Create a fixed repeating section

Why create a fixed repeating section?

You might want to design a form that allows a user to enter the same piece of data multiple times for the same item. For example, a user might need to record a subject's heart rate while the subject is sitting and then standing, at specified time intervals after the subject receives a drug.

To do this, you can create a fixed repeating section in Oracle Central Designer. A fixed repeating section is deployed to Oracle InForm as a Repeating Data itemset. For more information, see How can I use a fixed repeating section on a form?.

1. At the bottom of the Project Explorer, click the Visit Schedule () button.
2. Expand the visit with the form you want to add the section to, right-click the form, and select New Section.
3. Enter a title, RefName, and description, and click OK.

   Tip:

   We recommend adding the sections in the order you want them to appear on the form. However, if you need to reorder the sections, see Reorder the sections on a form.
4. Make sure the Design tab is selected.
5. In the upper-right above the grid, select the Fixed and Repeating checkboxes.

   Tip:

   To ensure that data is captured and maintained properly, do not change this setting after you have deployed your study. Instead, deactivate this study object and create a new object with the updated setting.
6. Next, create items in the section.
7. Do the following:

   Configure the fixed repeating section

   • Pre-requisites: Create an item on the section. For an item that you want to use as a fixed column in the section, do one of the following:
     • Create radio buttons on your item
     • Create checkboxes on your item
     • Create a drop-down list on your team
     1. In the upper-right above the section's table, click the Fixed Table icon (
        
        
        
        ).
     2. In the Edit Fixed Table dialog box, in the Define Fixed Columns section, select the items to use as the columns in the section. For example, if you want to record a subject's heart rate while the subject is sitting and then standing, at specified time intervals after the subject receives a drug, the fixed items might be:
        • Time point
        • Position
        • Heart rate

        A fixed item must:

        • Be a top level item with no nested items.
        • Be a text, integer, or float item.
        • Have a codelist with:
          • At least one codelist item defined. If the codelist has a defined subset, you can only select a codelist item in the subset.
          • A control type of radio button or pulldown.

          Note:

          You cannot mark all items in a fixed repeating section as fixed.
     3. Optionally, to view only fixed items in the fixed repeating section in the table, deselect Show non-fixed columns.
     4. Click Add Row.
     5. Optionally, to indicate that you do not want a user to enter data for a particular cell, right-click the cell and select Set as Blank.
     6. Optionally, to modify the rows, use the buttons on the right of the dialog box.
     7. Click OK.

   Choose the default view for the fixed repeating section

   1. In the upper-left corner of the application window, click Tools, and select Options.
   2. In the Environment section, click Fixed Repeating Section, and in the Default view type field, select one of the following:
      • Grid landscape—Short questions for top-level items are arranged horizontally across the top of the preview, and the labels for codelist items are laid out vertically for each fixed item.

        In the grid landscape view, blank cells have a gray background.

      • Portrait—Short questions for top-level items are laid out vertically, and the labels for codelist items are laid out horizontally for each fixed item.
   3. Click OK.

For more information, see:

• Configure a fixed repeating section
  
• Choose the default view for a fixed repeating section