Folder Options in Custom Forms--Part1

Folder option is one of the good concepts available to reduce the Future customization in many custom Forms.Here i am putting basic functionality of
the folders and will try to put the simple steps to do them.
These thing are available in the metalink with a little search but i putting for ready reference...for technical people

Functions of the Folder

Folders provide the following functions to the user:

• Customizable display of retrieved data, including:

Columns to be displayed
Width of columns to be displayed
Sequence of columns
Prompts associated with columns
Record ordering (with some exceptions)

• Persistent storage of folder definitions
• Automatic rerun of a previously defined query
• Public and private access to persistent configurations
• Default configuration specification

In addition, system administrators can prevent users from creating or modifying folders by setting the profile option FOLDERS: ALLOW_CUSTOMIZATION to ’N’. This setting disables all folder functions (except opening a predefined folder) for individual users.

Actions in Folder Forms

Folder form allows the user to perform the following functions:

• New: Creates a new folder. The user must enter a new, unique (per entity and user) folder name. This function is not available at enter query mode.

• Open: Loads a previously defined folder. A user can select from a list of his own folders, and any public folders, for the current entity.

• Save/Save As: Saves the current folder. If it has never been saved then revert to ‘Save As’ functionality.

• Delete: Allows a user to delete any folder that they created for the current entity. If another user is referencing the folder as their default, that reference is deleted as well.

• Show Field: Opens an LOV displaying fields that can be shown and are not currently shown. Selecting a value adds the field after the current cursor position.

• Hide Field: Hides the current field. The cursor moves to the field sequenced after the field that was just hidden. By default, required fields cannot be hidden.

• Move Right: Swaps the current field with the one to its right.

• Move Left: Swaps the current field with the one to its left.

• Widen: Increases the width of the current field, up to a maximum size of 20 inches, in .2 inch increments.

• Shrink: Decreases the width of the current field, to a minimum size of 0.3 inches, in .2 inch increments.

• Auto Size: Sizes each stacked–canvas field based on a small sample of records within the block. Uses the prompt width to establish a minimum width. Lists are sized based on the elements they contain, and check boxes are sized based on the prompt only. This function is not available in ‘Enter Query’ mode.

• Show Order By: Allows the user to toggle the order by buttons on and off. When they are shown, the user can set the ordering of first three base-table items currently shown. Each column can be set to Ascending, Descending, or Exclude. The three settings are applied left–to–right when data is fetched and sorted.

• View Query: Allows the user to view the WHERE clause of the folder.

• Reset Query: Clears the current WHERE clause. Similar to New, except that the current folder name and all of its definitions are retained.

Following are the feature which developer can customize:

• Developers can disable all folder functions independently. For instance, a developer could create a folder that prevents the user from moving fields, setting the ordering, and specifying that a folder can autoquery upon being opened.

• Developers can use the folder technology to lay out a block, but not expose any folder functions to the user.

• Developers can prevent users from hiding specific fields. This allows including mandatory fields in enterable blocks (mandatory fields should always appear).

• Most of the folder form functionality customization is done in user defined trigger ‘Folder Return Action‘ which comes with folder form template.

Behavior of a Folder Block

• Instead of boilerplate text, the prompts are actually display items in a single row block. The prompts are all painted on a single line.

• The initial settings of the prompts drive the layout of the Default Screen, including item width and tabbing sequence.

• Some field properties, including widths, X–positions, and prompts are set at runtime. Any values that remain static while the form is run are the responsibility of the developer. These include visual attributes, Y–positions, etc.

• The descriptive flexfield must exist on the stacked canvas, rather than the content or fixed canvas where it is always visible, so that the user can resize, move, and label it as needed.