Manage Data Columns
Controls are configured with data columns, which contain the data that will be displayed. Data columns are located in the control at the position defined by the column and row value for the column.
The set of data columns available for use in a control will be either:
- Static columns that display hard-coded values
- Data columns linked to the control’s data link
Formatting of data should be done in the data link’s SQL statement itself, as there are no data formatting options at this stage in the process.
When configuring data columns in ontrack Designer, you can:
To add a single data column:
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Select the control you want to add a column to from the Page Details section of the screen.
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Click the Add Column button on the System Configuration Commands ribbon.
The column will be added to the control.
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Enter the details of the column in the Column Details section.
The fields in the Column Details section are described in the following table.
This field | Holds this information... |
---|---|
Visible Extra Small | Whether the control will display when viewed on an extra small phone. |
Visible Small | Whether the column will display when viewed on a phone. |
Visible Medium | Whether the column will display when viewed on a tablet. |
Visible Large | Whether the column will display when viewed on a PC. |
Required Licence | This field is not applicable. |
Is Static Text | Whether the column holds a hard-coded value. |
Display Text | If Is Static Text is set, the text that displays in the data column. |
Small Device Text | If Is Static Text is set, the text that displays in the data column on a tablet or phone. |
Type |
The type of column. Select from either Text or Image. Selecting Text will display two extra fields at the bottom of the section.
Selecting Image will display three extra fields at the bottom of the section.
|
Header Type | The size of the header for the column. |
Web Service Field |
The REST service field to write-back to the relevant REST service (that is: updates to the selected field will call the appropriate REST service). Select from the drop-down list. Note: This field is controlled by the OntrackWriteback licence. If the licence is not enabled, the Web Service Field field is greyed out. |
Style | The visual style that will be applied to the data column. |
HTML Classes |
The HTML classes to use so you can apply your own CSS styles to elements and display an institution-specific theme. Note: Multiple styles can be applied by adding a space between them (for example: alignleft smallfont). |
Editable | Whether fields in the column can be edited. |
Required | Whether fields in the column must have a value set in it. |
Always Send to Web Service | Whether to force data to the web service as part of the write-back process. |
Hide the column if the contents are empty | Whether the column will be hidden if there is no data to display. |
Exclude this column from being exported | Whether to exclude a column in a grid from an export. |
Full Width | Whether to set the column to full width. |
Hint Text | The mouse-over hint text for the field. |
Show on-screen help icon | Whether the mouse-over hint text appears over the field or by showing the help icon. |
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Click Save.
The column is linked to the control.
Columns can be generated automatically based on the columns in the SELECT clause in the SQL data link.
To add multiple data columns to a control, select the control and click the Generate Columns button in the System Configuration Commands ribbon.
This will then add a column for each of the distinct fields from the SQL in the data link.
Note: This button will only become available when you select a control that is linked to a data link.
To delete a data column, select the column you want to delete from the Page Details section and click the Delete Column(s) button on the System Configuration Commands ribbon.
The column will be deleted.
The Navigation Link field, displayed in the right-hand pane of the Column Details section, enables you to set whether the column will take the user away from the screen they are currently on. You can select from the following options:
The Link to Another Screen option enables you to set the column to take the user to another screen.
The Link to Another Screen option consists of the following fields.
This field | Holds this information... |
---|---|
Screen Name | The screen the link will go to. |
Auto Redirect | If there is only one record returned from the navigation then that record will be opened automatically. |
Hint Text | The mouse-over hint text for the link. |
The Link to an External URL option enables you to set the column to take the user to an external website outside of ebs.
The Link to an External URL option consists of the following fields.
This field | Holds this information... |
---|---|
URL |
The external URL the link will go to when the user clicks it. It is possible to configure parameters to display in the query string to the external URL. For example: the following values would pass postcode values to the Google Maps website:
|
Modal Popup |
Will open the URL in the current screen, disabling the current screen. This only functions when:
|
Open In Same Window | Whether to open the link in the same browser window. |
Hint Text | The mouse-over hint text for the link. |
Source | Allows you to enter parameter strings to the URL field. Select from the drop-down list and then click the relevant Add button(s) from the Columns grid. |
The Link to Reports option enables you to set the column to take the user to a report that has been created in the ebs Reports Cradle.
The Link to Reports option consists of the following fields.
This field | Holds this information... |
---|---|
Report | The report that will be opened. |
Report Type | The file type in which the report will be output. |
Hint Text | The mouse-over hint text for the link. |
The Link to a Document option enables you to set the column to take the user to a document stored in ebs.
The Link to a Document option consists of the following fields.
This field | Holds this information... |
---|---|
Document ID | The document ID of the document stored. |
Hint Text | The mouse-over hint text for the link. |
You can configure commonly-used reference data drop-downs onto an editable screen without the need for a separate data link in ontrack Designer.
To configure a drop-down column:
- Copy the required page.
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In the Page Details pane, select the field you want to configure.
- In the Column Details pane, complete the following fields:
- In the Data field, select the required column type from the drop-down field.
- In the Lookup Param 1-3 fields, enter the relevant parameter(s).
- Select the Editable check box.
Note: Verifier data that returns code and description is shown here, and these column types are set up and managed in Screen Manager.
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Click Save.
The configured field will display a drop-down list with the relevant column data in ebs: ontrack Hub or ebs: ontrack Learner Hub.
You can configure a column to filter based on the value selected in another column in ontrack Designer.
Note: This configuration is used on the Learner Destinations page in ebs: ontrack Hub where the Outcome Type column is filtered by the selection from the Funding Year column.
The following example shows three data links added and a search control with three drop-downs.
The naming of the data link columns enables the filtering of the values selected, with the Code used as the code to store and the Description used as the description to display, as follows:
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Column one
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Column two
A third column can then be used and if this is named the same as one of the other controls, the data is filtered by the selected value in that column. If there is no selected column, then the related drop-down is greyed out.
Note: The additional column cannot start with DATA_ or be named CODE or DESCRIPTION.
When the changes are saved, the column is filtered on the value selected in another column.
You can configure whether to display a confirmation message for a submit option after a successful action in ebs: ontrack Hub or ebs: ontrack Learner Hub (for example: when uploading a document).
To configure off a confirmation message:
- Copy the required page.
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In the Page Details pane, select the required submit option.
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In the Column Details pane, select the Suppress Message on Success check box.
Note: If an operation fails for any reason, an error message will continue to be displayed regardless of the setting.
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Click Save.
The confirmation message will not be displayed if a save is successful on selecting the submit option in ebs: ontrack Hub or ebs: ontrack Learner Hub.