A form is a window that displays information about an object in the database and that lets users view and edit the properties of that object. For example, an Incident form displays information about a selected incident in the database. A form represents a particular class or a combination of multiple classes (also known as a composite class or type projection) in the Service Manager database. Each field in a form represents a particular property of the class and is bound to that property.
By using the System Center Service Manager Authoring Tool, you can customize an existing form in a graphical form designer to match your organization’s processes and preferences. You can change the layout of controls on forms, add a new control such as a Text Box control or a Label control, and bind a control to a class property.
After you save the customized form, you can import the management pack with the customized form into Service Manager. When you initiate an operation that uses that form, the customized form is displayed.
Form Layout Controls
Form Layout controls are special controls that are used when editing and authoring forms in the authoring pane. These controls help when you are adding fields and are not visible in the deployed form. These controls become visible when you move the pointer over the form in the authoring pane. Some behavior, such as alignment and stretching, is determined by the Layout control that contains the field. For example, the Panel Layout control helps you work with groups of controls.
Highlighting that Help with Form Customization
As you move or resize a control on a form in the authoring pane, several colored lines and boxes are displayed to help you customize a control. The following list shows the purpose of each highlighted line and box.
- Light blue box—A control that is in focus is
highlighted by a light blue box that has handles at each corner.
You can click inside the box to drag the control to a different
location on the form, and you can use each handle to resize the
control.
- Horizontal and vertical green lines—When
moving or resizing a control, vertical and horizontal green lines
that stretch from the borders of the control are displayed. You can
use these lines to align the control with other controls on the
form.
- Yellow borderline—When dragging a control, a
yellow borderline indicates the parent container of the control.
For example, when you drag a Tab Item control, a yellow
borderline highlights its Tab Control parent.
- Light gray surface—When you drag a control
into a container, the container into which you plan to drop the
control is highlighted in light gray with a dashed line around it.
The control’s size and location will be relative to the container
that you drop it into.
The procedures in this section describe how to work with forms in the Authoring Tool.
In This Section
- Guidelines and Best Practices for Authoring Forms in the Authoring Tool
- Guidelines and best practices for authoring forms in the Authoring Tool.
- How to Browse a Form in the Authoring Tool
- Describes how to browse a form in the Authoring Tool.
- How to Customize a Form in the Authoring Tool
- Describes how to customize a form in the Authoring Tool.
- How to Create a New Form in the Authoring Tool
- Describes how to create a new form from scratch or from a custom WPF form, in the Authoring Tool.
- How to Add a Check Box Control to a Form in the Authoring Tool
- Describes how to add a Check Box control to a form in the Authoring Tool.
- How to Add a Date Picker Control to a Form in the Authoring Tool
- Describes how to add a Date Picker control to a form in the Authoring Tool.
- How to Add an Image Control to a Form in the Authoring Tool
- Describes how to add an Image control to a form in the Authoring Tool.
- How to Add a Label Control to a Form in the Authoring Tool
- Describes how to add a Label control to a form in the Authoring Tool.
- How to Add a List Picker Control to a Form in the Authoring Tool
- Describes how to add a List Picker control to a form in the Authoring Tool.
- How to Add a Panel Control to a Form in the Authoring Tool
- Describes how to add a Panel control to a form in the Authoring Tool.
- How to Add a Single Instance Picker Control to a Form in the Authoring Tool
- Describes how to add a Single Instance Picker control to a form in the Authoring Tool.
- How to Add Tab Control and Tab Item Controls to a Form in the Authoring Tool
- Describes how to add a Tab control and Tab Item controls to a form in the Authoring Tool.
- How to Add a Text Box Control to a Form in the Authoring Tool
- Describes how to add Text Box control to a form in the Authoring Tool.
- How to Add a User Picker Control to a Form in the Authoring Tool
- Describes how to add a User Picker control to a form in the Authoring Tool.
- How to Customize the Default Incident Form (Sample Scenario)
- Describes how to customize the Default Incident Form.