Structured forms

Structured forms are intended to be used to replicate paper based forms. Structured forms can be created in different formats. When determining which format to create a form in, you need to be aware of how the form will be used within and outside the FileBound system.

Structured forms are created and designed in native programs for the different types of forms. For example, PDF forms could be created using Adobe LiveCycle Designer.

Web forms can be used as:

  • Submission forms: A submission form type allow users to provide new information on the form that can be used to create a new file in FileBound. Submission forms can be created only in HTML and PDF formats. These forms are available in the Forms Portal and Forms menu of a FileBound site.

    Note: Submission forms are not available in the viewers or generated in a workflow process.

  • View/Edit Forms: View/Edit forms are tied to web submission forms and allow users to only view and edit information available on the submitted form. Users are able to update and add new information to the form when it is displayed in a viewer. View/Edit forms can be created in HTML, MS Word, PDF, and MS Excel formats. These forms are available in the viewers and in workflow processes.

Topics include: 

Structured form formats

Add a new structured form

Upload a structured form template

Upload an existing structured form

Edit a structured form

Edit structured form settings

Download a structured form

Delete a structured form

Refresh the list of structured forms

 

Structured form formats

Forms can be generated in the following formats: 

HTML forms give the greatest flexibility when designing and generating forms. HTML forms do not require any additional software to generate or use the form. They can be created using any external HTML editing tool. Using the Form Designer, you can create and add proper form variables to a HTML form. HTML forms are generated dynamically each time they are loaded into the FileBound Viewer, using the template from the form library and using stored information for the selected file. HTML forms provide the capability to update information on the form and submit additional information into FileBound for retrieval later.

See Available variables for a list of the variables available in the Form Designer.

Note: Code needs to be added in order for check boxes to work correctly on internal structured HTML forms. See Check boxes on internal structured HTML forms for more information.

There are several advantages of using a PDF forms, some of these are:

  • Creating a fill-able PDF form template with validations easily without using any script.
  • Creating a PDF form from existing MS Word or MS Excel documents very easily.
  • Scanning from a hard copy of the form and converting it into a PDF form, provided that the necessary Adobe applications are installed on the computer.

You can upload two types of PDF forms for form templates:

  • Standard PDF form (AcroForms) – Standard PDF forms can be created using Adobe Acrobat Professional or can be created through a third party application.
  • XFA PDF forms – XFA PDF forms are more like HTML forms. To design or edit XFA PDF forms you will require Adobe LiveCycle Designer. XFA PDF forms can have master and detail forms as in HTML forms.

In order to view PDF forms, you must have Adobe Reader or higher installed on the machine viewing the PDF form.

Tip: Ensure that renditions are turned off for the project. If turned on, FileBound will create a rendition of the PDF and users will not be able to fill or submit the form.

Microsoft Word forms are the perfect format to use when generating forms that do not need further editing after the time of creation. A Word form, once generated, remains as a new document that is created for the file. If the form template associated with a Word form is changed within the form library, then those changes only affect the forms that are generated after the change has occurred. These changes do not affect any previously created Word forms that have used this template. Form letters and contracts are the perfect examples of when a Word document should be selected as a form.

Microsoft Excel forms can have additional information added to them, allowing the user to save the completed form within FileBound. While users can save changes to an Excel document, the Excel document themselves cannot be used as submission forms.

Note: If the form template that is used for a form is changed within the form library, then those changes affect forms that are generated only after the change has occurred. These changes do not affect any previously created Excel forms that have used this template.

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Add a new structured form

  1. On the Navigation menu, click Administration, then click Projects.
  2. Click Edit next to the project you want to add a new structured form for.
  3. Select Forms from the Configuration list.
  4. Click the Structured Forms tab.

  5. Click Add.

  6. Enter Structured Form details, then click Save.

    Form Name: The name of the structured form.

    Usage Type: the type of form. The following options are available: 

    • View / Edit: Users can view and edit information available on the form.
    • Submission: Users can provide new information on the form that can be used to create a new file in FileBound.

    Separator: The separator the structured form will be placed in.

    Tip: Select the Current Date option from the list to create a new separator using today's date as a separator name. A new separator will be created for every change in date, when a form is uploaded.

    Divider: The divider the structured form will be placed in.

    Tip: Select the Current Date option from the list to create a new divider using today's date as divider name. A new divider will be created for every change in date, when a form is uploaded.

    Detail Form: Associates the detail form with the main form. All View/Edit forms are listed here. When uploading an existing form in the Internal Designer, then child form is displayed. This child form is the form that is selected as the Detail Form. See Detail forms for more information.

    Hide from lists: Hides the form from the list of forms that appears when Generate Form is clicked in the Viewer.

    Add to Forms Menu: Makes the form available in the Forms menu.

    Share data with other Forms in the File: Allows sharing of data from the form to another form in a file. There might be situations when you need to use data provided in an form to be used in another form.

    Example: A customer is applying to a bank to open a new account, and the same person is also applying for a loan from the bank. The information provided in the form to open a new account can be used in the loan application form.

  7. In the Form Designer dialog box, select Create New, then click OK.

  8. Select the form type, then click OK. See Structured forms for more information on the available formats.

  9. Select the designer, then click OK.

  10. Click OK on the Form Uploaded message.

  11. Drag fields onto the form, then click Save. See Available variables for a list of the variables available for structured forms.

    Code needs to be added in order for check boxes to work correctly on internal structured HTML forms. See Check boxes on internal structured HTML forms for more information.

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Upload a structured form template

You need to upload a form template and associate it with a form in the library to be able to use that form. An form template can be in Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, PDF, or HTML formats.

  1. Click Upload.

  2. Select the check box next to the form you want to upload a template for, then click Upload.

  3. In the Open dialog box, locate the form template you want to upload, then click Open.

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Upload an existing structured form

A System Administrator can edit the design of an existing form in the Form Designer

  1. Click Add.

  2. Specify Structured Form details, then click Save. See Add a new structured form for information about these fields.

  3. In the Form Designer dialog box, select Upload Existing, then click OK.

  4. Select the form to upload, then click OK.

  5. Select the designer, then click OK.

  6. Click OK on the Form Uploaded message.

  7. Edit the form as needed, then click Save.

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Edit a structured form

  1. Click Design next to the structured form you want to edit to open it in the designer.

  2. Select the designer, then click OK.

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Edit structured form settings

Once a structured form has been created, the settings can be configured.

  1. Click Edit next to the structured form you want to edit settings for.

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Download a structured form

  1. Click Download.

  2. Select the check box next to the form you want to download a template for, then click Download.

  3. In the Save As dialog box, select a location to save the form template, then click Save.

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Delete a structured form

If a structured form is deleted from a project, all documents that have been created from the form will still be available.

  1. Click Delete next to the structured form you want to delete.

  2. Click Yes to confirm the deletion.

Delete multiple structured forms

  1. Click Delete.

  2. Select the check box next to the structured form(s) you want to delete, then click Delete.

  3. Click Yes to confirm the deletion.

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Refresh the list of structured forms

To ensure that your structured forms list is up to date, you can refresh it.

  1. Click Refresh.

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