Creating or modifying view definitions

Before you begin

Make sure you create and deploy a project in You use BMC Helix Innovation Studioto create a view definition for designing the user interface for applications. You can create a view definition by arranging the data items in a specific order or by showing only specific data items. For example, use a view definition called Tracking Item to create and update Tracking Item records. For more information, see Creating-a-Project-using-Maven-and-the-Archetype.

To create a view definition

1. Log in to BMC Helix Innovation Studioand navigate to the Workspace tab. 
2. Select the application for which you want to create a view.
3. Select Views > New, and select the layout template that you want to use. 
4. In the Properties panel, enter a name and description for the view definition, and click Save.
   The view definition name must start with an alphanumeric character. Only alphanumeric characters, hyphens, dashes, and spaces are allowed in the view definition name.
5. To define the scope for a view definition, select Scope/Customization options.
   This option further contains the following:
   • (Default) Application/Library—To limit the use of the definition within the same Digital Service application or library. 
   • Public—To enable the definition to be used by all the applications or libraries and allow customizations for this definition.

6. (Optional) Add permissions for a view or a specific view component. 

   Important

   You can add permissions to a view or view component while creating the view definition, or after the view definition is created.

7. Specify either of the following runtime parameters:
   • Enable the user to provide information at runtime before the view definition opens, from the Input parameters list, click Add and specify the input field name.
   • To enable the user to provide information after the view definition closes, from the Output parameters list, click Add and specify the output field name. Click Click to build an expression for specifying the data allowed for the expression.
8. From the Palette, drag the components or form fields to the canvas in the order that you want them to appear on the user interface.
   For more information about components that are available within BMC Helix Innovation Studio, see Defining-the-user-interface-through-view-definitions.
9. From the Properties pane, on the Validation tab , check and resolve any validation errors for the view definition before you proceed.
10. Save the view definition.

To add permission for a view definition

1. In the Details section, click Edit beside the Permissions field. 
2. Click Add permission.
3. From the Type list, select whether you want to provide permission to a specific group or to a specific role.

4. From the Role/Group list, select the group to which you want to provide permission.

   The view will be displayed only to those users who belong to the group.

5. Click Save.

 To add permission for a view component

1. Select the view component to which you want to add permission.
2. From the Details section, click Edit beside the Permissions field.
3. Click Add Permission.
4. From the Type list, select whether you want to provide permission to a specific group or to a specific role.

5. From the Group list, select the group to which you want to provide permission.

   The view will be displayed only to those users who belong to that group. 

6. Perform one of the following actions:
   1. To assign view-only permission, select the View check box.
   2. To assign edit permission, select the Change check box.
7. Click Save.

You can also modify existing view definitions by adding permissions to a view definition or a view component, adding or removing components, and so on. 

To create a complex view 

1. Log in to BMC Helix Innovation Studio and navigate to the Workspace tab.
2. Select the application for which you want to create complex view layouts.

3. Select Views > New, and select the layout template that you want to use.

   The selected layout is added to the canvas.

4. Drag container into a column in the canvas.
5. Select the number of columns that you want to add in the container. 
6. You can choose up to a maximum of 6 columns.                                                                                                                                                                       
7. (Optional) To add nested containers, drag another container into the container in the canvas.
8. Select each container individually and specify its properties.
9. (Optional) Add the required form fields and basic components to the view definition.
10. Click Save.

Copying a view definition

You can reuse an existing view definition by copying it within the application or to a different application or library. When you copy a view, the localized strings are also copied. However, the definitions such as records, associations, documents, processes, and rules used by the views are referenced from the source application. 

The following image describes how the objects are referenced after you copy the view to the target application or library:

To copy a view definition

1. Log in to BMC Helix Innovation Studio and navigate to the Workspace tab.
2. Select the application or library that contains the view you want to copy.
3. Click Views, select the view definition that you want to copy, and click Copy.

4. In the Copy definition dialog box, enter the following details:

   • From Target application/library, select the target application or library where you want to copy the view.
   • In the Definition name field, type a name for the view definition. 

   

   The copied view is saved in the target application.

To delete view components

1. Log in to BMC Helix Innovation Studio and navigate to the Workspace tab.
2. Select the application for which you want to update the view definition.

3. Select Views and then select the view to which you want to update.

   The view and the associated components are displayed. 

   Important

   By default, the view is displayed only to the administrators.

4. From the canvas, select the view component that you want to delete.

5. Click the cross sign  beside the selected view component.

   The view component is deleted from the view definition.

Using the Expression Editor to build an expression

The Expression Editor is a dialog box that appears in the View designer in BMC Helix Innovation Studiowhenever you click the option Click to build an expression for a setting that requires an expression. It presents the data allowed for the expression, such as the fields in the record grid and record editor, the fields in the associated record definitions, view component properties, keywords, view input parameters, or static values. The Expression Editor includes a key pad that consists of the most commonly used operators. Expressions can contain any valid sequence of operators, wildcards, and keywords.

 To build an expression, you select the available values in the Expression Editor. The following are the available values in the Expression Editor for a Record Grid:

• Filter By—All fields in the record definition and associations selected for the record grid.
• Selected Row Count—Number of rows that are selected.
• Selected Rows—Record grid rows (record instances) that you select.
• First Selected Row—Record grid row (record instance) that you select. Displays the columns selected to be displayed on the record grid.
• Total row count—Number of rows in the record grid.
• Keywords—Available keywords

 The following are the available values in the Expression Editor for a record editor:

• Record definition name—Name of the record definition selected for the record editor
• Record instance Id—Record instance ID value
• Record instance—All fields in the record definition selected for the record editor

For example, the following image shows an expression to assign the value of Task name field to the Description field in a record editor. To assign the value, select the field in the record editor and on the Value field click Edit: 

 You can use the Next button to set the expression for the next field in the record editor without exiting from the Expression Editor.

 You can build the expressions by using Expression Editor to perform the following actions: 

• Hide or disable a field in a record editor on specific conditions
• Hide or disable action buttons on specific conditions
• Assign value to a field in record editor
• Specify the record instance for a record editor
• Specify filter conditions for a record grid
• Associated record ID for a record grid
• Specify URL in action buttons