We received several requests from our users on the subform functionality in Zoho Creator.
Subforms is certainly in our High Priority list and will be available
in the near future. As a workaround, we have put up a sample
application that provides the subform functionality (accessing subform
within the mainform), using Deluge Scripting.
About the Meeting Tracker Application
The Meeting Tracker application comprises of the following forms:
button as shown below.
- The attendance details for each meeting can be viewed by selecting the
button, as shown below.
Steps to configure the Add Attendance and View Attendance custom action buttons
Now let us learn how the custom buttons Add Attendance and View Attendance are added to the Meetings View. The Add Attendance and View Attendance are called custom action buttons. "Custom Action" is a feature integrated in ZC Views to enable users to invoke a specific user-defined Function on selected records in a view.
In this application, "Add
Attendence" custom action invokes the function that will display the
"Add Meeting Attendence Form" . Similarly, the "View Attendance" custom
action invokes the function to display the Attendance view.
(The same steps can be followed to configure the View Attandance custom action, to view the attendance for each meeting).
a. Defining the Function:
1. Select Script -> Function tab and define a new function by selecting the New button.
2. In the Function
dialog, specify the function name, namespace, return type and arguments
to be passed to this function. In this example, we define a function
named "addattendance" that will display the "Add Attendance" form for
the selected record in the view. Hence, return type is specified as void and the record id is passed as argument to the function.
3. Click Done to add the function.
4. Drag-n-drop the Open URL deluge task to the editor-area. The OpenUrl task redirects the form to a specified URL. Specify the URL string as given in the application. In the the url string specified,
((((("http://creator.zoho.com/";;;;;
+ zoho.adminuser) + "/") + zoho.appname) +
"/form-embed/Add_Meeting_Attendance/meetingid=") + input.id) + "",
- Add_Meeting_Attendance - is the name of the form to be displayed
- meetingid - is the name of the field in the Add_Meeting_Attendance form
- input.id - id is the function argument which will pass the value of the selected record ID and update it in meetingid.
5. Click Save Script to update the changes.
b. Configuring the function "addattendance" as Custom Action in the Meetings View
1. Select Views -> Meetings and click on Custom Actions from the left-side tree.
2. Specify the Action Name, the action display type and the function to be configured.
3. Click Done to update the changes.
The above configuration will add the Add Attendance custom action button to each record in the Meetings View. When the button is clicked, the form Add Meeting Attendance is displayed for the selected meeting.
To view the Functions and the scripts added to the application,
- Copy the application by selecting More Actions -> Copy Application
link displayed in the top-right corner. The application will be copied
to your account and displayed in your Home page as "Copy of Meeting
Tracker".
- Select the Edit button and click on Script -> Function tab to view the functions added to the application.
- Click on Script -> Form tab and select the the Add Meeting Attendance from the Form drop-down box.. The "on add -> on load" script is added to this form to display the Meeting name of the selected meeting in the Pick Meeting list-box.
Related Links:
Help Doc -> Deluge Reference -> Functions and Custom Action.
Help Doc -> Deluge Reference -> Open URL
I agree. This is a must have capability and I cannot recommend this to my employer without it.
I agree. This is a must have capability and I cannot recommend this to my employer without it.
Is this still being considered at all?My co-workers will not accept an application without subforms, and therefore I can't use Zoho in the office (beyond *very* simple data-collection).Are there any other hosted databases that do have this functionality?
Is this still being considered at all?My co-workers will not accept an application without subforms, and therefore I can't use Zoho in the office (beyond *very* simple data-collection).Are there any other hosted databases that do have this functionality?
is there any update regarding subforms on Zoho?
is there any update regarding subforms on Zoho?
This a major missing feature and ultimately what keeps me using Access / Sharepoint instead of Creator
This a major missing feature and ultimately what keeps me using Access / Sharepoint instead of Creator
OK, 2 years have gone from the time this post was started, I asume the near future of Feb 2009 has already gone as well, so, are there any news about the SubForm component?
OK, 2 years have gone from the time this post was started, I asume the near future of Feb 2009 has already gone as well, so, are there any news about the SubForm component?
I need subforms!
I need subforms!
+1 for request for subforms.
+1 for request for subforms.
Any update on this?
Any update on this?
I want to add my vote for prioritizing sub-forms and to point out that you will have more luck attracting former Coghead users and developers if you do.
I want to add my vote for prioritizing sub-forms and to point out that you will have more luck attracting former Coghead users and developers if you do.
please advice how to "close me".. on subform once data is submitted..
please advice how to "close me".. on subform once data is submitted..
I am using the custom action to display the subform as suggeested.But, once a record is submitted in the "sub form",(pop up) the same form (pop up) gets refreshed. Instead, I would like to close the subform after a record is submitted.Please advice
PS:- please enable a "Subscribe to comments".. for all of your posts.
That way i can keep track of where i have commented.Regards
Deepa
I am using the custom action to display the subform as suggeested.But, once a record is submitted in the "sub form",(pop up) the same form (pop up) gets refreshed. Instead, I would like to close the subform after a record is submitted.Please advice
PS:- please enable a "Subscribe to comments".. for all of your posts.
That way i can keep track of where i have commented.Regards
Deepa
It's been a while since last post regarding this feature. Is there some expected date this feature will be released?
It's been a while since last post regarding this feature. Is there some expected date this feature will be released?
While I agree -- sub-forms are an essential upgrade to Creator -- i think Master/Detail presentations on the same page are even more essential. Meaning, if i click on a row item to see its Details, I am shown the details page, with its related data (typically) just below.And one caveat to the timeline on functionality... While vapor-functionality, delays and changing priorities may have been an acceptable business model while Creator was free, now that it is (mostly) a monthly fee-based service, you need to expect demands for quick, timely development, bug fixes, and implementation of user-popular functionality requests. The alternative is lost customers who have sought alternative solutions -- something I'm sure that you don't want.All that said, I do question the prioritization of new features in Creator v3.0. Putting sub-form and master/detail presentation features behind some of the new deluge scripting features seems odd. Please don't forget that Creator is as popular as it is because it's user friendly (i.e. little to no coding). Deluge may be powerful, but I dare say, most users are not programmers who will be able to make heads or tails of the code-driven instructions in this post.Thanks for listening.
While I agree -- sub-forms are an essential upgrade to Creator -- i think Master/Detail presentations on the same page are even more essential. Meaning, if i click on a row item to see its Details, I am shown the details page, with its related data (typically) just below.And one caveat to the timeline on functionality... While vapor-functionality, delays and changing priorities may have been an acceptable business model while Creator was free, now that it is (mostly) a monthly fee-based service, you need to expect demands for quick, timely development, bug fixes, and implementation of user-popular functionality requests. The alternative is lost customers who have sought alternative solutions -- something I'm sure that you don't want.All that said, I do question the prioritization of new features in Creator v3.0. Putting sub-form and master/detail presentation features behind some of the new deluge scripting features seems odd. Please don't forget that Creator is as popular as it is because it's user friendly (i.e. little to no coding). Deluge may be powerful, but I dare say, most users are not programmers who will be able to make heads or tails of the code-driven instructions in this post.Thanks for listening.
Thanks for this post. Very useful...
Thanks for this post. Very useful...
Thanks for the hack, it helps a bit. Still, subforms capacity is THE feature which will make Zoho Creator applications powerful and game-changing.
Thanks for the hack, it helps a bit. Still, subforms capacity is THE feature which will make Zoho Creator applications powerful and game-changing.
Seanmac,
Thanks for your feedback. Here is what happens behind the scenes that causes schedules to be unpredictable. One recent development priority was performance issues that some customers experienced, which itself was identified to be caused by unexpectedly large meta-data that some users have. Clearly, many users are pushing the envelope in terms of what Zoho Creator can do (ahead of when we expected such large meta-data to happen); this is very good, but also causes our development to take detours to address issues as they arise. So some of the road map items get delayed. Our team is working hard to get more depth and breadth so increasingly complex and sophisticated applications could be built more easily. We appreciate your patience!
Seanmac,
Thanks for your feedback. Here is what happens behind the scenes that causes schedules to be unpredictable. One recent development priority was performance issues that some customers experienced, which itself was identified to be caused by unexpectedly large meta-data that some users have. Clearly, many users are pushing the envelope in terms of what Zoho Creator can do (ahead of when we expected such large meta-data to happen); this is very good, but also causes our development to take detours to address issues as they arise. So some of the road map items get delayed. Our team is working hard to get more depth and breadth so increasingly complex and sophisticated applications could be built more easily. We appreciate your patience!
Its a step forward but the sooner sub-form functionality becomes embedded in Creator rather than having to employee a hack, the better. Its frustrating it isn't already and the terms 'high priority' and 'near future' reminds me of the saying 'your train will be arriving shortly'. Slightly re-assuring but on hearing it to many times you come to realise that shortly is disappointingly vague for a reason! I understand you don't want to set a public milestone after previous problems but make this happen soon please. Thanks for tips none-the-less
Its a step forward but the sooner sub-form functionality becomes embedded in Creator rather than having to employee a hack, the better. Its frustrating it isn't already and the terms 'high priority' and 'near future' reminds me of the saying 'your train will be arriving shortly'. Slightly re-assuring but on hearing it to many times you come to realise that shortly is disappointingly vague for a reason! I understand you don't want to set a public milestone after previous problems but make this happen soon please. Thanks for tips none-the-less