Form Data Binding Dialog
Overview
Form Data Binding connects a form to one or more Data Sources, allowing form controls to display and interact with enterprise data without embedding connection details directly within the form.
Once a Data Source has been configured, Form Data Binding enables you to:
- Populate form controls with enterprise data.
- Map Data Source fields to form control properties.
- Refresh data when the form loads or when field values change.
- Filter, sort, and limit returned data.
Before configuring Form Data Binding, ensure that the required Data Sources have been created in the Project Explorer.
Binding a Form
To bind a form to one or more Data Sources:
- Open the Project Explorer.
- Expand the required workflow.
- Expand the Forms node.
- Right-click the required form.
- Select Bind Data and Events.
The Bind Data and Events dialog opens.
After saving the binding:
- The configured Data Source appears under the Data Sources category in the Process Data Explorer.
- Data Source fields become available for drag-and-drop while designing the form.
Mapping Form Controls
Most form controls allow the Value property to be bound to a Data Source field.
Certain controls support additional bindable properties.
| Form Control | Bindable Properties |
|---|---|
| Select | Label, Value, Default Value |
| Select Boxes | Label, Value, Default Value |
| Radio | Label, Value, Default Value |
| Survey | Label, Value, Tooltip, Default Value |
During form design, simply drag Data Source fields from the Process Data Explorer onto the supported properties of the selected form control.
A single control cannot bind properties from multiple Data Sources.
Refreshing Data
Form Data Binding allows Data Sources to be refreshed automatically when specific events occur.
Supported events include:
| Event | Description |
|---|---|
| On Form Load | Refreshes the Data Source when the form is initially displayed. |
| On Field Change | Refreshes the Data Source whenever the selected form field changes value. |
Each event can perform an action against a selected Data Source.
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Event | The event that triggers the refresh. |
| Form Field | Available only for On Field Change events. Specifies the field that triggers the refresh. |
| Action | The action performed when the event occurs. |
| Data Source | The Data Source affected by the event. |
Multiple events can be configured for each Data Source.
If no events are configured, all Data Sources used by the form are automatically refreshed when the form loads.
Filtering Data
Filters restrict the rows returned from a Data Source before they are made available to the form.
A filter consists of one or more expressions joined together using logical conjunctions.
To configure a filter:
- Edit the required event.
- Click the filter editor beside the Data Source.
- Build one or more filter expressions.
Each expression consists of:
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Field | The Data Source field to evaluate. |
| Operator | The comparison operator applied to the selected field. |
| Value | The value used for comparison. Literal values or Process Data fields can be used. |
Multiple expressions can be combined using AND or OR operators.
Supported Operators
| Data Type | Operators |
|---|---|
| String | contains, notcontains, startswith, endswith, =, <>, isblank, isnotblank |
| Numeric | =, <>, <, >, <=, >=, between, isblank, isnotblank |
| Date / DateTime | =, <>, <, >, <=, >=, between, isblank, isnotblank |
| Boolean | =, <>, isblank, isnotblank |
When using Process Data fields as filter values, the data type must match the selected Data Source field.
Sorting Data
Returned rows can optionally be sorted before they are provided to the form.
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Field | The Data Source field used for sorting. |
| Direction | Ascending or Descending. |
Limiting Returned Rows
Use Row Limit to restrict the maximum number of rows returned by the Data Source.
This is useful when only a subset of records is required by the form.
Validation
The Errors drawer reports validation problems related to Form Data Binding.
Validation is performed for both:
- AI Command Center Lists
- External Connections
Validation errors are also displayed directly within the Bind Data and Events dialog.
Data Source Reference Validation
To prevent accidental removal or modification of Data Sources that are actively used by forms, the Designer performs reference validation during delete and edit operations.
Deleting a Data Source
When deleting a Data Source, the Designer checks whether it is referenced by any Form Data Bindings.
If the Data Source is currently in use:
- A warning message is displayed.
- Deleting the Data Source also removes all associated Form Data Bindings.
If the deletion is cancelled, both the Data Source and its bindings remain unchanged.
If the Data Source is not referenced, a standard delete confirmation is displayed.
Editing a Data Source
When editing a Data Source, the Designer validates whether any columns are currently used by Form Data Bindings.
Columns referenced by existing bindings are disabled and cannot be modified or removed.
This ensures that existing forms remain valid and prevents accidental breaking changes.