Tips for using list sources and validators

Development practices to use

  • For components whose values should be referenced against a table of values, use the collection-based list sources and validators. Collection-based list and validator functions are simple to use and efficient.
  • Wherever possible, select the Mark Output Targets Validated attribute. This attribute can have significant impact on the performance of forms that use validators to default down-stream values. Selecting this attribute eliminates the additional validation of these values unless the user actually modifies them.
  • Use the Validate Immediately attribute. Selecting this attribute can eliminate delays that result from performing all validation processing at save time (a behavior that is friendly to users).
  • Use component classes to package your validators, list sources, and other component processing for reuse.

Development practices to minimize or avoid

  • Limit the use of method-based list sources and validators to only those cases that require a complex validation process or a complicated computation of output values.
  • Avoid using the No List Cache attribute. Although it is sometimes necessary, this attribute usually results in an extra round trip to the server, which adversely impacts performance.
  • Avoid the use of scripting. Scripting can be very useful in certain cases. However, your application will perform better and will be easier to maintain if you avoid scripting as much as possible.