parameters in order for it to load products.

We then hide those three controls and setup the DataEntryGrid control properties.

In the Extra configuration of the control we add 3 fields :

Name = ID, Type = Existing, Header = ID, Width = 70, ExistingControlName = c_DEG_ID

Name = Product, Type = Existing, Header = Product, Width = 150, ExistingControlName = c_DEG_Product, DisplayForms = DisplayField (we just want to show the Title – not the ID)

Name = Quantity, Type = Existing, Header = Quantity, Width = 80, ExistingControlName = c_DEG_Quantity

We also select InlineEditing to allow faster data entry for the users.

Since we want the ParentOrder field to be automatically filled by the control, we add a new Value :

Name = ParentOrder

Value = {ParentID}

We then save the designer and we get our new form :

In the above screenshot, we are inserting a new order and select to add 2 order lines for that order.

Obviously the order line ID is blank since these are new records.

Since we press the Save button, the system will first insert the order and then use the ID of the new order record to persist the provided order lines.

Our form after saving the order record :

And if you visit the OrderLines list we will verify that our 2 order lines are there and connected with the new Order record.

Even when editing the order record, the control will keep track of all changes made to the order lines (new, deleted, modified) and persist them only if the users decides to update the order record.

August 15, 2017/by Konstantinos

Controls, Knowledge Base, PowerForms Siverlight

The Managed Metadata controls

In order to provide values to Sharepoint Managed Metadata Columns (available in Sharepoint 2010) a set of three controls are provided:

All of the above controls can be bound to a column of type ‘Managed Metadata’. The very same controls can be used to Enterprise keyword columns. Please note that in the current version no term addition can be performed with these controls.

The control exposes a lookup picker that opens a popup form with the termset list defined in the Sharepoint’s column properties. Only one of those terms can be selected from the list:

Similar to every lookup picker, an item can be selected by clicking on a term and pressing “OK”, or by simply double-clicking on the term. “Clear” button empties the field’s value.

Extra Configuration Tab

The following extra properties are available to Managed Metadata Picker:

ButtonVAlign: Sets the vertical alignment of the browse/search button.

AllowBlankSearchText: Defines if the user is allowed to search the list without providing text-search criteria.

Sorted: Defines whether the results will be sorted by the Display Field

EnableSearchOnFocus: Defines if the control will display a search textbox when it receives focus, allowing users to type criteria and activate search by pressing the enter key.

This control exposes a lookup picker that opens a popup form with the termset list defined in the Sharepoint’s column properties. One or more of those terms can be selected from the list:

As with every multi-lookup picker in PowerForms, selected values are displayed on the bottom side of the pop up form and can be de-selected with the red “X” button that accompanies them. In order to select/unselect the desired items, just check/uncheck the checkbox next to the result terms, and press OK. “Clear” button empties the field’s value.

Extra Configuration Tab

The following extra properties are available to Multi-Managed Metadata Picker:

Delimiter: Defines the delimiter between selected items. If left blank, the items are separated by a comma. Use ‘\n’ to place each item on a separate line.

Prefix: A string that will be placed infront of each item. i.e.’•’. Use ‘\counter’ to add a counter (i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4, etc)

ButtonVAlign: Sets the vertical alignment of the browse/search button.

AllowBlankSearchText: Defines if the user is allowed to search the list without providing text-search criteria.

Sorted: Defines whether the results will be sorted by the Display Field

The control exposes an autocomplete textbox that searches in the Sharepoint column’s termset as you type. Only one of the matching terms can be selected from the dropdown list:

Extra Configuration Tab

The following extra properties are available to Managed Metadata Textbox:

PrefixLength: Defines the minimum text length that will activate the auto-search feature

DropDownHeight: The maximum drop down height of the control.

Sorted: Defines if the results will be sorted by the Display Field

August 15, 2017/by Konstantinos