Clarity RapportForms

Designing Forms

The full capabilities of Rapport Pro may be used by the form designer to create form "backgrounds" that include sophisticated word processing, graphics, and spreadsheets. Point-and-click insertion of text fields, checkboxes, option boxes, and buttons for launching tasks is easy with any Rapport Pro application type. Data in form fields placed in spreadsheets may be included in spreadsheet calculations and in charts.

Each form field can be associated with macros that are executed when the field is entered, changed, or exited. Such macros may be used for altering the field fill-in sequence, calling data base access programs, and almost anything else the designer may need to automate the process.

Completing Forms

Users completing Rapport forms use the tab key to navigate from field to field, with the "background" fully protected. As each field is entered, explanations for completion appear at the bottom of the window. As each field is completed, the user is automatically taken to the next applicable field in the order specified by the designer.

Integration Possibilities

Like all Clarity Rapport products, RapportForms may be integrated with other applications or data files using standard development tools and Clarity's Facility for Linkage and EXtension (FLEX). Using FLEX, Clarity's macro and API facility, you can pass information typed into form fields to a data base lookup routine; automatically fax completed forms to designated recipients, or tie the forms into a workgroup process.

Key Features

Document Design

• Use all Rapport Pro applications for design of very simple to very complex forms
• Full page format controls, including multiple columns, annotations, layouts and templates
• Typographic controls, including kerning, leading, widow and orphan control, hyphenation
• Automatic paragraph numbering, formatting, and alignment
• Mix portrait and landscape pages in one document
• Horizontal and vertical ruler guides
• Adjustable row/column sizes, combined cells, full font support in spreadsheet
• Charts with live linking to spreadsheet data
• Standard shape and freehand drawing tools with fill and border colors
• Import of raster images or screen capture from anywhere on the display
• Full control over tab order for traversal through form

Form Fields

• Text fields, check boxes, option boxes, and buttons
• All fields may have actions specified when fields are entered, changed, or exited
• Place form fields in word processor, spreadsheet, and/or drawing area
• Data in form fields within a spreadsheet may be used in spreadsheet calculations and in charting
• Scan existing forms and place form fields over the scanned image
• Forms may be of any length

Field Attributes

• Text field attributes specify number of lines, fixed/variable size, maximum characters, data type, border, and capitalization
• Text fields may have list of predefined entries that may be exclusive or not
• Text fields in spreadsheets use standard cell formatting
• Use word processing tools for font, style, color, and justification in text fields
• Check box attributes specify marker type, radio grouping, on/off/don't care state
• Option box attributes specify items in a pop-up list, selected by mouse-click
• Buttons may be linked to flex macro commands
• Fields may be drawn "by eye" or by specifying exact dimensions and placement

Form Completion

• Tab from one field to the next
• Navigate directly by clicking in form field
• Non-field parts of the form may be changed by designer-specified macros as a result of data entered into form fields
• Instructions for each field may appear at the bottom of the screen
• Completed forms may be printed, sent via electronic mail, or faxed

Form Security

• User may not alter non-field parts of the form
• Form design is separately licensed to named users to ensure form integrity
• May prevent users from changing or viewing specified fields

FLEX Application Integration

Use to specify custom actions when user enters, changes, or exits a field, such as:

• Verify data entered against a file
• Fill in and/or protect other fields
• Automatically send completed form to others

Use to integrate RapportForms with other applications

Develop macros using industry-standard programming languages

May directly interrogate or update form field contents

Hundreds of predefined flex commands

Exchange data with other applications using the Rapport Programmer's Interface (RPI)

Use industry-standard gui tools for developing custom buttons, dialog boxes, etc.

Leverage sample RPI programs (source and executables included)

Documentation

• Forms User's Guide
• Context-sensitive help
• On-line User's Guide with index to topics, keyword search, bookmarks (printed guide optional)
• FLEX Programmer's Guide (optional)

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