LCS - Kuali Forms Tips and Tricks

• Validation Gadget with Checklist
• Creating multiple page forms
• Using the Repeater Gadget
• Viewing Attachments on a submitted Form
• Using the Data Lookup (List) Gadget for UW Users
• Using the Submitted By and Read-only Data gadgets
• Using the Data Lookup (List) Gadget for lists from other Kuali applications
• Enhanced logic for conditional visibility of sections or gadgets
• Additional Kuali-related kb articles

Validation Gadget with Checklist

1. If you need a single checklist to be completed by one user.
   1. Create an Office Use Only section that is editable when it reaches the workflow step for that user.
   2. Add the checkboxes into the form.
   3. Add a validation gadget if you want all checkboxes to be checked prior to completing the overall task. (If different users can complete all checkboxes, then adding separate tasks to the workflow will be needed for each checkbox).

   

Kuali documentation about the Validation Gadget

Creating multiple page forms

1. To eliminate a large amount of scrolling for long forms for users or if there are multiple types of users/roles breaking a form into multiple pages may help with navigation.
2. Use the Turn top-level sections into pages under Form Settings  
3. Each non-Office Use section will then become a separate page and the form submitter will be able to step through the pages as seen on the left of the screenshot

Kuali Form Design guide

Kuali Form Settings information

Using the Repeater Gadget

If the submitter needs to answer the same data fields multiple times e.g. same information collected for different people (name, type of employee, department, etc.) a repeater field can be used. Depending on how you plan on using this gadget, the following has been noted:

1. Gadgets already on the form can’t be pulled into the repeater gadget. Pull the repeater gadget into the form first and then pull other gadgets from the left side into the repeater gadget area.
2. Repeater fields can't be used in calculations/conditionals. Although there's an exception, if the calculation field or gadget conditional is within a repeater, fields in that same repeater are selectable options. (i.e. If in the same "row", the form builder can add Quantity * Price equals Total as 3 fields, but no calculations can be done across rows).
3. There isn't a way to evaluate/compare multiple "rows" in a repeater. Similar to calculations, comparisons can't be done across rows. Depending on the use case, there is the option to use multiple form submissions/versions and compare.
4. A repeater gadget can’t be nested inside a repeater. Therefore, one row of data can't have multiple rows of additional data within it. For example, repeater rows won't let the user first enter a department name (department 1) and then list people from that department, then go back and enter another department (department 2) with people belonging to department 2.
5. Limit selectable dates currently does not work for repeater, however, it is assumed that this will be coming.

Kuali Repeater Gadget documentation

Using Repeaters in Workflows

Viewing Attachments on a submitted Form

If the form has the File Upload or Image Upload gadget included and the submitter uploaded an attachment during the submission process, Workflow Task Owners and Workflow Approvers are able to download and view the attachments. The submitter or application administrator may also want an easy way to see and download the attachments. The following explains how.

1. Anytime the Workflow Task Owner or Workflow Approver sees the filename of the attachment in bold, they can download it to their computer and open it from that point. 
2. As a Task Owner, there are tasks in my Action List
3. Selecting Action List, the Task Owner sees a list of actions and selects one by clicking on it

4. When the Task Owner clicks on the task, they can see attachment in bold. Even if they only have View Only access, they can now download the attachment to view it.  

5. The Submitter or Application Administrator may also want an easy way to see and download the attachments.
   1. The attachments are NOT viewable from the My Documents list
   2. Instead, with proper permissions, if they open the application and go to the Documents tab
   3. Add the attachment column to the view by selecting the form field pertaining to the attachment
   4. The submitter and application administrators will be able to download any of the bolded filenames in the list to view it.

Kuali documentation on adding columns to the view

Using the Data Lookup (List) Gadget for UW Users

All UW-Madison staff are known as Kuali People, so instead of using a free text field use the Data Lookup (List) gadget. By using this gadget, misspellings and iterations of names and emails can be elimintated.

1. Select and drag the Data Lookup (List) gadget from the Advanced area into your form.
2. Select Data Source as Kuali People as seen in the highlighted box.
3. Then other fields such as NetID (i.e. Username) and email address of the person is already available to be pulled into the form by adding linked auto-filled gadgets.

Using the Submitted By and Read-only Data gadgets

Kuali already knows who the submitter of the form is as long as the form is not available to Anonymous users. (i.e. the form is available to authenticated users or a defined group of users)  just by being logged in. Therefore, there is no need to ask for the submitter's contact information. If the submitter's contact information is needed on the form for some reason, it is recommended to use the Submitted By and Read-only Data gadgets so the submitter doesn't need to fill them in.

1. Select and drag the Submitted By and Read-only Data gadgets onto the form. 
2. Submitted By gadget will automatically display the display name (i.e. typically first name and last name) of the submitter.
3. For the Read-only Data gadget, the gadget/data source will need to be selected. As seen in the screenshot, selecting System Metadata and Submitter - Username, this field will now display the user's netID.

Using the Data Lookup (List) Gadget for lists from other Kuali applications

Kuali provides the ability to build lists of items, such as departments in one application, that can then be shared with multiple other applications. Therefore, the application administrator can update the list once and/or add attributes about the department (e.g. cost center, preferred abbreviation, etc.) and that information can be proliferated to the other applications. 

1. Set up a List application
   1. Create a form, such that each main value (e.g. department) in the list is on a separate form. Other attributes about that same value (e.g. department cost center) should also be on the same form as the main value.
   2. In Form Settings, select the appropriate field/gadget in the Form Title Field as the main value (e.g. department)
   3. Publish and fill out one form for each main value.
   4. Under Data Sharing either share this list application with all applications or specific applications that can be found by typing in the application name.
2. Use the data list in another application
   1. Select the Data Lookup (List) gadget from the Advanced area into your form.
   2. Find the application list as the data source
   3. Select which data from the list application form that should appear
   4. The main value (e.g. department) as indicated above as the Form Title Field will be what the submitter searches on in the new form.
      1. NOTE: If the list of main values (e.g. departments) is over 25 (i.e. more than 25 departments) the submitter must type in 4 letters into the gadget to completion match on values lower in the list alphabetically.
         1. For example, to find Zoology in a list of departments, the submitter needs to type in "Zool" for the application to provide choices including Zoology, which can then be selected.
   5. Fields related to the main value (e.g. department cost center), can be added to the form by toggling on Add linked auto-filled gadgets and then drag and dropping the fields listed below onto the form.

Enhanced logic for conditional visibility of sections or gadgets

Kuali has introduced the ability to use the AND/OR logic when utilizing a section or gadget when setting "change visibility based on other fields" rules so the application administrator can utilize All of the following are true and One of the following is true instead of using nested logic. 

See this Kuali documentation for more information.

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Additional Kuali-related kb articles

LCS - Kuali Permissions Tips and Tricks

LCS - Kuali - How and When to Use Blueprints vs. Groups vs. Roles