Forms - When are variable configuration states saved?

posted on June 15, 2020

I am having trouble understanding when exactly I am saving the permanent configuration state of my variables in Forms. I thought it was the first time you save the form with the new field, but it is not.

Here is a real life example:

I will create a new Single Line field with a title of "My Field" and then I will press F5 in order to save the form. Which will give the variable a name of My_Field. This is how I know for sure the variable was saved while the title was set to "My Field"

However when I go to put the variable on a form, the title will be set as "Single Line" in some cases even though I have proof it was originally first saved with a different title based on the variable name, which means the variable configuration state was saved before I saved immediately upon adding the field but before the variable was created.

You might say the variable prefabs never keep any configuration changes, but that is certainly not true, because many variables include a once previously saved config of titles, text above line, etc. I just can't figure out what I am doing differently to capture some of the configurations while saving new variables prefabs.

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replied on June 15, 2020

Try using ctrl+F5 to "save" your form. The previous field name might be cached and clearing your cache would save the form and update that name.

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replied on June 15, 2020

Just tried this, it still does not retain configurations, the variable is My_Field, showing that it saved with my label, but the label goes back to Single Line which was the label it had before changing to My Field

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replied on June 15, 2020 • Show version history

What version are you on? I just used Forms 10.4, created a field on one form, went to another form, dragged the variable on, and all the configuration (including field name) was there. I didn't refresh at all, simply going to the other form was enough to get the variable in the list and have it renamed.

Can you send a video of the issue?

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replied on June 16, 2020

I am using 10.4.1, here is an example where I provide no variable name, so that one is automatically generated on save. This is where I am confused, if the variable was named My_Field wouldn't the title have to be "My Field" when the prefab is saved? Where is it getting "Single Line" from? That was a state it was in well before it was ever saved.

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replied on June 16, 2020

Chad I notice you're deleting the field from the first form before dragging it onto the second form. Try doing the same but without deleting it from the first form.

I've had this issue in the past when the variable is not on any forms before dragging it onto a new form. It almost seems like the label and such are stored only on the form, and copying the variable onto a different form will only copy the field's config from the original form (which, if it isn't on there, will not exist).

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replied on June 16, 2020

**Jim's answer just popped up while I was still writing mine. I'll post mine anyway.

Hi Chad-

It's confusing. If a variable is no longer on any forms, it loses all its configuration except for the variable name. Hence "Single Line" with no other settings set.

If the field still exists on another form, it will pick up the configuration from that form, including the displayed field name.

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replied on June 16, 2020

Lol that's happened to me a lot Pieter, great timing!

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replied on June 16, 2020

Oh this explains a lot. I actually only have 1 form, I deleted it, then re-added to the same form. I was thinking the configuration states were saved as prefabs once they appeared in the variables list.

This would explain why it felt so random that a field comes over with configurations or not.

It just depends on if it is on a different form to pull from.

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replied on June 16, 2020

Ah, sorry, didn't realize you were deleting the field on the first form. The variable name is the only thing truly saved to the process. The rest of the configuration (display name and all the settings) is saved per form. When you drag on an existing variable to another form, we use the most recent saved configuration for that variable. For instance, if you set up a field on form 1 then drag it onto form 2, it'll default to the form 1 settings. If you then change the config on form 2 and drag it on to form 3, it'll use the form 2 configuration as it was the most recent save.

Deleting the field will delete the configuration so the only thing that carries over is the variable.

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