Tabular forms are a popular way of displaying and entering data in a structured manner. They are rendered as a grid, with rows and columns representing records and fields, respectively. Tabular forms offer a convenient way to view and edit information, especially when dealing with large datasets.
When designing a tabular form, you’ll need to consider various attributes such as the position, name, and type of each column. You may also want to include validations, so that users can only enter certain values or formats. Additionally, you’ll need to decide whether the form should allow users to insert, update, or delete records.
The underlying structure of a tabular form is typically a database table or a schema. You can create a tabular form using various tools or frameworks, such as a form builder or an application generator. Once the form is created, you can display it on a web page or in an application, allowing users to enter data.
One common use case for tabular forms is in multi-step processes, such as wizards. In a wizard, each step corresponds to a tabular form, where users input data for a specific stage of the process. As users progress through the steps, the form updates and displays the next set of fields or options.
Tabular forms can be a powerful tool for data entry and manipulation. They offer a structured and efficient way to work with large datasets, enabling users to quickly enter, update, and delete records. Whether you are creating a simple form with a single column or a complex grid with multiple columns and computations, tabular forms provide a flexible and user-friendly solution.
What Is Tabular Form in Word
A tabular form in Word refers to a structured way of displaying data in a table-like format. It allows users to enter and view information in a data grid, similar to a spreadsheet or database. This type of form is commonly used for displaying and processing data that follows a tabular or table-like structure.
When creating a tabular form in Word, you’ll need to enter the data once and then the form can generate a table that displays the information in a structured manner. This makes it easier for users to work with the data as they can see it all at once and make edits or updates as needed.
In a tabular form, the data is organized in rows and columns, where each column represents an attribute or field of the underlying data schema. The form also provides options for users to add, delete, or modify records and columns within the table.
One of the key advantages of using a tabular form in Word is that it allows for efficient data entry and processing. Users can quickly fill in values for multiple attributes or fields at once, without having to navigate through multiple pages or sections. Additionally, the tabular form provides validations and checksums to ensure data integrity.
Furthermore, tabular forms in Word are updatable, meaning that users can change the values of individual cells or rows, making the form highly interactive and dynamic. Users can also perform various operations, such as sorting, filtering, or searching for specific records or values within the table.
Overall, the tabular form in Word offers a convenient and structured way to display and process data in a document. Whether you’re working on a simple data entry task or handling complex information, using a tabular form can streamline the process and make it more organized and efficient.
Creating an Application
When creating an application that involves a tabular form, you’ll first need to design your database schema. This schema will contain the necessary tables and columns to store the data for your application.
One important attribute to consider is the checksum column. This column can be computed based on the values in other columns and can be used to validate the integrity of the data. When a record is created or updated, the checksum column is automatically computed to ensure that the data is valid.
To create the tabular form, you can use a form builder or wizard that will guide you through the process. This tool will allow you to define the layout of the form, including the position of the fields and the display options. You can also specify any validations that should be performed on the data entered by the users.
The tabular form will be rendered as a grid, with each row representing a single record and each column representing a field in the database. The form can be updatable, meaning that users can insert, update, or delete records directly from the grid.
One important thing to note is that the form is generated based on the underlying schema, so any changes to the schema will be reflected in the form. For example, if you add a new column to a table, a new field will be added to the form automatically.
When users enter data into the form, it will be validated based on the specified validations. If the data is not valid, an error message will be displayed. Once the data is validated, it can be processed and stored in the database.
If you have more complex requirements than what can be achieved with a simple form builder, you can also write custom code to handle the form operations. For example, you can write a query to populate the form with initial values or write code to perform additional operations after the form is submitted.
Creating a tabular form can be a flexible and efficient way to display, enter, and update data in an application. It allows users to view and edit multiple records at once and provides options for changing the layout and display of the form to suit your specific needs.
How Tabular Forms Work
Tabular forms are a type of form that is used in database applications when there is a need to enter or update multiple records at once. This type of form displays the data in a tabular format, with each row representing a record and each column representing an attribute or field.
When a user interacts with a tabular form, they can enter or update values in any of the cells in the table. The form then processes these updates and either inserts or updates the records in the underlying database schema.
One key feature of tabular forms is the use of checksums. Each row in the form has a computed checksum value, which is a unique identifier that represents the state of the row. When the form is submitted, the application can use these checksums to determine what has changed and perform the necessary database operations.
Another important aspect of tabular forms is their updatable column position. This allows users to enter data in a multi-row tabular form both from the top down and from the bottom up. This flexibility makes it easier for users to enter or update large amounts of data in a tabular format.
Tabular forms also support different types of validations and computations. For example, you can specify that a column should be computed or generated based on other columns in the form. These validations and computations can be defined using the form builder wizard, which provides a convenient interface for creating complex tabular forms.
When a tabular form is rendered, it displays the primary key columns on the left side of the table. This allows users to easily identify and differentiate between rows. Additionally, the form builder wizard provides options for specifying the layout and appearance of the form, such as the number of columns to display and whether to display column headers.
It’s worth noting that tabular forms work differently than regular forms in terms of data processing. While regular forms process data from top to bottom, tabular forms process data in a row-by-row manner. This means that each row is processed independently and can have different validations and computations applied to it.
In summary, tabular forms are a powerful tool for entering and updating multiple records at once. They allow users to easily enter or update large amounts of data in a tabular format, while providing options for validations and computations. Understanding how tabular forms work is essential for building efficient and user-friendly database applications.
Changing Updatable Column Display Type
When creating a tabular form in an application, you’ll need to decide how the data should be displayed for each column. By default, each column in the tabular form is rendered as a text input field, allowing users to enter or modify values directly. However, you have the flexibility to change the display type of a column to better suit your needs.
To change the display type of an updatable column in a tabular form, follow these steps:
- In the Page Designer, navigate to the page where the tabular form is located.
- Under the “Page Rendering” section, find the “Tabular Form” region and locate the desired column you want to change.
- Next to the column name, click on the drop-down menu to see the available display types. Options may include text, select list, date picker, checkbox, and more.
- Select the desired display type for the column.
- Once you’ve made the selection, click on the “Apply Changes” button to save the modifications to the tabular form.
It’s important to note that changing the display type of a column does not affect the underlying data or the database schema. It simply changes how the data is presented in the tabular form.
In some cases, you may also need to modify the validations or computations associated with the column. To do this, click on the “Column Attributes” button next to the column name and adjust the settings as required.
If you need to insert or delete records in the tabular form, you can use the “Add Row” and “Delete Row” options located at the bottom of the grid. When inserting a new record, some columns may be pre-populated with default values or values computed using a SQL query. If a column has a primary key or a computed value, it may not be updatable in the tabular form.
Additionally, if you’re using a multi-row update process or a process that spans across multiple pages, make sure to consider how the changes in the tabular form will affect the rest of the process flow.
In summary, changing the updatable column display type in a tabular form is a straightforward process. By selecting a different display type, you can customize the user experience, provide more options for data entry, or enable specific validations or operations for certain columns.
1 Answer 1
Tabular forms are a type of form in which data is displayed in a grid-like format, allowing users to enter or update multiple records at once. They are often used in database applications to display and edit data from a specific table or query result.
When creating a tabular form, you’ll first need to define the underlying query or table that the form will be based on. This can be done using a form builder or by manually creating the necessary HTML and database schema.
The tabular form itself is then generated based on the columns and attributes of the underlying query or table. Each column will be represented as a separate input field in the form. Users can enter or update data in these fields, and the changes will be reflected in the underlying database.
There are several options for displaying tabular forms. The most common approach is to use a grid-like layout, with rows and columns representing individual records and fields, respectively. Users can navigate through the records using navigation buttons or by clicking on a specific row. Validations and other data integrity checks can also be applied to ensure the entered data is correct and consistent.
When the form is submitted, the changes made by the user are processed and applied to the underlying database. This typically involves running a series of update or insert queries, depending on whether the user is updating existing records or inserting new ones.
One important consideration when working with tabular forms is the concept of checksums. Checksums are a way to ensure data integrity by verifying that the data entered by the user has not been tampered with or corrupted. Checksums are computed based on the values in the form fields, and they can be used to detect any unauthorized changes or data tampering.
In summary, a tabular form is a convenient way to display and edit multiple records in a grid-like format. It allows users to enter or update data in a tabular manner, with each column representing a separate attribute or field. The changes made in the form are then processed and applied to the underlying database, either by updating existing records or by inserting new ones. Checksums can be used to ensure data integrity and detect any unauthorized changes.
