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Creating and Displaying Entities

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There are five steps to create and display an entity for data collection:

  1. Create the entity object.
  2. Create entity-scoped fields.
  3. Refresh the Configurable Joins Library.
  4. Create an entity widget form to collect data. Add your Custom List Fields within the Edit Properties menu.
  5. Embed the entity widget form in the location where you intend to collect the data.

 

Step One: Creating the Entity

To create the entity object:

  1. From the main navigation, select Database.
  2. Under Records and Datasets, select Entities.
  3. Click Insert. A popup appears.

  4. Configure the following settings:

    • Status: Active
    • Folder: Keep entities organized by placing them in a folder, or create a new one by selecting Other.
    • Name: Give the entity a memorable, descriptive name.
    • Scope Insert: Select the scope or scopes applicable to this entity. See the Entities Overview for more information.
  5. Click Save

Create_Entity.png

 

Step Two: Creating the entity-scoped fields

When creating an entity, all data points that should be stored will require custom fields to store them.

Considerations before creating an entity-scoped field:

    • Does this field need to store one value per entity entry, or multiple values?
    • Does the field include a predetermined list of values, or does it collect free text?
    • If storing multiple values, should new values be added to the field, or should the new values replace the previous ones?
    • Is this value you are trying to store something unique per entity entry?

To create entity-scoped fields:

  1. From the main navigation, select Database.
  2. Under Records and Datasets, select Fields.
  3. Click Insert. A popup appears.
  4. Configure the following settings:
    • Status: Active
    • Scope Category: Related
    • Scope: Select the new entity.
  5. Configure the remaining settings as necessary*.
  6. Click Save. Repeat for each field necessary for the entity.

Create_Entity-scoped_Fields.png

 

*Click here for a complete listing of all setting descriptions.

  Tip

Unique for Merging - Entities require a custom configuration to ensure that incoming entity data can match existing entity data. Wherever you collect this data, the unique for merging field should be included. Some examples of useful unique for merging fields include:

    • GUID of the entity row 
    • A unique ID (e.g., from an external system)
    • A Concatenate Field (e.g., data from two custom entity fields)

An entity-widget-scoped form can be used to collect entity data. Once configured, the entity widget-scoped form must then be added to either an application page-scoped form or a person page-scoped form.

Entity data can be collected on other types of forms by adding entity-scoped fields directly to the form or by using a replicate block.

 

Step Three: Refresh the Configurable Joins library 

To refresh the Configurable Joins library: 

  1. From the main navigation, select Database.
  2. Under Queries, click Refresh Configurable Joins Library.

 

Step Four: Creating an entity widget form

To create an entity widget form:

  1. From the main navigation, select Forms.
  2. Click New Form. A popup appears.  
  3. Click New Form. Configure the following settings:
    • Page Title: Add a name for the form.
    • Status: Confirmed/Active
    • Configure additional form settings as needed.
  4. Click Save.
  5. Select Edit Form.
  6. Select Edit Properties. A popup appears.
  7. Configure the following settings:
    • Scope: Entity Widget
    • Entity: Select the new entity.
    • Custom List Fields: Click Export. Select the entity-scoped fields you created earlier. These exports define the columns that appear on forms on which this form is embedded (like application pages). Add filters and sorts as needed.
  8. Click Save
  9. Use the form builder palette to populate the form with the entity-scoped fields. These fields should represent the data that should be collected and stored for each entity entry. For example, Scholarship field, Scholarship account, Scholarship approved, and Scholarship amount.

Create_Entity_widget_form.png

 

Step Five: Embedding the entity widget form

(Option 1 - Preferred): Embed an Entity Widget

With the entity form created, embed the form's widget in a custom tab or inside a Slate application:

  1. Navigate to the desired form page in Forms.
  2. Edit the form and select "Widget Table."
  3. Configure each setting* as necessary.
  4. Click Save.



*Click here for a complete listing of all setting descriptions.

(Option 2 ): Mapping Individual Fields on a Form Without a Widget

  1. Add a field from the form palette.
  2. Select the Entity in the System Field drop-down, and the entity-scoped field in the second System Field drop-down.
  3. Configure each setting as necessary.
  4. Continue this for any other field associated with the entity that you wish to collect/display.



*Click here for a complete listing of all setting descriptions.

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