Use Case Guide: Forms

Documentation Index

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Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

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Quick Reference

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✅ When to Use Forms:

• You need to collect data from users
• Data is captured one time (form submission)
• You need validation, conditional logic, or workflows
• You need form submissions tracked over time
• You need surveys, assessments, or reports

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❌ When NOT to Use Forms:

• You need a new entity type to track over time → Use Custom Objects (PF-24)
• You need to extend an existing entity → Use Custom Fields (PF-16)
• You need to control existing entity forms → Use Entity Field Configuration (PF-17)
• You need entity CRUD operations → Use Custom Objects (PF-24)

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Decision Tree

I need to collect data
│
├─► Is this a one-time submission?
│   │
│   ├─ Yes → Does it need workflow/approval?
│   │   │
│   │   ├─ Yes → Use Form Builder (FW-01) ✔
│   │   │   with Automation Engine (FW-03)
│   │   │
│   │   └─ No → Use Form Builder (FW-01) ✔
│   │
│   └─ No → Do you need CRUD operations on records?
│       │
│       ├─ Yes → Use Custom Objects (PF-24)
│       │
│       └─ No → Is this extending existing entity?
│           │
│           ├─ Yes → Use Custom Fields (PF-16)
│           │
│           └─ No → Use Custom Objects (PF-24)

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What Are Forms?

• Multiple field types (text, number, date, select, file, signature, etc.)
• Validation rules
• Conditional logic (show/hide fields)
• Multi-page layouts (FW-05)
• Workflow integration (FW-03)
• Submission tracking and analytics (PF-09)

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Common Use Cases

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Use Case 1: Resident Intake Form

• One-time data capture (each submission is a new intake)
• Needs validation (required fields, date ranges)
• Needs conditional logic (show medical fields if medical needs = yes)
• Needs workflow (submit → review → approve)

1. Create form in Form Builder
2. Add fields: name, date_of_birth, medical_needs (yes/no), emergency_contact
3. Add conditional logic: show medical_history if medical_needs = yes
4. Add validation: date_of_birth must be in past
5. Publish form → Users fill form → Submission created → Workflow triggered

• Not tracking multiple records over time
• Intake is a process, not an entity

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Use Case 2: Incident Report Form

• One-time data capture (each submission is a new incident)
• Needs validation (required fields, date/time)
• Needs workflow (submit → investigate → resolve)
• Needs submission tracking

1. Create form with: incident_type, date_time, location, description, severity
2. Add file upload for evidence
3. Add workflow: on submit → notify manager → create task
4. Publish form

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Use Case 3: Daily Inspection Checklist

• Repeated submissions (daily, weekly)
• Yes/No or pass/fail fields
• Can generate compliance reports

1. Create form with checkbox fields for each inspection item
2. Add signature field for inspector
3. Set up recurrence (daily reminder via workflow)
4. Use Form Analytics (PF-09) for compliance reporting

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Examples by Module

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Recovery Housing (RH)

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Workforce (HR)

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Finance (FA)

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Governance (GR)

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Field Types Available

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Dropdown Options: Which to Use?

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Form Options (Inline)

Example: "How did you hear about us?"
- Website
- Referral
- Advertisement

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Picklists (PF-15)

Example: "Priority Level" used in:
- Incident forms
- Maintenance requests
- Support tickets

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Lookups (FW-15)

Example: "Department" from hr_departments
- Automatically updates when departments change
- Respects RLS for org isolation

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Integration with Workflows (FW-03)

Form Submission
      │
      ▼
┌─────────────────┐
│  Trigger Node   │  "On form submit"
└────────┬────────┘
         │
         ▼
┌─────────────────┐
│ Condition Node  │  "If severity = high"
└────────┬────────┘
         │
    ┌────┴────┐
    ▼         ▼
┌───────┐ ┌───────┐
│Notify │ │Create │
│Manager│ │ Task  │
└───────┘ └───────┘

1. Approval Workflow: Submit → Route to approver → Approve/Reject → Notify submitter
2. Notification Workflow: Submit → Notify stakeholders → Archive
3. Data Sync Workflow: Submit → Map to entity → Create/update record

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Anti-Patterns to Avoid

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❌ Using Forms for Entity Extension

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❌ Using Forms Instead of Custom Objects

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❌ Using Inline Options for Reusable Values

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❌ Using Forms for Database Records

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Best Practices

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1. Form Design

• Keep forms focused (one purpose per form)
• Group related fields with sections
• Use conditional logic to hide irrelevant fields
• Provide clear labels and help text

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2. Field Validation

• Set required fields appropriately
• Use correct field types (email for emails, etc.)
• Add character limits for text fields
• Validate formats (phone, date, etc.)

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3. Workflow Integration

• Define clear approval paths
• Set up appropriate notifications
• Configure escalation for overdue approvals
• Test workflow before production use

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4. Data Management

• Consider data retention policies
• Set up appropriate RLS for submissions
• Use Form Analytics (PF-09) for insights
• Archive old forms when no longer needed

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Related Documentation

• Picklists Use Case Guide - Reusable dropdown values
• Custom Fields Use Case Guide - Extend existing entities
• Custom Objects Use Case Guide - Create new entities
• Data Manager Use Case Guide - Browse and manage data
• Clarity Analysis - Feature comparison matrix
• FW-01 Specification
• PF-09 Form Analytics
• FW-27 Advanced Analytics