Action

The Action field is a versatile tool designed to carry out tasks for the user. Frequently, it assists with navigation, especially on mobile platforms where the left pane menu is not immediately visible. It can be used to close records, direct users to external URLs, go to parent records etc.

Beyond navigation assistance, the Action field can be employed to trigger Workflow Actions, create child records, copy records etc.

Not limited to Templates, Action fields also find use in List Reports or Dashboards, enhancing functionality in Report or Homepage contexts. Their adaptability makes them a valuable asset in optimizing user experiences such as opening pops in tables.

• Examples
• Basic Information
• Action Configuration
• Confirm Message
• Action Display Options

Examples

 

Basic Infomation

To see more on the Basic Information, please click here

 

Action Configuration

This is where you will configure what the Action will perform when clicked. You can choose from the below:

• Add Child Record
• Close Record
• Go to Child App
• Got to Parent Record
• Open URL
• Trigger Workflow
• Copy Record
• Copy Record as Template
• Open Pop-Up Template

Note: Only the relevant options will show depending on what action can be used in your app's current configuration. For example, if you don't have a child app, you will not see the 'Go To Child App' option.

Add Child Record: This option lets you choose the 'Child App' for which the button will create a new Record. Upon clicking the button, the 'Add' screen for the specified Child App appears. The newly created record is automatically linked to the parent record from which it originated. After completion, click the back button at the top left of the screen to return to the parent record or alternatively, you can use the 'Go To Parent Record' Action.

 

Close Record: This action mimics the back button found at the top of the screen, effectively closing the record. Not all users may find the back button intuitive, hence the addition of a dedicated close button can make it clearer that they have closed the record and have not just navigated to a different screen.

 

Go To Child App: This feature enables users to navigate to a Child Application to update data, emulating the action of clicking on the Linked App in the left pane menu. Ensure you have selected the desired Child App to which users will be redirected. This action pairs well with the 'Go To Parent Record' function.

 

Go To Parent Record: This action is the counterpoint of 'Go To Child Record' and allows users to swiftly return after navigating to a Child App and opening a Child Record. For instance, when viewing a Company (Parent) Record and then checking Contacts for that Company, this function enables users to return to the Company Record, saving them from the extra navigational steps of looking through the app Launch Pad to the report to the record.

 

Open URL: Allows you to send users to a URL on a click of the button. This can be to another app on the site or an eternal URL with helpful information for the user. There are configurable options that allow you to choose whether or not to open the URL in the same tab or in a new one, make sure to think about this carefully as if you open in the same tab you might make the user lose their place on the record if they are in the middle of working 

• Action URL: Input the desired URL. The full URL is required for external sites, while a relative URL will suffice for pages within the site. For example, domain.on.softools.net/App/Main/Project, anything after .net is part of the relative URL.
• Open URL in New Tab: You can decide whether to open the URL in a new tab or in the tab that is currently open, depending on your users' needs. These are great for sending users to support links and external company sites.

 

Trigger Workflow: This button action can initiate a Workflow. Ensure the desired Workflow to be triggered is selected. Remember, the workflow will only execute if the Workflow Trigger criteria are also met. This action can be used to automate processes like sending a report or marking items as complete.

• Workflow Node to Trigger: Choose from the different workflow nodes that you are able to trigger. These are workflow nodes that have the button clicked at their trigger.

 

Copy Record: This feature is especially useful when a Record can serve as a standard template or when several Fields frequently need to contain identical data. The 'Copy Record' Action field replicates the same 'Copy' function accessible within a Record via the action menu but offers a more streamlined alternative that can be located on the Record itself.

• Link to Parent Record?: Choose whether you would like the record being copied to be linked to the parent record the orginal is linked to or to be stand alone
• Show Record Copy Options Dialogue?: When copying the record, if selected, this box will appear before hand giving the user the options below to choose themself.
• Copy Notes?: Select if there are notes fields with data you would like to copy
• Copy Comments?: Select if there are comments on the record you would like to be copied
• Copy Attatchments?: Select if there are likely to be attachments on the records you would like to be copied
• Copy History: Choose this if you would like the record history of the orginal record to also be record on the new one.

 

Copy Record As Template: This action is similar to 'Copy Record', but the copied Record will omit data from any Fields that have 'Exclude This Field From Templated Record Copies' activated.

 

Open Record: This action lets you set you own action for opening a record in a report. This can be useful in a few cases. The first being to improve UX for users struggling to navigate the Softools platform and don't know how to click through to a record, you can now create a custom image that indicates this to them more clearly. The second can be when you've set the record open button to now be a open popup button, this open record button can allow you to give them the option to still open the full record from the report if needed.

 

Open Pop-Up Template: This action empowers you to launch a custom pop-up template from a report. This function facilitates quick data viewing and simplified edits directly from a report, circumventing the need to click into the record, navigate to the form and template, and then return to the report. It's particularly useful for accessing information templates or updating templates that are frequently accessed from a report, thus enhancing efficiency and usability.

• Popup Template: Choose from different templates you have available to you in your app to appear in the popup, these are only form-level templates that can be selected.
• Popup Hide Open Record: Choose whether to hide the option to open the full record that appears in the top right corner when opening the popup
• Popup Hide Navigation: Choose whether to hide the navigation arrows that allow you to move through records while in the popup screen

 

Confirm Message

• Show Confirm Message: This option allows you to set a custom confirm message when opening a popup template.
• Message: This is what you would like the message to say. for example - 'Selecting this will send an email to the project manager, are you sure you wish to continue?' 
• Buttons: This gives you a few options to what the user can select after seeing the message to continue or go back

 

Action Display Options

Size: Choose from four variations to resize the button depending on the use case and achieve the optimum user experience:

• Small (initial size is 3 rem wide)
• Medium (initial size is 6 rem wide)
• Large (initial size is 12 rem wide)
• Full - This will display the image in its original dimensions. If the width of the screen space available is smaller than the original image size then the button will scale down to fit the maximum with available.

Note on the widths above - they are subject to change, and relate to the width of the image - there is no height specified when the image is displayed

 

Image: The button will appear as the image that is uploaded in this section. This can either be a link to a URL if the image has its source online or it can be an Asset that has been uploaded to your Site.

Use the 'Upload New Asset' Feature to upload a new Asset to use for the Action field as desired.

 

Text/Icon: Here you can choose to have the action triggered based on clicking a section of text, this can be useful when you can't fit all the information you want on the image button. You have the option to choose the orientation of the text and icon. The text comes from what the label of the field is and the Icon is always defaulted to a small square.

Make sure to click the 'Save' button when making any changes in order for them to be added to the next app version. Once you have made all the changes you need to an application you are then ready to publish it to workspace.