Create a form

You can use the Form Designer to create new forms. A form can be a database form, or it can be form-only (using only non-database widgets).

If you are building a database form, confirm that you have added the meta-schema file to your project.

  1. Select File > New > Genero and choose a form from Sources:
    Form options Description
    Form from Database (.4fd) Use wizard to select schema, columns and container from which to build new form. See Data Control wizard.
    Form (4fd) Create a blank form (4fd).
    Note: If you are using the Business Application Modeler, you can also choose from the Genero BAM Desktop or Genero BAM Mobile forms. See Working with forms in BAM.
  2. From the Form Design tab, add the base elements (containers) by doing one of the following:
    • From the Container menu, select one of the options and draw the container on the form canvas. If you are nesting other objects into the container, draw the container first, then drag the other form elements into the new container. The background of the destination container turns a pale yellow when an object can be nested within it.
    • From the DB Schemas tab, drag-and-drop a table onto the form.
  3. From the Form Design tab, add the form items (widgets) by doing one of the following:
    Do you want to ... Then ...
    Create a widget based on a database table or field?

    Select Container > Data Control to access the Data Control wizard. From the wizard, select the data field or fields and the container to place on the form. Each field has a default widget type.

    Or:

    From the DB Schemas tab, drag-and-drop a field onto the form.

    Create a widget that you will configure later? Select Widget, then select the specific widget from the menu options. Draw out the widget within a container on the form.
    Note: All form items must be inside containers.
    Note: For managed forms for generated applications (4fdm), if the record is created and the selection contains multiple tables linked with foreign keys, the joins corresponding to the foreign keys are created.
  4. Select a form or form item to see form item properties in the Properties view.
  5. Save the form to the file system and/or project.

When you have create your form, you can preview the form or compile the form.