Question

Using variables from other forms with a process

Forms

Updated March 18, 2016

asked on October 24, 2015

Is there anyway to use variables that were created and used on previous forms in a single instance of a process with javascript (without putting the fields on the form with the javascript)? I know we can use variables in HTML controls that are on subsequent forms in the process, and the data stored in those variables will appear in the HTML controls and will be sent into Laserfiche. But I'd like to use javascript to get the values of some of those variables and do something with the values.

My use case: I'm developing a form for a customer. The form, by necessity, has a very large number of fillable fields, which presents a problem in terms of performance. (I've been told to keep the number of fillable fields on a single form to less than 100.) At some point in the near future, the number of fields will be too much for one form to handle. Right now, I have over 150 fillable fields and I'm not done with the form. I can easily see that number doubling or tripling based on the customer's needs. I can split the form into multiple forms while it's being processed by users, but in the review stage and the save to Laserfiche task, the form needs to be one continuous document without gaps within a page. If I can limit the number of fillable fields I put on the review and save to Laserfiche forms by using data already stored in field variables from previous forms in the process, I can actually make a single review form work and have decent performance.

Thanks for your thoughts on this!

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Replies

replied on October 26, 2015

Just a thought..., how about having multiple forms within the form? That way your fields will still be there to use on each page, and you don't have to use JavaScript tie all the field variables together. You can save each individual form then use Work Flow to bring them all together into one document.

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replied on October 26, 2015

Hi there,

You can have form1, form2, form3, form4 for user to fill in with better performance.

And then you can create a form formall, with the variables dragged from the Variable tab used in different forms. Those will show the variable current value when you save formall to repository.

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replied on March 18, 2016

I have the same issue with a form that has about 400 fields, 155 field rules with about 18 collections. Would this solution just move the problem from the front, ie: 1 form, to the back of the process, ie: formall? Or does it within forms process things differently so it does not have resource issues.

Then to follow up if it does not move the problem. Is there a way to build into the process modeler somehow, a way to navigate between form1, form2, form3, etc.? And with this many fields, how would you handle the save as draft option?

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replied on October 27, 2015

Thanks for both responses.

I've already planned on splitting the form up, especially since I found that I could use variables from previous forms within the HTML controls and have their values appear. However, I can't have Workflow join them because the HTML controls have a variable length, depending on what the user entered on a previous form, and the page text has to have a continuous flow, with no wide gaps. Joining forms together with Workflow would cause gaps. For example, the beginning of form 2 would start on a separate page from the end of form 1, even if the end of form 1 was at the top of a page.

And while I know I can drag and drop variables onto a form, doing so would cause the end form to have well over 300 fields (probably closer to 1000 forms at the end of the project), making it unusable. With that many fields, I wouldn't even be able to open the form to modify it without the browser crashing. (I know, I ran into this problem with another customer who had less fields on their forms.)

I don't see how to use the variables from other forms within javascript, which is really what I'd like to do. I'm thinking of alternate ways of accomplishing what I need to without the need for the variables, and I have an idea that I can probably get to work, but it would make the Forms process more tedious for end users. It'd be easier and cleaner if I could use variables from previous forms in javascript.

The end goal is to take the responses from all the forms completed by a user, display them together in a single form, one response after another, and automatically number them using a 5-level numbering system (because the numbering changes depending on choices made in the various forms).

Right now, on the end form that gets sent to Laserfiche, I have a single line field for each possible number and some javascript that determines if a number should be entered in each field and what number it should be. The problem is that the number of fields is at about 100 right now, and growing. I can see that by the end of this project, that number could easily triple, causing an issue with form performance and browser behavior.

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Using variables from other forms with a process

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