APPLICATION DESIGN

Selected field properties
Setting a tab order for a field

Tab order specifies the sequence in which fields become active when a user presses TAB. By default, the tab order moves from left to right, top to bottom. You can control the tab order by explicitly assigning a numeric sequence to fields in the Tab key field on the Field Info tab of the Field Properties box.

Using Notes Style or Native OS Style

If you choose the field property "Notes style" for an editable field, such as Text, Authors, Readers, Names, or Number, the field appears as a blank space marked off by brackets. The field expands depending on what is entered into the field. At the Control tab of the Field Properties box, you can uncheck "Show field delimiters" if you do not want brackets to appear at the beginning and end of the field.

If you choose the field property "Native OS style" for an editable field, such as Text, Authors, Readers, Names, or Number, the field appears on the document as an outlined box (whose height and width you can set) instead of as blank space marked off by brackets. An editable Date/Time field displays as a graphical date/time control. On the Web, native controls are ignored and fields display in their default format. At the Control tab of the Field Properties box, you can set a border style (choosing no border, single-line border, or a border that displays the field as inset) and can choose to display the field as multiple lines.

You can change the width and height of native controls, as described in the following table.

PropertyChoose one
Width
  • Fixed (Size) - lets you set a fixed width in inches.
  • Fit to window (%) - fits the field to the window as the percentage you set.
  • Fixed (Characters) - lets you set a fixed width in characters.
Height
  • Fixed - lets you set a fixed height in inches.
  • Dynamic - increases the size of the entry box dynamically up to 3 lines. If an entry is longer than 3 lines, scroll bars display automatically.
  • Proportional - sets the height proportionally to the width.
If you check "Align control's baseline with paragraph's," the baseline of the characters in the field is aligned with the baseline of the characters in the paragraph containing the field. This setting is especially useful if you have no border around the field. The text in the borderless field will be on the same baseline as the text in the paragraph containing the field.

Automatically refreshing field values

Sometimes users must see the results of all field calculations as they work on a document. To provide continuously updating information, design a form that recalculates fields automatically whenever a field value changes. Be aware this setting slows down a document's display and data-entry time.

You can refresh field values in the following ways:


For choice list fields enable the field property "Refresh field on keyword change" on the Control tab of the Field Properties box, for better performance on large documents with many computed fields. This field property refreshes all the fields on a form only after a user selects a value for a specific choice field that has the property enabled. The option "Refresh choice on document refresh" refreshes the choice list choices when a user refreshes the document by choosing View - Refresh. You can also write a LotusScript field event to recalculate the document or update other fields when users move from a specific field.

To refresh field values automatically

1. Open the form.

2. Choose Design - Form Properties.

3. On the Form Info tab, select "Automatically refresh fields."

4. Save the form.

Making a field active by default

The first editable field on a form is the active field by default. You can override this setting and change which field is active when a user creates or edits a document.

Changing the default active field helps emphasize an editable field that isn't located at the top of the form, or directs users to a field that is the most frequently edited field on the form or to a required field that you don't want users to miss.

This option applies only to editable fields.

1. Create a field, or click an existing field. Then choose Design - Field Properties.

2. On the Field Info tab, select "Give this field initial (default) focus.

See Also