1. Working with Oracle Smart View for Office
  2. Data Forms
  3. Flex Forms
  4. Working with Flex Forms in Smart View

Working with Flex Forms in Smart View

With flex forms, you can rearrange row and column dimensions, sort them, and insert valid members or aliases from corresponding dimensions.

Perform a refresh prior to submitting data in the modified form Smart View. Upon refresh, invalid members, comments, and empty rows or columns are removed and the Submit Data button is enabled.

To work with a flex form:

  1. Connect to a data source.
  2. In the Smart View Panel, double-click a flex form (indicated by Flex form icon).

    You can also right-click the flex form you want to open, and then select Open flex form.

  3. Modify the data as per your requirements.

    For example, some actions you may perform are:

    • Rearrange or move row and column members
    • Insert rows and columns
    • Add members. You can add members using Member Selection (on the provider ribbon) or hand-typing member names.
    • Sort rows and columns using the Sort button on the Excel Data ribbon
    • Filter on row and column members or data using the Sort & Filter on the Excel Home ribbon or the Filter button on the Excel Data ribbon
    • Sort row and column members using the Sort & Filter button on the Excel Home ribbon, the Sort button on the Excel Data ribbon, or the filter on the form
    • Run a business rule from the provider ribbon or from an action menu
    • Right-click a member or data cell to access the Smart View context menu; applicable commands for the cell are available on the menu
    • Delete rows and columns

    Note:

    • The Submit Data button is disabled when you edit row members. Filtering is not considered editing; if you only add filters, you may still submit data.

    • In the Smart View Options dialog, Formatting tab, the Repeat Member Labels is required to be enabled for flex forms. You may attempt to clear the check box, but upon refresh, the check box will again be selected and the Repeat Member Labels option will be enabled.

    • The operations you can perform on rows and columns depend on the selections made during form definition. To perform operations on rows, the Enable flex form on rows option must be selected. To perform actions on columns, the Enable flex forms on columns option must be selected. These options are described in Setting Smart View Form Options in Administering Planning.

  4. Optional: To retain added members on a flex form after a POV or user variable change:
    1. In the Smart View ribbon, click Options.
    2. In the Options dialog, select the Member Options tab.
    3. Select Flex Forms: Preserve Grid on POV and User Variable Changes.

      Note:

      If this option is not selected, any added rows or columns in the flex form will be removed upon a POV or user variable change.

    4. Optional: Add or delete members in the flex form, and click Refresh.
    5. Perform these tasks as you require:
      • Change a POV member and click Refresh
      • Change a user variable; the flex form refreshes automatically.

      Your modified members are retained. You can now enter and submit data against the modified POV and user variables in any of the members in the flex form, including any newly-added members.

    6. Optional: Change the POV or any user variable again and refresh, and then continue entering data against the updated POV and user variables.
  5. Optional: If your Service Administrator has enabled the Show invalid members on flex form option when designing the form:
    1. Add the rows, columns, or both, as you require.
    2. Type or copy member names into the new rows, columns, or both.
    3. Click Refresh.

      Any invalid member cells are highlighted and #InvalidMember is displayed in the corresponding data cells.

    4. Review the invalid member cells and correct any mistyped or missing members, and then click Refresh.
    5. Repeat the previous step until all invalid members are corrected.

    For more information, see Retaining Invalid Members on Flex Forms.

  6. Optional: Right-click a cell in the form and, from the context menu, select Smart View, and then select a provider action menu item:
    • To run a business rule, select the name of the busines rule.
    • To open a flex form or simple form, select the form to open.

    In flex forms, only the above actions are supported on action menus.

    Note:

    Action menu options may differ depending on the member or data cell you select. The selections available depend on the form definition.
  7. Click Refresh.

    On refresh, Oracle Smart View for Office maintains modifications and removes invalid members from the form.

    Note:

    The Submit Data button is enabled only after the refresh. However, the modified form layout is not stored on the server; it is maintained only in the context of the current session.

  8. To submit changed data, in the provider ribbon, click Submit Data.

    Note:

    The Submit Data button is enabled only after refresh.

  9. To revert to the original flex form layout, reopen the flex form.

    The modified form is not stored on the server; it is maintained only in the context of the current session. Reopening the flex form reverts the flex form layout to its original state.