Customizing can be done in several different ways. It is important to consider all the alternatives available when deciding on a method to accomplish form customization. Choosing an approach that is part of the product is a better choice since released versions undergo rigorous quality assurance testing. Custom behavior can be added to forms using JavaScripts, which will accomplish the task but are not subjected to formal testing. These customizations should only be used under special situations and if there is no other way to customize the form to the requirements.

Here are some real world situations where a custom JavaScript can be used in a form. The Custom Java code can be added to the form using the Message Control or the custom.js file in a Theme. Refer to Customizing Behavior for more information.

On This Page:

Automatically format SSN

Your form has a text control requiring a Social Security number. The JavaScript below will automatically add the hyphens while the user is entering the SSN. Add SSN to the CSS Class property of the control to enable this JavaScript.

   var CustomEventHandlers = {
       setup: function (el) {
           if (CustomView.hasClass(el, 'SSN')) {
               FEvent.observe(el, 'keydown', this.formatSSN.bindAsObserver(this, el));
               FEvent.observe(el, 'keyup', this.formatSSN.bindAsObserver(this, el));
           }
       },
       formatSSN: function (event, element) {
           if (event.keyCode != 46 && event.keyCode != 8) {
               fldVal = $(element).value;
               var nom = fldVal.charAt(fldVal.length - 1);
               if (isNaN(nom) && nom != "-") {
                   $(element).value = fldVal.substring(0, fldVal.length - 1);
               } else {
                   if ((fldVal.length == 3) || (fldVal.length == 6)) {
                       $(element).value = fldVal + "-";
                   }
                   if (fldVal.length >= 11) {
                       $(element).value = fldVal.substring(0, fldVal.length - 1);
                   }
               }
           }
       }
   }

Correct the case of any text

Your form has a text field or a text area where you would like to automatically correct the case of any text entered in it. For example, if you would like to change "I LOVE TO TYPE IN ALL CAPS" to " I Love To Type In All Caps" while the user is entering it, the JavaScript for this would be written as:

var CustomEventHandlers = {
   setup: function (el) {
       if (CustomView.hasClass(el, 'CorrectCase')) {
           FEvent.observe(el, 'input', this.doCorrectCase.bindAsObserver(this, el));
       }
   },
   doCorrectCase: function (event, element) {
       var val = $(element).value;
       var str = val.toLowerCase();
       var spl = str.split(" ");
       var upstring = "";
       for (var i = 0; i < spl.length; i++) {
           try { //onkeypress will cause an error on first keypress
               upstring += spl[i][0].toUpperCase();
           } catch (err) {}
           upstring += spl[i].substring(1, spl[i].length);
           upstring += " ";
       }
       $(element).value = upstring.substring(0, upstring.length - 1);
   }
}

Add CorrectCase to the CSS Class property of the control to enable this JavaScript.

Limit selection of checkbox options

The JavaScript below will limit the choices to a maximum of three for a checkbox control in a form. Add limit3 to the CSS Class property of that control to enable this JavaScript.

var CustomEventHandlers = {
   setup: function (el) {
       if (CustomView.hasClass(el, 'limit3')) {
           FEvent.observe(el, 'click', this.checkboxlimit.bindAsObserver(this, el));
       }
   },
   checkboxlimit: function (evt, el) {
       var checkgroup = el.childrenWithClassName('input');
       var limit = 3;
       for (var i = 0; i < checkgroup.length; i++) {
           checkgroup[i].onclick = function () {
               var checkedcount = 0
               for (var i = 0; i < checkgroup.length; i++)
               checkedcount += (checkgroup[i].checked) ? 1 : 0
               if (checkedcount > limit) {
                   this.checked = false
                   for (var i = 0; i < checkgroup.length; i++)
                   (checkgroup[i].checked) ? checkgroup[i].disabled = false : checkgroup[i].disabled = true;
               } else {
                   for (var i = 0; i < checkgroup.length; i++)
                   checkgroup[i].disabled = false;
               }
           }
       }
   }
}

Scroll to Top

A Tab control with many fields in each tab, may require a long scroll to switch from one tab to another. You can use a trigger control at the bottom of the first tab with a business rule to navigate the user to the second tab when the trigger is clicked. For example, when you click on the Next Tab trigger control on the Personal Information tab in the Application for Employment form shown a business rule will navigate the user to the Employment History tab.

You can use following JavaScript to force the page to be scrolled to the top after switching to the second tab:

var CustomEventHandlers = {
   setup: function (el) {
       if (CustomView.hasClass(el, 'my-scroll')) {
           FEvent.observe(el, 'click', this.scrollTop.bindAsObserver(this, el));
       }
   },
   scrollTop: function (event, element) {
       document.getElementById("wrapper").scrollIntoView();
   }
}

Add my-scroll to the CSS Class property of the Trigger control which navigates the user to the second tab.

Allow only PDF attachments

You have an upload control in your form and you want to limit the type of documents allowed to PDF only. Use the following JavaScript to validate if the uploaded document has a .pdf extension, and remove it if it doesn't. Add onlyPDF to the CSS Class property of your Upload control to enable this JavaScript.

var CustomEventHandlers = {
   uploadEl: null,
   setup: function (el) {
       if (CustomView.hasClass(el, 'onlyPDF')) {
           this.uploadEl = el;
       }
       window.setTimeout('CustomEventHandlers.checkFile()', 3000); // set the initial timer
   },
   checkFile: function () {
       for (var i = 0; i < this.uploadEl.parentNode.childrenWithClassName('f-file-upload-file-name').length; i++) {
           if (!(/^.*\.(pdf|PDF)$/.test(this.uploadEl.parentNode.childrenWithClassName('f-file-upload-file-name')[i].getAttribute('title')))) {
               alert("Invalid file '" + this.uploadEl.parentNode.childrenWithClassName('f-file-upload-file-name')[i].getAttribute('title') + "' will be removed.");
               this.uploadEl.parentNode.childrenWithClassName('f-upload-file-list-delete')[i].click();
           }
       }
       window.setTimeout('CustomEventHandlers.checkFile()', 3000);
   }
}

Automatically submit a form

You have a new customer registration Form (A) that is normally forwarded to Forms B and C to complete the task. Users that are not registering for the first time, might skip Form B and go directly to form C. A workflow with a precondition that skips a step or a templatized value of a control to decide where the user should be forwarded using Business Rules are recommended approaches and should be considered. You can use following JavaScript to automatically submit a form when a control in the form contains some specific value (say “not-new”) in it. This JavaScript allows the user to bypass a form when it is not required

var CustomEventHandlers = {
   submitEl: null,
   setup: function (el) {
       if (CustomView.hasClass(el, 'conditional-submit')) {
           window.setTimeout('CustomEventHandlers.conditionalSubmit()', 2000);
           this.submitEl = el;
       }
   },
   conditionalSubmit: function () {
       var isValue = "not-new";
       if (this.submitEl.value == isValue) {
           SubmitView.doSubmit("Submit");
       }
   },
}

Add conditional-submit to the CSS Class property of the control whose value is to be compared.

Extra Submit button

The default theme applied when forms are created in has a submit button located at the end of the form. The forms designer lets you easily add additonal submit buttons in a special area at the end of a form. You can use the following JavaScript to display an extra submit button. Add a trigger control to your form and set auto-submit in the CSS Class property. Now you can use this trigger control as your Submit button and place it anywhere on your form.

var CustomEventHandlers = {
   submitEl: null,
   setup: function (el) {
       if (CustomView.hasClass(el, 'auto-submit')) {
           FEvent.observe(el, 'click', this.autoSubmit.bindAsObserver(this, el));
       }
   },
   autoSubmit: function (evt, el) {
       window.setTimeout('CustomEventHandlers.doAutoSubmit()', 2000);
   },
   doAutoSubmit: function () {
       SubmitView.doSubmit("Submit");
   }
}

Users expect the submit and cancel buttons to be located at the bottom of a form. Moving the location of the Submit control is not recommended.

Continue/Finish button on top of the flow

It is useful to have the Continue/Finish buttons at the top and bottom of lengthy forms in a workflow. The JavaScript below will display a Continue/Finish button on the top of your flow. Add a trigger control at the top of your form and set the CSS Class property to extra-submit. Now this trigger control will act as a Continue/Finish button also.

var CustomEventHandlers = {
   setup: function (el) {
       if (CustomView.hasClass(el, 'extra-submit')) {
           FEvent.observe(el, 'click', this.autoSubmit.bindAsObserver(this, el));
       }
   },
   autoSubmit: function (evt, el) {
       FlowView.getFlowButton().onclick();
   }
}

Prevent Session Timeout

Use the following JavaScript to prevent the browser session from timing out. For example, the tenant session timeout is set to 30 minutes. One of your forms takes a long time to fill causing idle periods greater than 30 minutes.

var sessionInterval = 1000 * 60 * 10; // milliseconds to minutes
var sessionRefreshURL = "/frevvo/web/login";

refreshFrevvoSession = function () {

   // make the request
   var xmlhttp;
   if (window.XMLHttpRequest) xmlhttp = new XMLHttpRequest(); // IE7+, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Safari
   else xmlhttp = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP"); // code for IE6, IE5
   xmlhttp.open("GET", sessionRefreshURL + "?sessionRefresh=" + new Date().getTime(), true);
   xmlhttp.send();

   // set the timer to run again
   setTimeout(refreshFrevvoSession, sessionInterval);
}
setTimeout(refreshFrevvoSession, sessionInterval); // set the initial timer

Auto Control Validation

has built-in validation that will instantaneously display an error message, a red asterisk and control background color when invalid values are entered. For Example, the Quantity control allows only whole numbers. An error message and a red asterisk will display and the background color of the control will change to red if a number with a decimal point is entered. The forms designer can restrict users from entering a value with a decimal point using JavaScript. The script below will automatically remove a decimal point from the field and the error message will not display. Similar logic can be used to implement instant validation on other control types as well.

var CustomEventHandlers = {
        setup: function (el) {
            if (CustomView.hasClass(el, 'onlyDigits')) {
                FEvent.observe(el, 'keydown', this.allowOnlyDigits.bindAsObserver(this, el));
                FEvent.observe(el, 'keyup', this.allowOnlyDigits.bindAsObserver(this, el));
            }
        },
        allowOnlyDigits: function (event, element) {
            fldVal = $(element).value;
            for (var i = 0; i < fldVal.length; i++) {
                var nom = fldVal.charAt(i);
                if (isNaN(nom)) {
                    $(element).value = fldVal.substring(0, i) + fldVal.substring(i + 1, fldVal.length);
                }
            }
        }
    }

Add onlyDigits in the CSS Class property of the Quantity control.

Custom JavaScript Examples