Adding a user-defined field

Users of an application can add fields to forms without changing the schema or modifying IDOs. User-defined fields (UDFs) can be of any component type.

Values entered in UDFs are stored in a table that serves the entire application. When you add a UDF to a form, the system creates a join to the table, making data available in the collection or subcollection with which the UDF is associated.

Note that UDFs are assigned to IDOs. Once an IDO is associated with the property to which a UDF is bound on a form, any other form that uses the same IDO has access to the property.

To add a user-defined field, a“dd” a component to the form in the usual way. When you specify component binding, select one of the UDF properties in the “Binding” list on the “Component” property sheet. Properties have the prefix “UDF”.

For most UDF data types, six individual properties are available (for example, UDFDateTime1 through UDFDateTime6). Up to 35 UDF properties can be associated with an IDO.

To establish binding with the selected property, “regenerate” the form.