Divide the inspection form into sections that follow the stages of the work. When servicing a device, or Spot, sections might include a visual inspection and a test run. Fields define which observations and confirmations the employee records.
The structure is managed in the browser. You need permission to create a new form or edit an existing form. Creating a new shared field and editing it later also require the corresponding field permissions. For instructions on setting up a form, see Creating a task form.
Open the form sections
In the browser, open Task forms and its Task forms tab. Start a new form with the Create new task form button. Open an existing form by clicking its name or the pencil icon on its row. Sections are under Form sections on the Base details tab in the form window.
There are problems with saving existing forms in the current version. In particular, an update that includes adding and restoring fields cannot be guaranteed to succeed. Check the change by reopening the form. Do not start using the modified structure based solely on a save attempt.
Add a section and choose its settings
Select Add new section in the section list. Expand the section's header row if its contents are collapsed.
- Title is required and can contain up to 255 characters. Name the work stage so that the person performing it can identify it.
- Section ordinal number determines the order of the sections: a lower number comes first. A new section is assigned the next number by default. Use numbers such as 1, 2 and 3, and check the saved order.
- Description is optional and can contain up to 2048 characters. Enter instructions for the work stage and, if needed, the unit for the measurement to be recorded.
- Attachment in use allows attachments in the section. It does not make an attachment required.
- Fill multiple times allows separate entries using the same section structure during the task, for example for several parts to be inspected.
Attachments and repetition are disabled by default for a new section. Each section being saved must contain at least one enabled field. The same shared field cannot be placed in the same section twice. If you need separate questions of the same type, create a separate field definition for each; if you are recording the same set of questions for several parts, use a repeatable section.
Add an existing field or create a new one
Under Field keys in the section, Add new existing field adds a field row whose menu lets you select a shared field. Select Create new field key if no suitable definition exists.
In the new field window, enter a Name of up to 255 characters and select the Input type according to its purpose:
- Short text field: a short answer, such as an identifier or observation.
- Long text field: a longer explanation, such as a description of a fault.
- Number: a numeric value. State in the name or section description what is being measured and in which unit. A regular number field does not itself record machine hours for the task.
- Checkbox: a checkbox, for example to confirm that an inspection has been performed.
- Drop-down menu: one answer from predefined options.
- Date: recording a date.
For a drop-down menu, fill in Dropdown values and Filled icons. You can also enter the options using the Paste values as list button. Separate options with commas or line breaks: a comma cannot be part of an individual option. There must be at least one option; options must be distinct, non-empty and no longer than 50 characters each.
Create new field key in the new field window saves the shared definition immediately and adds it to the section's field row. The form itself is saved separately. Cancelling the form window therefore does not delete a shared field that has already been created.
Required fields and field order
Select Required field on the section's field row when an answer is needed to complete the section. A newly added field is optional by default. Required fields are checked against the current form, so changing this setting may also affect tasks in progress.
A required Checkbox is an affirmative confirmation: the box must be checked. An unchecked box, meaning a negative answer, does not meet the requirement. If both Yes and No are acceptable required answers, use, for example, a drop-down menu with the options Yes and No. Other required fields need a value; a comment alone does not replace a missing answer in the server's validation.
Arrange fields by dragging their rows into the desired order within the same section. The row order is saved when the form is saved. Section order is set separately using the section ordinal numbers.
Shared definitions and report icons
Use the same existing field with care: its definition is shared even if it appears in several forms. The name, type, drop-down options and PDF icons belong to the shared definition. Whether the field is required and its order belong to its placement in a particular section.
Shared definitions are maintained on the Task form field keys tab of the Task forms page. Changing the name, options or icons may also affect other forms using the same field and tasks in progress. The type of an existing definition cannot be changed: create a new field for a different type.
Under Input type and PDF report icons in the new field window, select the Empty icon and Filled icons. For a drop-down menu, you can choose a separate filled-state icon for each option. Icons control how the report is presented, not whether answers are required.
The section settings also include Hide section icons from the report. Its effect on the report for a newly completed task cannot be guaranteed to be reliable in the current version. Check the finished PDF before sharing it. Other report settings are covered in Task form PDF appearance.
Effects of deletion
The trash icon on a section's field row removes that placement from the form. Removing a saved placement hides it by marking it as deleted and preserves the saved task values. This is a different change from deleting the shared field definition from the field list or destroying a repeated task section. Restoration and history are covered in Form field changes and history.
Do not use disabling Fill multiple times as a reliable workflow for deleting repetitions in the current version. A confirmed save may result in an error message even though the change and data deletion have already taken place. The process retains the earliest created section and destroys all other repetitions of the same section in all tasks except completed tasks. The field values and attachments in those repetitions are also destroyed.
If you have already tried to disable repetition and received an error, reopen the form and its related tasks in progress. Check the setting, remaining sections, answers and attachments before attempting to save again. An error message does not indicate that the data was preserved.
Save and check the result
Save a new form using the Create new task form button in the form window. For an existing form, the button is Update task form; bear in mind the saving limitation described above.
Reopen the saved form and check the section titles, order, fields, required settings, options, and attachment and repetition settings. Try the structure with a test task in the browser and in the Android and iOS apps you use. In particular, check that a missing required value prevents completion and that a required Checkbox must be checked. Enter test values, save and reopen the task to confirm that they were preserved.
On mobile, open Fill task form from the task details. On Android, the action for a repeatable section is Duplicate section; on iOS, use the plus icon at the top of the form view. In both apps, the attachment setting controls adding images to the section. For more detailed instructions on completing the form, see Filling in a task form.