Working with fields in join forms

Field properties function somewhat differently in join forms than in other forms.

For each field in a join form, you can perform these tasks:

• View information about the underlying form and field, such as this:
  • Database properties such as field ID and data type.
  • The name of the field in the underlying form. (This information is helpful for keeping track of field names when they are changed in a join form.)
  • Group permissions.
• Modify a join field's change history, color, database name, display, font, and help text properties.
• Add data fields to the join form, or create display-only or trim fields. (Display-only fields can be inherited or created on the join form.)
• Remove fields from the join form. 

To view or modify field properties in a join form

1. Open the appropriate join form.
2. Select the appropriate field in the join form.
3. In the Properties tab, if the properties are not grouped by category, click the Show Categories button.
4. Modify any field properties in these categories:
   • Change History
   • Color
   • Database (name only)
   • Display
   • Font
   • Help Text
     For information about the properties, see Field Properties.
     In the Properties tab, you can also view important read-only information. For example, the Join Information properties provide information about the underlying form that the field came from.
5. Right-click the form, and select Save.

To add a data field to a join form

From a database perspective, a join form is a temporary composite table. Therefore, you cannot add data fields directly to a join form. Instead, you can add only data fields that already exist in the underlying primary or secondary form. You can add trim fields (lines, text, and boxes), buttons, panel fields, table fields, and display-only data fields directly to a join form in the same way that you add them to other types of forms.

1. Open the appropriate join form.
2. Right-click the form, and select Add Fields from formName, where formName is the primary or secondary form that contains the appropriate field.
   The Add Fields dialog box appears. It contains a list of fields in the underlying form that are not on the join form.
3. In the Select Field from formName list, select the appropriate fields, and click OK.
   The selected fields appear in the upper-left corner of the join form.
4. Drag the fields to the appropriate position in the join form.
5. To modify the display properties of the new data fields:
   1. Select the field.
   2. In the Properties tab, if the properties are not grouped by category, click the Show Categories button.
   3. Modify the field properties in these categories as needed:
      • Change History
      • Display
      • Help Text
        See Field Properties.
6. Right-click the form, and select Save.

To remove a field from a join form

You can remove inherited data fields from a join form at any time. Doing so removes them only from the join form view, not from the database. To delete a data field displayed in a join form from the database, you must delete the field from the underlying form (see Modifying fields).

If you remove a display-only field or trim from a join form, it is deleted.

1. Open the appropriate join form.
2. Select the appropriate field.
   You can also select and remove multiple fields.
3. Select Edit > Delete.
4. In the confirmation box, click Yes to delete a single field, or click Yes To All to delete multiple fields.
5. Right-click the form, and select Save.