Setting the form properties

VWorks Software User Guide : Creating forms for protocol operators : Setting the form properties

About this topic

To create or edit forms, you must be an administrator or technician. You should also have an understanding of how to create protocols in the VWorks software.

This topic describes the form properties that appear at the bottom of the Form Designer windows.

Figure Form properties in the Form Designer and Editing .VWForm windows

For more details on creating forms, see Workflow for creating or editing a form.

Procedure

To set the form properties:

1 In the Form Designer window or Editing .VWForm window, specify the context for the JavaScript variables associated with all the controls in the form:

• Context of the running protocol. Clear the Use global context for variables check box. JavaScript variables with the same name in different protocols will not be affected by the properties you set for the controls in this form.

Individual controls in the form can still specify the global context.

• Global context for all variables in the form. Select the Use global context for variables check box. For example, if the form is for a runset, you must use the global context.

All controls in the form will use the global context for their JavaScript variables and scripts, regardless of the settings for the individual control properties.

Any protocol that uses the global context and contains JavaScript variables of the same name will be affected by the changes you make to the properties for the controls in this form.

Ensure that the variable values you want to use globally are applicable to all other protocols, which also specify the global context. Otherwise, variables with the same name in different protocols will interfere with each other.

For more details on JavaScript context, see Understanding JavaScript context in form design.

2 To ensure that the default values associated with the controls in the form appear each time a user opens the form, select Restore default values when loading.

3 If the form includes the Toggle Full Screen button, specify whether to show or hide the Main Log, Pipette Log, Time Constraints Log, and Progress tabs in the full screen view:

• Select the Show log in Full Screen mode check box to include the logs.

• Clear the Show log in Full Screen mode check box to hide the logs.

4 To change the background color of the form, click Set background color, and then select the color from the Color dialog box.

5 If you are tracking experiment data, click Application name to specify the application. For details, see Workflow to configure a form to track experiment IDs.

6 Click OK.

• If this is the first time to save the form, the Save File As dialog box opens. Type a name for the form, and click Save.

VWorks Plus only. If an audit trail is being logged, select or type a reason for change in the Audit Comment dialog box, and then click OK.

• If you are editing a previously saved form, the software saves the form and closes the Form Designer.

VWorks Plus only. If an audit trail is being logged, select or type a reason for change in the Audit Comment dialog box, and then click OK.

Related information

For information about...	See...
Workflow for creating or editing a form	Workflow for creating or editing a form
General Controls in the Form Designer window	Adding form controls that allow editing or runtime data display
Specialized Buttons in the Form Designer window	Overview of the specialized buttons
Specialized Display Controls in the Form Designer window	Adding indicators for elapsed time and progress to a form
JavaScript context and form design	Understanding JavaScript context in form design
Creating a basic protocol	Workflow for creating a basic protocol
Using JavaScript	Creating a protocol: advanced topics