Preview of form definition (XML)

Tab Source allows preview and editing of the technical definition of the form (also composite component and business) in XML. It provides direct access to the template structure, allowing you to check or modify elements that are not available in the standard editor view.

Features

1. XML definition preview

   • Displays the full structure of the form, including:

     • steps and pages of the application (<system:Page>),

     • base and composite components,

     • definitions of visibility and listening conditions (<data:ListeningOn>, <data:ClearOn>),

     • grid layout (<system:Page.layout>),

     • translations (titleKey, labelKey).

2. Manual editing

   • Alternative text for the default value "Select": Source you can edit the application's XML code - e.g., correct layout parameters, change the number of columns or add attributes not available in the graphical interface.

   • This is especially useful when working with more advanced properties such as:

     • numColumns – number of columns on a page,

     • horizontalSpan – component width in columns.

3. Validation

   • The system automatically validates XML syntax, and errors (e.g., missing closing tags, incorrect attributes) are indicated in the editor.

   • If there is a save error the form will not be saved to the repository.

Example of a code fragment in the Source tab

<system:Page id="Page3" mid="Page3" page="3" titleKey="Page3.title" fixedColumns="true">
    <p1:GesText id="GesText3" mid="GesText3" labelKey="GesText3.label" textKey="GesText3.text">
        <data:ListeningOn/>
        <data:ClearOn/>
        <p1:GesText.layoutData>
            <ns6:GridData horizontalAlignment="FILL" horizontalSpan="10" verticalAlignment="CENTER"/>
        </p1:GesText.layoutData>
    </p1:GesText>
    <system:Page.layout>
        <ns6:GridLayout makeColumnsEqualWidth="true" numColumns="12"/>
    </system:Page.layout>
    <data:Curtains/>
</system:Page>

The above code shows the definition of the form page with the identifier 'Page3' with a single label component 'GesText3' and the page layout in 12 columns.

Good practices

• Editing in the Source tab should be done carefully - preferably after saving the current version of the form.

• Before making changes it is worth checking their impact on the form in the Application.

Uses

• Changing the number of columns (numColumns), when it is not available in the graphical interface.

• Moving definitions of pages or components between forms.

• Searching for dependencies of a given component before deleting it.

FAQ

Are changes made in Source visible immediately? Yes, changes are visible after saving or switching to another editor tab.

Can you edit only a fragment of XML? Yes, you can edit any element - either a component or an entire page block - provided the syntax remains correct.

Does the Source tab also show translations and styles? Yes, translation keys are visible (*.labelKey, *.titleKey) as well as CSS classes associated with components or pages.

Illustration 1. Source tab view in the application editor