Using the Lighthouse Form Editor

Form Editor Layout

The Lighthouse Form Editor interface includes a menu bar and dialogs for selections. The main display is divided into two panes: the tree view and the detail view. The tree view (in the left interface pane) is a list view of each form element. Some items appear as nested; click the indicator next to an item to expand the view.

Double-click an item in the tree view to open its associated editing dialog. Dialog types are:

Form - Contains form display properties.
Field - Contains field properties and expressions.
Loop - Contains loop properties.
FormRef - Displays form references information.
FieldRef - Displays field reference information.
Expression - Contains XPRESS functions and variables.

The detail view appears in the right interface pane. It contains a read-only summary of the item selected in the tree view.

Creating and Editing Forms

To create a form, select File -> New. Double-click the New Form item in the tree view to begin working with the form.

To edit an existing form, select File -> Open (for a local form) or File -> Open from Repository (to check out a form in the repository). The form opens, in expanded form, in the tree view. Double-click the form or one of its components (in the tree view) to display an editing dialog.

Creating Form Fields

Select a location in the tree view where you want to create a field; this maps to the location where the field will display in your form. A new field can be subordinate to the form or to an existing form field.

To create a field:

  1. Click to select the form or a field into which or after which you want to insert a new field.
  2. Right-click to display the Options menu.
  3. Select Insert After (to insert the field after the selection) or Insert Into (to insert the field into the selection), and then select an element to create. You can add Field, Loop, Expression, Form Reference, and Field Reference elements to your form.

You can also create fields by selecting an existing field, either in this form or in another one, and using the copy and paste options from the menu bar.

Viewing Form Output

To preview a form as it will display in the Lighthouse user or administrator interface, select Tools -> Test from the menu bar. The Form Editor opens a browser window for form display.

Saving Forms

To save a form, select File -> Save (to save the form into the same location from which it was read); File -> Save File (to save a form in a file you specify); or File -> Save in Repository (to check the form into the repository). Enter or select a name for the form, and then click OK.