Configuration properties and configuration options

You define the configuration options in your coach view so that users can customize a specific instance of that coach view. Users see these configuration options as configuration properties in that instance.

For example, the Radio Buttons stock control has the layout configuration option and a Layout label. When you drop a Radio Buttons instance onto a coach view layout and then select the instance, the Properties area displays a list of configuration properties. One of these configuration properties is Layout. You can choose Horizontal or Vertical for this configuration property. This choice affects only this Radio Buttons instance.

When you define a configuration option for your coach view, you set the appearance of the corresponding configuration property and the information that it displays.

In the Label field, provide the display name of the configuration property. If you do not provide a label, the coach view instance uses the name of the configuration option as the display name.
In the Documentation field, provide hover help text to help users decide on the setting for that configuration property.
To group several related configuration options, provide a group name. The coach view instance displays the group name with a twistie. When users expand the twistie, they see all the configuration properties that have the same group name. For example, you add config1 and config2 to the Config group.
When users click an instance of the coach view, they see the Config group. If users expand the twistie, they see config1 and config2.

The data type of the configuration option affects how the coach view instance displays the corresponding configuration property. If the type is a simple type, like String, or is based on a simple type, the corresponding configuration property is an appropriate control. For example, the control is a check box for the Boolean type or text field for a String type. If the type is a business object, the configuration property is a group that contains the business object parameters as configuration properties.

Configuration option config4 is a business object that contains three parameters. The last parameter is also a business object.

Here is config4 presented as a configuration property:

Configuration property config4 is a group that contains parameters that display as configuration properties

If the type is a list, the configuration property is a two-column table. Each row in the table represents an item in the list.

Configuration option config5 is a list of Strings

Here is config5 presented as a configuration property formatted as a table.

Configuration property config5 is a table that contains two added items

If the type is a list of business objects, the configuration property is a table with a header row and a row for each list item. Each parameter in the business object has a corresponding column in the table. If a parameter is also a business object, that corresponding column subdivides into columns for each parameter in the child business object.

Configuration option config6 as a list of business objects. param6, param7, and param8 are Strings

Here is config6 presented as a configuration table formatted as a three-column table:

Configuration property config6 is a table with a column for the three simple types in the business object hierarchy

A coach view instance uses implicit default values for configuration properties if users do not set a value for them. The implicit default value depends on the type. When you are defining a Boolean-typed configuration option, you must account for its implicit default value, which is false. This means that Process Designer displays Boolean-typed configuration options set to false by default, such as check boxes being not selected.

You can set a configuration option to be responsive to screen size settings, allowing instances of the coach view can have up to three different settings for that configuration property, each corresponding to a different screen size setting. For example, if your coach view has a configuration property that controls the rendering of a selection control as either a checkbox, radio button, or slider control, users can configure their coach view instances to have three different renderings for that control in different user environments. To make a configuration option responsive, click Responds to screen size.

Configuration options 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d are set to respond to screen size

Here are the four corresponding configuration properties:

Configuration property config 7a has no value set, 7b has a value for large screens, 7c has a value for medium screens, and 7d has a value for small screens

When users are configuring the coach view instance and want to set a different value for each screen size, they click the screen size icon next to the configuration option to specify that the value applies to a large, medium, or small screen size. Then they can change the screen size setting to a new size, and enter a new value for the configuration option. For information about responsive settings for coach view instances see Responsive settings for coach views.

When you are setting (binding to data) a configuration property on a coach view instance, you can bind it statically or dynamically. To bind it statically, type or choose a value for the configuration property. To bind it dynamically, assign a variable to the configuration property by clicking

. You can then select an existing variable from the presented list. By default, the list displays all variables. The variables with a data type that matches the type that is defined for the configuration options are in bold. However, you can select to display only these variables. If you select a variable and its type does not match the type that is defined for the configuration option, the designer displays a warning. Instead of selecting a variable, you can select Expose configuration option

to have the designer create a configuration option of the correct type and bind the configuration property to this configuration option.

Restrictions:

You cannot statically bind to a business object that contains nested lists. Instead, you must bind to it dynamically.
If a dynamic value is set for a responsive configuration option instance, only one value can be chosen. For example, you cannot bind a different variable for each screen size setting. One exception to this restriction is configuration options that have a URL type. If these configuration options are set to be responsive, they can accept values for different screen size settings provided that those values are web files.
Only configuration options that are object type can be marked as responsive. Responsive settings are not supported for service-type configuration options.