Create Custom Rules for Host Field Conversion

Rules are operations that occur during the conversion from the host screens in your target host application to the custom forms that comprise your custom application. Rules dictate the way host fields are converted to various customized GUI controls (labels, text fields, buttons, and Web links), and how these controls will look, feel, and behave.

Rules are applied to host screens in the order of precedence defined on the Theme editor. By default, every theme includes at least the two standard rules, which convert protected fields into Label controls and unprotected fields into TextField controls. You can create new rules yourself, or modify the ones that come with your theme.

To create a rule

From the Theme editor, under Rules for Generating Controls, choose New. The Rule editor appears. Enter a name in the Rule Name box (required). Under Field Match, specify to which type of field this rule applies, by selecting the check box next to one or more match items, and adding values to each item by double-clicking the value field for each selected item. Depending on the item, double-clicking will open either a list box or a Select Match Parameters dialog box, from which you can choose a value; or, for the Regular Expression item, double-clicking enables a text field where you can type in a valid, simple string that matches the text from the host field precisely. Under Control to be Generated, in the Type of Control list box, select which type of control you want this rule to generate. The Rule editor displays a set of properties specific to the control type you have selected. Make any desired changes to the properties for the control to be generated, then click OK to close the Rule editor. Click OK to close the Theme editor, then click OK to save the changes to the theme and close the Theme Manager. The changes to themes are saved to file by clicking the OK button on the Theme Manager. Until then, all changes can be undone by clicking the Cancel button on the Theme Manager.