Adding items in the Data Model view

Data objects
Selection lists
- Variations selection list
Inputs
Rules
Bindings
Data Model view menu

In the Data Model view, you can add items that you can use in your Guide. These items are available only for the current Guide and are not saved in the original data model. Any data that these items retrieve is not submitted when your Guide is deployed as part of a process.

You cannot reuse these items in other Guides that are based on the same data model. To reuse any of these items, edit the model source file. For example, edit the FML file in the Data Model perspective, or edit the XDP form in Designer.

In the Data Model view, you can add the following items for your Guide:

Data objects: If the model associated with a Guide contains several persistent entities, only the entity you selected as the root appears in the Data Model view. To use another entity in the associated model, you can add it as a data object.
Selection lists: Use selection lists when you need the Guide filler to provide information that affects your data but does need to be submitted.
Inputs: Inputs are data-entry fields.
Rules: Rules contain conditional logic that you can bind to items in your Guide. Rules are driven by existing Guide information and they affect the behavior of your Guide.
Bindings: Use bindings to copy data from one item in the Data Model view to another.

Data objects

You can add additional entities from your model to the Data Model view in the Guide Design perspective. The Data Model view displays only data objects in the root entity that you selected when you created the Guide. If your model contains additional entities that are outside the root entity, you can add them to the Data Model view.

After you add a data object in the Data Model view, you can use it in your Guide.

Add a data object:

From the Data Model view menu, select Add Data Object. The Add Data Object dialog box displays each entity in your model, as well as the associated service and function.
Select the entity to add to the Data Model view in the Guide Design perspective, and then click OK.
In the Data Model view, right-click the entity you added and select Properties.
Edit the properties as required.

Selection lists

You can add selection lists to the Data Model view in the Guide Design perspective. When you add a selection list, it is added only to the Guide, and is not added to the data model. Only the associated Guide can use the selection list; it is not available to other Guides that are based on the same data model. To reuse a list in another model, create a collection in an application model or create a list in an XDP or PDF form.

A selection list is not part of the data model. Therefore, data that is retrieved is not submitted when the Guide is deployed as part of a process.

Use selection lists when you need the Guide filler to provide information that affects your data but does need to be submitted. For example, use selection lists to add question-and-answer logic to your Guide or to create list items. You can create list items when the data model does not have a list source or collection. You can also use selection lists to populate a list with different list items, based on a condition. For example, you can populate the list items for a State or Province field based on the selection in a Country field.

Note: If you configure a list to update dynamically at run time, when the list of selected items changes, the value in the list resets to the first item. The Guide filler must select a new value from the new list.

Selection lists appear in the Selection Lists section in the Data Model view. By default, each selection list has the following properties:

listOfItems
selectedItem
listItems

Note: Do not bind the listOfItems to one of the listItems, because that creates an endless loop.

Default values

The behavior of default values for selection lists depends on how the selection list is used:

If you use a selection list as the data source for field whose Object Type is Radio Button List, a default value is not selected when the Guide is rendered.
If you add a selection list to the Guide and set the Object Type to Radio Button List, a default value is selected when the Guide is rendered. You specify the Initial Selection property for the selection list in the Guide Properties view.
If the data source is a collection defined in the model that does not have a default value, a default value is not selected when the Guide is rendered. The Guide filler selects a radio button.
If you use a selection list as the data source, a default value is selected when the Guide is rendered. You specify the Initial Selection property for the selection list in the Guide Properties view.

Add a selection list

From the Data Model view menu, select Add Selection List. The selection list properties appear in the Guide Properties view.
Edit the properties as required.

Variations selection list

The Variations selection list is a special selection list. It allows you to associate customized Guide behavior with a specific step in a process. In some cases, a process step requires a variation in the Guide interface or functionality. For example, after a Guide passes an approval step, you can configure subsequent steps to use a variation in which Totals fields are read-only.

Instead of creating multiple copies of a Guide to meet the requirements of different steps or processes, you can configure a single Guide to vary its display and behavior. You associate each view of the Guide with an item in the Variations selection list. You can then use the Variations selection list to specify which view of the Guide is used by a step in the process.

To create a Variations selection list, create a selection list with the name Variations . Add the required variations as list items. For example, create items based on the status of a Guide or the names of process steps.

Note: Specify list values using a literal string. Do not specify them by binding to another property in the Data Model view.

After you create the Variation selection list, its values appear in the Data Model view. Use the Variation list items to control the properties of a Guide element. For example, bind an Approved item to the Read-only property for a Totals field. (See Binding items in the Data Model view .)

When you design processes, you often specify a Guide as the asset used by an Assign Task or Assign Multiple Tasks operation. These operations represent a step in the process where tasks are assigned to users and groups. If the specified Guide has a Variations selection list, the list appears in the operation's Presentation and Data properties. From the list, select the appropriate variation to use for the operation.

At runtime, the configuration associated with the variation and the variation specified for the process step determine the behavior of the Guide.

If you modify the variations selection list for the Guide later, the Variation list that appears in the process designer updates automatically.

Inputs

An input is a data-entry field that appears in a Guide but is not part of the data model. Inputs are used for Guides only, and retrieved data is not submitted when the Guide is deployed as part of a process.

Add an input:

From the Data Model view menu, select Add Input. The new input appears in the Data Model view.
In the Guide Properties view, edit the input properties as required.

Rules

A rule contains conditional logic that you can bind to an item in your Guide. Rules are driven by existing Guide information and they affect the behavior of your Guide.

After you add a rule, add one or more conditions to the rule. You can bind each condition to an item in the Data Model view, including data model items and Guide-specific items, such as selection list items.

Note: Do not bind a condition to the rule it belongs to, because that creates an endless loop.

After you add a rule in the Data Model view, you can bind it to a property in the Guide Properties view. You can bind a rule to the following properties:

The Display Rules for a field or panel
A condition for another rule, which chains the rules together
The Copy To property for a binding item
The Retrieve Data condition for a selection list or a data object

For example, use a rule to specify that a particular panel appears in the navigation panel only when a specific check box or radio button is selected.

The rules you add to the Data Model view are available only for the current Guide. You cannot reuse these rules in other Guides that are based on the same data model.

Add a rule:

From the Data Model view menu, select Add Rule. The new rule appears in the Rules category in the Data Model view, and the properties appear in the Guide Properties view.
Add one or more conditions for the rule. You can set the conditions to either All or Any condition.
Select the item that you want to bind to a rule.
In the Guide Properties view, bind a property to the rule.

Bindings

Use bindings to copy data from one item in the Data Model view to another. Bindings enable you to copy data from an external data source, such as a selection list or a data object, into the root entity. When the data is copied into the root entity, it is submitted when the Guide is deployed as part of a process.

The bindings you add in the Data Model view are available only for the current Guide. You cannot reuse these bindings in other Guides that are based on the same data model.

Add a binding:

From the Data Model view menu, select Add Binding. The new binding appears in the Bindings category in the Data Model view and the properties appear in the Guide Properties view.
In the Guide Properties view, type the Binding Name.
Specify the Source. You can type a string literal value or bind an item in the Data Model view.
From the Copy To options, select the item in the Data Model view where you want to copy the data.
If necessary, drag an item in the Data Model view onto the binding icon for the Perform Copy property, and then select a When condition.

Data Model view menu

In the Data Model view, you can add data objects, inputs, selection lists, rules, and bindings. These items are available for use in the Guide, but are not part of the root entity and any data that is entered is not submitted.

The menu in the Data Model view includes the following options:

Add Data Object: Displays the Add Data Object dialog box. The dialog box displays each entity in the data model that the Guide is based on, as well as the associated service and function. If the data model contains additional entities that are outside the root entity, you can add them to the Data Model view. When you add a data object, it appears in the Data Model view and the properties appear in the Guide Properties view.
Add Input: Adds an input in the Inputs category and displays the properties in the Guide Properties view. An input is a data-entry field that appears in a Guide but is not part of the model. Inputs are used for Guides only, and retrieved data is not submitted when the Guide is deployed as part of a process.
Add Selection List: Adds a selection list in the Selection Lists category and displays the properties in the Guide Properties view. It is added only to the Guide, and is not added to the model. Only the associated Guide can use the selection list; it is not available to other Guides that are based on the same model. A selection list is not part of the model. Therefore, data that is retrieved is not submitted when the Guide is deployed as part of a process.
Add Rule: Adds a rule in the Rules category, and displays the properties in the Guide Properties view. A rule contains conditional logic that you can bind to an item in your Guide. Rules are driven by existing Guide information and they affect the behavior of your Guide. After you add a rule, add one or more conditions to the rule. You can bind each condition to an item in the Data Model view. After you add a rule in the Data Model view, you can bind it to a property in the Guide Properties view.
The rules you add to the Data Model view are available only for the current Guide. You cannot reuse these rules in other Guides that are based on the same model.
Add Binding: Adds a binding in the Bindings category and displays the properties in the Guide Properties view. Use bindings to copy data from one item in the Data Model view to another. Bindings enable you to copy data from an external data source, such as a selection list or a data object, into the root entity. When the data is copied into the root entity, it is submitted when the Guide is deployed as part of a process. The bindings you add in the Data Model view are available only for the current Guide. You cannot reuse these bindings in other Guides that are based on the same model.
Delete: Deletes the selected item from the Data Model view. You can delete only the data objects, inputs, selection lists, rules, or bindings that you added to the Data Model view.
Refresh Model: Refreshes the Data Model view when the associated data model has been changed.
Data Model Settings: Displays the Data Model Settings dialog box. You can view and change the data model, data model root node, and pre-built data model (SWF) for the Guide.
Show/Hide Constraints: Shows or hides any constraints in the Data Model view.
Show/Hide Labels: Shows or hides the labels in the Data Model view.
Properties: Displays the properties for the selected item in the Guide Properties view.