The Groove Forms tool lets members of a workspace collect data in customized documents (forms), and view this data in customized display tables (views). For example, you might use forms to track issues for a project or workgroup, gather inventory data, or to do just about any other type of data collection in which members can provide or report information.
Typically there are two types of Groove Forms tool users:
Forms tool designers. Forms tool designers create a workspace that includes a Forms tool, and set up the forms and views to be used for collecting data, including all data-entry and data-selection fields. Once a Forms tool contains at least one form and view, it's ready for contributors (invited workspace members) to add records and then sort and analyze them in one or more data views.
Forms
tool users. Forms tool users are any Groove users who are invited
to a space that contains a Forms tool. Their task is usually to fill out
the forms (that is, add records) that the Forms designer created.
For example, employees in a workgroup might be invited to a "Status
Report" space, that is, a space that contains a Forms tool with a
form designed for filling out status reports.
Of course, these two types of Groove Forms tool users are not mutually exclusive. A Groove Forms tool designer, if a member of the space, may also add records to a Forms tool. Likewise, members of the workspace who have the required permissions may add or change elements in the Forms tool design, such as forms, form fields, and views.
Every Groove Forms Tool begins with an idea for a custom application. The Forms Tool designer, that is, the person designated to set up the forms and views, creates the custom application based on a set of requirements. He or she does the following procedures:
Creates a workspace that includes a Forms tool
Creates and tests the required forms and views
Invites members to the space
so that they can create records or makes the space available to a "customer"
who requested the Forms tool space.
For example, a Human Resources department might want to collect information
on job candidates in a "Hiring Requisition" Forms application.
Employees in the department might design the Forms application themselves,
or instead they might enlist a Forms designer to build the application
for them to their specifications. In this case, the Forms designer can
create the required forms and views in the Forms tool space, save the
space as a template, and then make the template file available (perhaps
by email, by posting it on a file server, or by adding it to a Files tool
in a workspace). The Human Resources employee then opens the Forms tool
template to create a new space that contains the Forms application.
The Forms tool designer uses the Forms tool to create a custom application. This application has two main components, forms and views. Forms are used for collecting data from members of a workspace. Views are used for presenting this data to all members of the space.
A form is essentially an HTML document, like a Web page. When a Forms tool user adds or opens a record, the form for the record opens in a Web browser window. If you press CTRL and right-click while viewing a record, you see the standard menu that opens for your default Web browser. For example, if your default Web browser is Internet Explorer, you can press CTRL and right-click, select View Source, and see the HTML used to build the form in a text editor.
Note If you've purchased and added the Groove Workspace Professional license, you can edit your forms by exporting them to an HTML editor, and then importing the edited versions. See Modifying a form outside of Groove for information.
A form consists of a variety of fields, depending on the information to be collected. For example, there may be fields for entering text, selecting an item from a list, checking a Yes/No option, and many others.
Each type of field has a corresponding set of editable properties that allow you to provide guidance or set rules for people who use the forms. For example, you can place an initial value in a text field, set a numeric field to automatically apply currency formatting, set limits for the number of characters in a field, or make certain fields "required."
With the Forms tool, any field you create in one form gets stored in a collection of fields you can then add to any other form (within the same Forms tool in the workspace). For example, if you create a "Last Name" field in one form, you can then add this field to other forms within the same Forms tool.
Even if you delete a form, all unique fields created in this form remain available for including in other forms you create.
A view consists of table columns, each of which represents one form field and defines how the form data should be displayed and sorted.
You use views to show the data collected in forms. Views give workspace members a way to sort and interpret their data in different ways. For example, suppose you created a form for collecting administrative data about employees. The form in that case might have fields for employees to enter their first name, last name, department name, manager's name, office and phone numbers, equipment serial numbers, and so on. In this case you might have several views. One might sort the data by last name, another by department name, another by manager's name, and so on.
With the Groove Forms Tool, you can create a Forms tool application by choosing from a collection of "templates." These templates provide forms and views designed for collecting specific kinds of data. In some cases, you may be able to immediately use a template as is. Usually, however, you will want to add or modify application elements, such as form fields and views. When practical, using a template is the best way to start using the Groove Forms Tool as it saves you a base set of forms and fields to work with.
To help you get started, the Forms tool comes with the following templates:
Hiring Requisition - Customized. This template is essentially the same as "Hiring Requisition" except that it contains forms that were customized in an external HTML editor. If you want to use this template and update its design, you must also do so by exporting and editing in an HTML Editor.
Typically, most members of a workspace with a Forms tool only add or change records in the tool, and don't get involved with creating or modifying the application features.
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