This topic gives a general overview of the application creation process, from opening the
IBM® Forms Experience Builder interface to
launching a completed application.
The following steps are a general overview of the lifecycle
of an application.
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Log on to Forms Experience Builder.
By default you see the Manage window which
displays the New Application button, any previously
created applications, and any applications to which you have edit
permissions.
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Click New Application, and enter
the name of the new application. Click Create.
An application opens. A blank grid appears with a Palette of
form items.
-
Add items from the Palette to build the form.
- The grid automatically expands as you add form items, and automatically
aligns items in the cells.
- You can change the size of columns or rows in the grid. Right-click
on the edge of the grid to reveal row or column properties.
- You can insert additional pages to a form in the Outline view.
Page order is flexible, and you can reorder the pages in your form
by dragging dropping them to your preferred order.
- Many form items can be edited directly on the grid. Click the
title of a form item to edit it.
- You can modify the properties of each form item by using the Edit
Properties icon in each cell. The Edit Properties window contains
tabs that allows the creation of rules, web service calls, or event
triggers.
- You can save and preview the form at any time by using the Save and Preview icons.
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Click the Style tab to customize the appearance of your application.
Select or customize a theme or add your own custom CSS to change the style of your
application.
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Use the Access tab to define user roles, such as “Administrator”,
“Supervisor”, or “Record Owner”.
You can add as many users as required for your application to function. For example, when a
user completes a vacation request form, the form is sent only to the user’s supervisor.
You can also add groups of users to specific roles. For example, you might have
a time sheet application that is sent to a group of supervisors upon submission. For more
information, see
Security
overview.
-
Use the Stages tab to define stages
within a form.
You can create as many stages as required
for your form or workflow. For example, an employee completes a vacation
request form. The employee does not see the part of the form where
the supervisor approves or rejects the request. When the supervisor
receives the form, the next stage is visible, and the request is granted,
or refused. You can also use stages to set buttons at specific points
in your form. For example, you might want to allow a user to save
a draft copy of the form after they reach a specific stage. For more
information, see
Adding Stages to an application.
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Click the Validation tab to check
your application for errors.
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After an application is built, click the Manage tab.
You must now deploy the application. Click Deploy.
Adjust the Deployment Settings and click Start.
-
Click Launch to view the live application
in a web browser.
The link URL is what is sent to users
so they can access the application.
Note: As an application creator,
you can edit an application at any time. If you edit a live application,
you must redeploy and relaunch it after your changes are saved. If
a user is entering data into an application as you redeploy, their
work is not saved.