Designer

Multiple views can be created to support alternative sort and filter expressions. If the views have the same data field configuration, then it is possible to create “empty” views that reference a shared base view.

Let’s create several views in the Customers data controller. Start the Project Designer. In the Project Explorer, switch to the Controllers tab. Right-click on Customers / Views node, and select New View.

Give this view the following properties:

Press OK to save the view. In the Project Explorer, right-click on Customers / Views node and select New View.

Configure the view:

Press OK to save the view. The Project Explorer window should look like the picture below.

On the toolbar, press Browse.

When the application loads in the browser window, navigate to the Customers page. On the action bar, activate the View dropdown and select Customers from USA. The view inherits data fields from the base view, grid1. Only customers from USA are displayed.

The Customers from UK view also inherits the same data field set, but filters to only customers from the UK.

If the base view of grid1 is modified, then the views will change accordingly.

Switch back to the Project Designer. In the Project Explorer, right-click on Customers / Views / grid1 / Postal Code data view node, and select Delete option.

Confirm the operation. In the Project Explorer, right-click on Customers / Views / grid1 view node, and click New Data Field option.

Assign the Field Name for the data field:

Press OK to save the data field. On the toolbar, click the Browse option.

Navigate to the Customers page. The default grid1 view will no longer have Postal Code column, and will now have Fax column at the right.

On the right side of the action bar, activate the View dropdown and select Customers from USA. This view shows the same set of data fields as grid1.

The same data field configuration applies to Customers from UK view.

Lookup fields, when activated, display a view to allow the users to select an item. By default, the first grid view in the controller is used. Let’s create and use an alternate view for the CustomerID lookup field in the Orders controller.

Start the Project Designer. In the Project Explorer, switch to the Controllers tab. Right-click on Customers / Views and select New View option.

Configure the new view with the following values:

Press OK to save the view.

Next, add all data fields that exist in grid1 except Country. In the Project Explorer, right-click on Customers / Views / grid2 node, and select New Data Field option.

Specify the field name for the data field:

Press OK to save the data field. Create the rest of the data fields:

On the toolbar, press Browse. When the application starts in the web browser, navigate to Orders page. Edit a record, and activate the lookup for Customer Company Name.

The lookup window will display Customers (grid1) view. Click on the View dropdown on the right side of the action bar and select Customers from USA. The view grid2 will be displayed, showing only customers from USA. There will not be a Country column.

Let’s configure Orders.CustomerID lookup field to use grid2 by default. Switch back to the Project Designer. Double-click on Orders / Fields / CustomerID field node.

Change the Items Data View property:

Press OK to save the field. To prevent users from selecting Customers from USA view on other pages, let’s remove the view from the view selector.

In the Project Explorer, double-click on Customers / Views / grid2 view node.

Prevent the view from showing up in the view selector:

Press OK to save the view. On the toolbar, select Browse. Navigate to the Orders page, and edit a record. Activate the Customer Company Name lookup. The grid2 view will be displayed.