Tips and Tricks

For all users

Work with multiple tabs/windows of your browser

It’s very useful to work with multiple tabs or windows in parallel, e.g., to run a report in one and keep entering records in the other. For this, press the Ctrl key and click on any form entry in the menu, or right-click to display the context menu and select Open in new tab or Open in new window.

Filter your data in a quick way

If you only want to filter by Record name within the Detail section, avoid the Record filter button. Instead, use the quick filter inside the Record selector box: type the name and press Enter to view the results.

Multi-level sorting

You can sort multiple columns in a specific order (e.g., sort by column "A", then by column "B").

To do this, sort the first column normally. Then, hold Shift and click the next column you wish to sort (click once for ascending, twice for descending). Repeat this process for any additional columns.

A number next to the sorting arrow will indicate the sort priority order.

Useful practices when working with reports

  • If you run a Report by mistake, click the Terminate icon immediately to stop the process.

  • Enhance your reports by adding a macro file.

Troubleshooting unexpected application behavior

Sometimes, forms behave strangely due to runtime changes in application configuration or design. If reloading the form or refreshing the browser does not help, you may need to clear your browsing data. The procedure depends on your browser, but here are the most common ones:

  • Microsoft Edge: IEtools → Hub icon→ History→ Clear all history→ Cookieas and saved website data, Cached data and files→Clear

  • Chrome: NDMEfilter → Tools→ Clear browsing data→ Autofill form data, Hosted app data→ Clear browsing data

  • Firefox: NDMEfilter → History→ Clear recent history→ Cache→ Clear now

After this, your application should work as usual; otherwise, report the issue to your local administrator.

Multiple lines in a Note field on Table section

To add multiple lines in a Note field within a Table section, press Shift+Enter.

Select multiple rows / cells in Table section

Rows can be selected to delete multiple records at once or to copy and paste to and from an MS Excel sheet. Use Ctrl+Click to select rows one by one, or Shift+Click to select consecutive rows.

For copying and pasting cells, read important notes here.

Keyboard or mouse

You can navigate application forms using keyboard shortcuts instead of the mouse. This is a practical way to perform certain actions. For example, press Spacebar to select the current row while navigating cells with arrow keys in a Table section. Take a look at our key bindings here.


For IS Tools administrators

The best time to configure

Work on important configuration changes during off-peak hours if possible, to minimize user disruption. Alternatively, notify all users in advance of such changes—for example, by posting a notice on a Start form or sending Notifications.

Best practices when working with tables and fields in Data model editor

  • Collapse the menu when configuring your application to free up a wider area for data and controls. Resize columns as needed to optimize your workspace.

  • Get a useful report in Excel with fields, tables and forms by clicking the ExcelExportSectionIcon icon.

  • Click the i icon to view a report of all forms and rules that use the selected field.

  • Switch to the Diagram tab to generate a visual graph and get an overall view of your application’s tables.

A welcome window for your application users

Set any form you want as the application’s start form after users log in. There, you can communicate support contact details, business status, system maintenance times, or simply welcome users with your company’s logo.

To do this, open the Application preferences form and select that form in the Desktop start form drop-down field, which will apply to all users within that application. To assign it to a specific user, set the Start form in User admistration instead. Note that a mobile version of this setting is also available.

Work with multiple tabs/windows

It’s very useful to work with different tabs or windows in parallel; for example, to configure in one and test in the other. To do this, hold the Ctrl key and click on any form entry in the menu. Alternatively, right-click to display the context menu and click Open in new tab or Open in new window.

Helpful tools to review users and data details

Use these tools to review user information, activity, and data changes: User administration, Logged in users, Login log, Logged data search and Extended logs.

Best practices when editing forms in Form designer

  • Use the SelectionIcon icon, also known as “lasso”, to select multiple components at once. Dragging the lasso downward selects only the components completely inside it. Dragging it upward selects all components that touch it.

  • Drag and drop sections into a single panel if you want them displayed in an integrated way within a common frame.

Handling mismatched form names

Try to keep forms named exactly the same as their corresponding menu items to avoid confusion about what a form is actually called. Otherwise, you can always find which form a menu item opens by selecting that item in the Menu configuration, choosing Details from the drop-down box, and reading the original form title under Extra information.

The easiest way to hide a form

If you need to get rid of a form but are unsure about deleting it completely, hide it instead. You can uncheck its Show in menu setting under Details in the Menu configuration, or delete the item from the menu while keeping it in the Form designer. Another option is to remove its access permissions in the Form rights administration form.

Preventing users from filtering by sensitive data

If a field contains sensitive data that you do not want users to filter by in forms, remove it from the Record filter: in the Data model editor, select the table, then the field(s), click the Assign groups icon, uncheck the original table group (usually named Field in filter for Table), and save.

Keyboard or mouse

You can configure application forms not only by using the mouse but also by using keyboard shortcuts to work more efficiently. For example, press Alt+X to switch between the Select rectangle tool (i.e., the "lasso" to select multiple components) and the Move tool in the Form Designer. You can also use the Tab key to navigate through settings.

Handling multiple Record groups during form saves

While it is possible to select a Record group when saving in a Detail section or a Multi detail section, this is not supported for other components. If no Record group is chosen, the system displays the message: "Cannot determine record group where to insert this or linking record." To avoid this issue, we recommend setting a Default record group for that table and creating rules to move the records to the correct group.

Creating a "Create-only" form

It might be necessary to have a form where users can only create records, with no option to search or edit previous entries. To do this, simply create a form with a Detail section without a Selector, and ensure the Open in created mode property is checked.

Sending variables between forms

Imagine that you have "Form A" with a Table section where jobs are listed. Once you select one, a button is enabled to open "Form B" where you will see the detail of the job’s invoice, if it has one; otherwise, the detail of the estimated cost.

You could of course have 2 copies of "Form B" with the different layouts, but a smarter solution is to set up variables from the origin form to be used on the destination form.

For that:

  1. On the Table section use Run on select:

    set @rn = RecordName
if InvoiceCheckbox is not null then
   set @invoice = 1 else
   set @invoice = 2
end

  2. Add those variables as parameter boxes to the form, set them to be hidden with Behavior, and check their property Write parameter to URL.

  3. Add a Button, and use Run on click:

    call openUrl(createFormUrl(RecordId, form("Form B")) || '?rn=' || @rn || '&invoice=' || @invoice)

  4. On "Form B" must have the same parameters, so repeat step 2. Also, either on the Selector or main section of that form, set the Filter:

    RecordName = @rn

    or type RecordName = @rn or @rn is null, in case "Form B" is not only opened via "Form A".

Note that you can:

  • Concatenate as many variables as you need, or you can even use fields instead of variables.

  • Origin and destination form might be the same form, just add an additional Button to clear the filter applied.