Substitutes for Entry Forms

Sometimes you might need a faster way to access particular information in the system—such as the contacts of a particular vendor or the list of customers. Generally in MYOB Acumatica, you can access such information by opening the corresponding data entry or maintenance form and clicking the magnifier icon in the appropriate box; the list of records then opens in the pop-up window. This sequence of events, however, may not give you the information you need quickly enough. The data entry and maintenance forms are convenient for entering new data, but once you have entered most data, you may have a greater need to instead view the list of records created on the data entry form.

In MYOB Acumatica, you can create a generic inquiry or custom form that presents the data of a data entry or maintenance form (which is called the entry form in this context) in a tabular format. The generic inquiry or custom form that you create is called the substitute form in this context. Once you have created the substitute form, you can replace the entry form with it. Thus, when you click the name of the entry form in the navigation pane, you will access the substitute form that contains the list of records. When you click a record name in the list, the entry form (data entry or maintenance) will open.

Configuring a Generic Inquiry to Be Used as a Substitute Form

To configure a generic inquiry to be used as a substitute form, select the entry form, configure the list of records to be displayed on the substitute form, and then select the place of the form on the site map. You use the Generic Inquiry (SM208000) form to configure an inquiry. For an example of configuring a generic inquiry, see Generic Inquiry as a Substitute Form: To Configure an Inquiry as an Entry Point.

For details on configuring a generic inquiry to be used as a substitute form, see Making a Generic Inquiry a Substitute Form.

Configuring a Custom Form to Be Used as a Substitute Form

With MYOB Acumatica, you can design your own custom forms that you can use to replace the entry forms. Each substitute form must include fields that are mapped to the key fields of the corresponding entry form. For more information on designing custom forms, see To Develop a Custom Form.

When the custom form is ready, you match the form to the corresponding entry form (that is, specify the entry form that will be replaced with the custom form) by using the Lists as Entry Points (SM208500) form. For details of configuring such a custom form to be used as a substitute form, see To Replace an Entry Form with a Custom Form.

Accessing Substitute Forms

In MYOB Acumatica, every form has its own level of access that you can configure by using the Access Rights by Screen (SM201020) form. You can change the level of access to the entry and substitute forms independently of each other. However, when a substitute form replaces the corresponding entry form, the substitute form inherits the level of access the users have to the entry form. Thus, to change the level of access users have to the substitute form, you change the level of access to the entry form.

If required, you can cancel the replacement, which involves configuring the system to direct users to the entry form (instead of the substitute form) when they try to open the entry form in the navigation pane; canceling the replacement does not involve deleting forms. If you cancel the replacement, the level of access to the substitute form reverts to the initial state (that is, the level of access the substitute form had before you used it to replace an entry form).

Replacing the Entry Form with the Substitute Form

After you have configured a substitute form, you match the substitute form to the corresponding entry form (that is, specify the substitute form that will replace the entry form), with each pair of entry and substitute forms taking its own row on the Lists as Entry Points (SM208500) form.

You can activate or cancel the replacement of any entry form in the list any time you want. Canceling the replacement does not remove the form pair from the list. For details of activating and canceling the replacement of an entry form, see To Activate the Replacement of an Entry Form and To Cancel the Replacement of an Entry Form.

If you delete the row containing the entry form and the corresponding substitute form, you remove the matching between the forms; the replacement is canceled, but the forms are not deleted.

Defining the Way the Users Locate Entry and Substitute Forms in the Navigation Pane

When you configure the substitute form or at a later time, you define the way users can locate this form. The following ways are available:

• You place the substitute form in the Hidden folder of the site map and replace the entry form with the substitute form. A user accesses the substitute form by clicking the name of the entry form in the navigation pane. The entry form opens when the user selects a record or creates a new record on the substitute form.
• You place the substitute form in any folder on the site map except the Hidden folder and you do not replace the entry form with the substitute form. A user accesses the substitute form by clicking its name in the navigation pane, and the user accesses the entry form by clicking its name in the navigation pane.
• You place the substitute form in the Hidden folder on the site map and you do not replace the entry form with the substitute form. A user won't be able to access the substitute form at all. The user accesses the entry form by clicking its name in the navigation pane.

You can see the list of entry forms and the corresponding substitute forms, review and edit the locations of the forms in the list, check which entry forms are replaced with substitute forms, and toggle the replacement by using the Lists as Entry Points (SM208500) form.

Saving a Substitute Form to a Customization Project

After you configured a substitute form, you can save it to a customization project.

To save a customization form which is generic inquiry, perform the same steps you do to include a generic inquiry to a customization project. For details, see To Add a Generic Inquiry to a Project.

If a substitute form is a custom form, it is already a part of customization project. For the list of customization items which define a custom form, see Custom Form.