APPLICATION MANAGEMENT

Limiting Editor access to sections of forms
In workflow applications, use sections to restrict who can edit or sign parts of a document. If a document requires more than one approval signature, you create a section on the form for each signature or group. For example, you might create a section specifically for the Purchasing group.

Edit access lists and the access control list

To specify who can edit parts of a section, select the fields you want to restrict and create a section containing the fields. Then specify who can edit the fields in one of the following ways:


For users who are not listed as editors of the section, the fields appear as read-only. Editor access of the section does not override Editor access in the database access control list (ACL); it only refines it. Privilege names cannot be used in the Edit access list.

For more information about document access control, see Restricting who can access a section of a document and Using a Readers field to restrict access to specific documents .

Tip If you use custom roles to refine standard access levels, consider creating a section that corresponds to each access role. Then create a field named RoleName at the top of the section.

Using a computed field to define section editors

To define a list of section editors, write a formula that populates the list of allowed editors, by including the current user's name, using @DbColumn to retrieve a list of names, using the value of an approver field, or using a group name or role from the ACL. Use a computed-when-composed field to create a permanent list of editors when a document is created.

You can use only formulas that result in a text list containing one or more names; you can then append the names to the section's edit access list. Enclose the names in quotation marks and concatenate them with a colon ( : ).


Access role names must include square brackets and be enclosed in quotation marks:
For information on using database lookups, see @DbColumn.

Allowing the author to name section editors

To let authors decide who can edit fields in a section, make the section editable.

As a convenience to authors, write a default value formula to create an initial list of editors for the section; anyone editing the section can then update that list. If there are multiple authors, be sure to select "Allow multi-values" for the field.

An editable section allows the author of each document to create a customized list of editors by double-clicking the section title when the document is in Edit mode or choosing Section - Define Editors. Any users already authorized to edit the fields within the section are displayed, and the author can add other editors to the list.

Using a controlled-access section on multiple forms

To use a controlled-access section on more than one form, place the section on a subform and include the subform in the forms.