AX1459
Axiom forms are shown within a standard "container" that provides access to various features that can be used on the form. Using the container, form users can:
- Navigate to other web-enabled files or to designated areas of the Web Client
- View alerts and notifications
- View and add comments about the current Axiom form
- Filter the data shown in the current form
- Access tools for use with Axiom forms
This container displays as two bars across the top of the form. The top blue bar is the Global Navigation Bar and the gray bottom bar is the Task Bar. Clicking an icon in the task bar opens the corresponding feature in a panel along the left-hand side.
Example Web Client Container
Task bar feature overview
Some of the task bar features are entirely built-in, and other features require certain setup steps within the Axiom Software system or within the form itself. The following table summarizes these features, and indicates whether additional setup steps are required:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
|
Navigation panel |
Provides navigation to other web-enabled files and to designated areas of the Web Client. Axiom Software provides a default template for this navigation that can be customized as needed. Additionally, individual forms can optionally have defined navigation links that will display in this panel when the form is open. See Defining content for the Web Client Navigation panel. |
|
Message Stream panel |
Displays user comments about the current Axiom form. Users can add new comments. This panel displays the same content as the Message Stream task pane in the Desktop Client. For more information about using the Message Stream panel in the Web Client, see Commenting on form documents. NOTE: The message stream is enabled on a per file basis, using the property Enable Message Stream on the default Control Sheet. If the message stream is not enabled for the form source file, then the Message Stream panel will not be available for that form in the Web Client. |
|
Filters panel |
Allows users to filter the data shown in the current form, by selecting values for defined refresh variables. This must be set up on a per form basis using a RefreshVariables data source. See Defining refresh variables for Axiom forms. |
|
Attachments panel |
Allows users to upload, open, and manage plan file attachments. This panel is only available for form-enabled plan files, and only if attachments are enabled for the file group. See Using the File Attachments panel to manage attachments. |
|
Tools menu |
Opens a menu with access to various form tools, such as the ability to download a copy of the source spreadsheet or create a PDF of the form. |
|
Help |
If the Axiom form is associated with a help code, the corresponding help content is displayed in a panel along the right-hand side of the page. This is intended to provide custom, context-sensitive help for the form. See Associating an Axiom form with a help code. Otherwise, by default the help icon launches Axiom Software help in a new tab. |
Enabling the Web Client Container for older Axiom forms
The Web Client Container is enabled for new Axiom forms by default. The container displays as follows, depending on the environment where the form is opened:
-
In the Web Client and the iPad app, the full container is available (though some container features may be limited in the iPad app).
-
In the Desktop Client, only the gray task bar portion of the container is available, and only when the form is opened as a web tab within the application. The task bar is exposed in this environment to provide access to common form features such as filters, messaging, and attachments. The global navigation features do not apply in the Desktop Client, so the top blue bar is hidden. Note the following:
- The Navigation panel and the Tools menu are not available in the Desktop Client.
- If the Axiom form is opened as a dialog or task pane within the Desktop Client, the entire container is hidden. Container features do not apply when using Axiom forms in this specialized way.
Some organizations may have Axiom forms that were created in older versions, before the introduction of the container in version 2016.1. The container is not enabled by default in these older forms; you must manually enable it. We strongly recommend enabling the container for all forms, to provide full access to Axiom Software functionality.
To enable the Web Client Container for an older form:
- At the top of the Form Control Sheet, set Use Web Client Container to On.
IMPORTANT: Although the Web Client Container can be disabled using this setting, the container should not be disabled for new forms. Many of the newer Axiom form features depend on the presence of the container, and may not work as expected if the container is disabled. Disabling the container is only supported for backward-functionality, so that older Axiom forms can be used "as is" until those forms are migrated to using current form features.
