Form Types

The purpose of this section is to describe the basic types, or categories, of forms that VPM Enterprise helps you create and to guide you to the sections of this User’s Guide that show you how to create them.

Tip - Use Your Imagination: The VPM Enterprise form types are categories we created to help organize form development for you. The fact that we have categorized forms into types doesn’t mean that our form types are the only kinds of forms you can create with VPM Enterprise. You can use your imagination to combine the VPM Enterprise form and control classes to create a wide variety of form types with VPM Enterprise. Your only limit is your imagination.

The following table lists and describes the VPM Enterprise form types. It also shows you the form class and builder to use to create each form type. The examples listed are forms in the VPME Sample Application that demonstrate a form type.

Form Type	Description / Class / Builder
Multiple-Record	Simple form that maintains data one record at a time from multiple-record tables, views and CursorAdapters (a table, view or CursorAdapter that normally contains more than one record). Uses a toolbar with navigation and data maintenance controls. Form Class: Form_Toolbar Builder: ProMatrix Basic Form Builder Example: Data-Employee-Employee Basic Data (Multiple Instance)
Single-Record	Maintains data from single-record tables, views and CursorAdapters (a table, view or CursorAdapter designed to contain only one record). A single-record table, view or CursorAdapter usually stores parameters or system information needed to control the operation of an application. Form Class: Form_Singlerecord Builder: ProMatrix Basic Form Builder Example: Admin-Environment.
No-Record	No-record forms don’t maintain data from tables. No-record forms provide information or launch programs. Form Class: Form_Norecord Builder: Not required.
Multiple-Page	A form that contains a pageframe to maintain data for multiple-record and single-record tables, views and CursorAdapters on multiple pages. Can be used without tables, views and CursorAdapters with Form_Norecord class. Form Class: Form_Toolbar, Form_Singlerecord, Form_Norecord Builder: ProMatrix PageFrame Builder Example: Data-Employee-Benefits (On-Form Toolbar)

Form Type	Description / Class / Builder
One-To-Many	Maintains data for tables, views and CursorAdapters with one-to-many parent-child relationships. Parent table, view or CursorAdapter data is in one pageframe and child table, view or CursorAdapter data is in grids on pages in a second pageframe. Form Class: Form_Toolbar_Onetomany Builder: ProMatrix One-To-Many Form Builder Example: Data-Employee-Employee Data (One-to-Many)
Related Pages	Maintains data for related tables, views and CursorAdapters on pages in a pageframe. Each page can maintain data for one related table, view or CursorAdapter. The pages can contain related tables, views and CursorAdapters to any depth (that is, parent, child, grandchild, etc.). Form Class: Form_Toolbar_RelatedPages Builder: ProMatrix Related Pages Form Builder Example: Data-Employee-Employee Data (Related Pages)
Editable Grid	Not really a form, but a control that you place on a form based on the Form_Toolbar class. Maintains data for tables, views and CursorAdapters in an editable grid. Use when you need to show more than one record at a time on a form. Form Class: Form_Toolbar Control Class: Grid_Toolbar Builder: ProMatrix Grid Builder Example: Data-Employee-Employee Basic Data (Grid)
List Grid	Not really a form, but a control that you place on a form based on the Form_Toolbar class. Provides a picklist grid with sortable columns and incremental search. Use this to provide a mechanism for record selection. Form Class: Form_Toolbar Control Class: Grid_List Builder: ProMatrix List Grid Builder Example: Data-Employee-Employee Basic Data (List Grid)
Mover	A form that moves items from one list to another. Form Class: Form_Mover Builder: None Example: Admin-Security-User Language (click the User Selection button)
Thermometer	A form that displays a thermometer to visually show the progress of a process. Form Class: Thermometer in VPMGen class library. Builder: None Example: File-Reindex/Pack Tables (click the OK button after selecting at least one table)

Form Classes