Understanding Sections and Section Properties

Sections can be added to Notes documents, pages, subforms, and forms. On a form, sections are collapsible areas that can contain fields, text, graphics, and so on. Sections are especially useful for forms that contain a large amount of data because they can be used to streamline the form's appearance by collecting similar information and collapsing it. When the users need to view the data, clicking the twistie beside the section title opens the section and displays the data within.

Two types of sections exist: standard and controlled access. Standard sections simply collect the text and fields into a collapsible area on the form. Controlled access sections, however, can limit access to the fields and information within the section.

Using Standard Sections

To create a standard section, highlight the area containing the text and fields, and choose Create, Section, Standard from the menu. If there is static text at or near the beginning of the section when it is created, it becomes the default title of the section. Otherwise, the text "Untitled Section" appears. When the section is created or when the cursor is on the section title, a new menu is added titled Section (see Figure 5.39). The Section menu has prompts for Properties, Expand, Collapse, and Remove Section. As with the Remove Hotspot prompt, removing a section does not disturb the underlying fields and text; only the section is removed.

Figure 5.39. This standard section contains a table with text and fields ”note the Section properties box open to the Section Title and Border tab.

The Section properties box has four tabs: Section Title and Border (see Figure 5.39), Expand/Collapse, Font, and Section Hide When. Both the Font and Hide When tab settings apply to the section title only, not to the entire section.

The two most important tabs are the Section Title and Border and the Expand/Collapse tabs. The Section Title and Border tab has a window for the title. A title can be entered as text, or a formula can be used. Clicking the Formula radio button adds a button for a Formula window. Clicking that button displays the Formula window. Only the Formula language can be used in a section title formula. The Title tab also has settings for the style of the section's border and its color .

The Expand/Collapse tab allows the developer to enter rules for expanding and collapsing the section based on the mode of the document. Rules can be set for when the document is previewed, opened for reading, opened for editing, or printed. There are three possible settings:

• Don't Autoexpand or Collapse (the default)
• Autoexpand Section
• Autocollapse Section

This tab also has two check boxes: Hide Title When Expanded and Show as Text When Not Previewing. When you select the first, the title is hidden when the section is expanded but is visible when the section is collapsed . The Show as Text check box displays the section in preview. The contents of the section are visible as text in other modes, and the section itself is absent. Figure 5.40 shows this tab.

Figure 5.40. The Expand/Collapse tab of a standard section sets the rules for displaying the section.

Securing Content with Controlled Sections

To create a controlled access section, highlight the area containing the text and fields and choose Create, Section, Controlled Access from the menu. Figure 5.41 shows the Controlled Access Section properties box. The Section Title and Border tab shown in Figure 5.41 allows only the entry of text for the title. You can also specify a section field name , but that is generally not required.

Figure 5.41. The Section Title and Border tab of a controlled access section has an entry for the title and also for a section field name.

The Expand/Collapse tab has two buttons . The first lets you switch between Editors and non-Editors, and the second lets you apply the settings created for one group to the other (see Figure 5.42).

Figure 5.42. The Expand/Collapse tab contains settings for both Editors and non-Editors.

The expand and collapse rules are the same as those for a controlled access section. A new setting in Designer 6 is at the bottom of the properties box: a check box that hides the title for Editors and non-Editors. This setting hides the section title.

The Formula tab shown in Figure 5.43 lets you enter an access formula. The access formula can be Editable, Computed, Computed When Composed, or Computed for Display. Selecting anything other than Editable forces entry of a formula before the form can be saved. If the access formula is editable, users who have access to the section can modify the access list.

Figure 5.43. The Formula tab of a controlled access section controls who can edit the contents of the section ”note the Type drop-down list.

The Font and Hide-When tabs for a controlled access section are just like those for the standard section.

At runtime, controlled access sections have an additional prompt on the Section menu for sections with editable access formulas: Define Editors. Clicking Define Editors displays the Edit Section dialog box and allows users to specify editors for the section. Changing the radio button to Only the Following Users and clicking the Add button launches the Address Book dialog box.

Although access controlled sections are not a true security measure because the contents of the fields can still be accessed through views or the Field dialog box of the Document properties box, they are still useful in workflow applications. The editors of the sections can be determined by a formula; usernames, groups, and roles can be added to the list of editors. If you set a field's Security Options property to Sign If Mailed or Saved in Section, when an authorized editor works with the document, the document is signed. The signature appears in the section title with a time stamp in the following format:

Section Title Signed by User Name/Certifier on date and time, according to Certifier.