Creating and managing fields

You can create or modify fields in a form at any time. All changes take effect as soon as you save them, but if a user has a form open when you modify its fields, the user must close all instances of the form and reopen it to see your changes.

• To create table fields, see Creating table fields.
• To create panel fields, see Creating panels. 
• For detailed descriptions of each field, see Creating and managing fields.

Determining what types of fields to use

The way you add fields to a form should be guided by the planned use of the fields. Some possible uses include:

• Data fields that all users need. These fields should be grouped together.
• Data fields used by selected groups of users. Consider grouping these fields on separate tabbed panels.
• Data fields that contain information not presented to users. Consider hiding these fields from all views.
• Temporary workflow fields. These fields store temporary, working values used during workflow processing. Consider hiding them from all views because users do not need to interact with these fields.
• Visual cue fields. Trim fields, panel fields, view fields, and images on button fields provide cues to users on how best to use each form.
• List-oriented fields. Use table fields when presenting data lists on forms.

Add fields carefully because you might find it impractical to eliminate a field after users have come to rely on it. In addition, how you administer fields can affect performance.

For more information about fields, see:

• Core fields
• Reserved fields
• Data fields
• View fields
• Creating fields that are not in form view
• Attachment pools
• Button fields
• Trim fields
• Application list fields
• Data visualization fields
• Navigation fields
• Creating global fields
• Executing entry points in HTML
• Managing fields
• Working with fields in join forms
• Field Properties
• Properties tab for fields in Best Practice Customization Mode