New Responsive Designer Now Available

[EuanGamble]

We’re excited to announce the release of a new forms designer within the Nintex Process Platform. Now users across Office 365 and Nintex Workflow Cloud can design forms using the same easy-to-use yet powerful and flexible designer to create forms. This is a completely new forms designer – built from the ground up and focused on performance, usability, and flexibility. This will be our new engine going forward for Nintex Workflow Cloud, Office365, and SharePoint.

So, what’s new: 

• Clean modern UI 
• Improved geolocation control that supports Google Maps API on the web 

• Native signature control that works across web and mobile and stores an image of the signature 
• Barcode scanner is now available in the toolbox for use in Nintex Mobile 
• Rules improvements 

• Set the property of any control on the form (Including value) 
• Set the properties of multiple controls in one rule 

• Easily build AND/OR logic with clicks, not code 
• ELSE conditions in the rule builder 

• Formula builder 

• Type-ahead when building a formula 
• Inline help for functions 

• Formula validation to ensure the formula is correct 
• GetQueryString function is now included 

• Multipage support 
• Text masks on a text field 
• Date/time can restrict past dates within the configuration of the control 

• Separate currency control 
• File upload allows dragging files onto the form for upload 
• List Lookup can filter out duplicate items 
• Instant preview 
• Group (Panel) control now has heading and border options 

• Separate email control 
• The exported form is now constructed in JSON format 
• The same form engine is used in Office365 and Nintex Mobile. Your forms share the same UI. 

Videos about some of the changes: 

• Overview of the new Responsive designer for Office365

• Comparison of the old and new rules in Nintex Forms for Office365

• Comparison of the old and new rules in Nintex Forms for Office365 (Pt 2)

• Performance benefits in new Nintex responsive designer for Office365

So where can I learn about the new platform? 

• https://help.nintex.com
• https://learn.nintex.com

Interesting links:

• Planned releases
• Release notes
• Current feedback
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Current limitations

[Denis_Emerson]

Please advise if it possible to caclulate the value at row level in the repeating section

[EuanGamble]

Hi @Denis_Emerson,

The work is scheduled but has not begun development as yet, so I cannot commit to a date. We are certainly keen to get this out as soon as we can.

Cheers,

Euan

[connormower]

Hi @EuanGamble ,

Is there a planned date to add the lookup formula? We use that in almost all of our forms so it would be difficult for us to start using the new designer until that is released. 

The new designer looks great by the way!

Thanks

Connor

[EuanGamble]

Hi @connormower,

It is scheduled to developed soon, but I don't have an ETA as yet. It is definitely a priority, however.

Cheers,

Euan

[jdblundell]

Any new accessibility improvements with the update?

[EuanGamble]

Hi @jdblundell,

We have not specifically built the designer to be accessible but it is something we are certainly discussing internally.

Cheers,

Euan

[jdblundell]

An accessible designer that meets ATAG standards would be amazing https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/atag/.

But right now, I'd be happy if the front facing forms met WCAG standards with proper labels and focus settings.

I can make some of those fixes on the classic forms but there's no way to fix them on the responsive forms.

[EuanGamble]

Hi @jdblundell,

Few questions:

1. Is the form used externally to your organisation or internal?
2. If internal, what accessibility requirements does your organisation need to comply with for internal systems?
3. Without being too specific, what industry do you work in that requires accessibility?
4. What software do you use to test an application is accessible? 

Cheers,

Euan

[jdblundell]

Please see my comments marked with JB

1. Is the form used externally to your organisation or internal?
   1. JB: We create forms internally and externally.
2. If internal, what accessibility requirements does your organisation need to comply with for internal systems?
   1. JB: We have a board policy that all digital content must be accessible. Our primary guideline is WCAG 2.0 AA. The ADA laws in the US (Section 504, Section 508, Americans With Disability Act) were initially created to ensure disabled employees are able to do the same job as their peers. In addition, we work with students who may be prospective students (external) or or current students (internal).
3. Without being too specific, what industry do you work in that requires accessibility?
   1. JB: I personally work in higher ed. But I could also work in the resturant/food industry, grocery/retail industry, government agency, entertainment industry or any others.
4. What software do you use to test an application is accessible? 
   1. JB: We've had an audit of our content and use a variety of tools for testing, including JAWS screenreader, WebAIM, SiteImprove, Accessibility Insights for Web from Microsoft, Web Developer plugin, Blackboard Ally, ANDI and ARC Toolkit.

[AnjaliSharma]

Any update on the lookup functionality availability on universal forms?  It is a show stopper for us to switch to the new release.

[EuanGamble]

Hi @AnjaliSharma,

I assume you are referring to the Lookup function? If so, I can confirm it is in active development but I dont have a release date as yet.

Cheers,

Euan

[AnjaliSharma]

Thanks Euan.  Yes, I am referring to Lookup function as we have to display dynamic instructions based on value obtained from a different list.  I can also not see any option via Rules to dynamically set a checkbox, radiobutton or dropdown value based on a value selected on another control.  Is that also a known limitation or will be planned for a future release?

[EuanGamble]

Hi @AnjaliSharma,

I have recorded a video that shows how to set the value of a checkbox, radio button or drop-down using rules. Hope this is helpful.

Cheers,

[louise_rh]

I do not see the option for "on form load" in my rules tab. I need to set a user field to display the current user on form load. There is no option to set the default value in the user field. Why am I not seeing the "on form load" rules and can you tell me how to set the default value of the user field in the new responsive designer

[EuanGamble]

Hi @louise_rh,

I have created a video showing off how you could set the default value of a people picker. The 'Default value' property for the people picker is in development at the moment, so this will only be required in the short term. 

Cheers,
Euan

[louise_rh]

Thank you @EuanGamble that worked perfectly. 

My next question is how come I am unable to change the size of the field. The Shrink and Expand buttons do not work. I have quite a lot of fields on this form so I would need to display multiple fields on the one line.

I really like the 'New Reponsive Designer' but I am a bit concerned that it is not mature enough. We are digitising all of our forms. I want each form have a consistent style but having to switch back to the 'Responsive Designer' when the functunality in the New Designer is not available will not be sustainable. 

Going forward is it Nintex's plan to only develop on the 'New responsive Designer'?

[RaviACC]

I do not see the option for "on form input" in my rules tab.

I need to set a list lookup field value based on query string.

I am not getting value option for any of the control under set rule.

[tmfitz]

@EuanGamble - how can we either:

a) display a SharePoint list calculated column or

b) create a calculated field on the form

I have severage fields that need to be calculated when other fields are entered.  For example, % of ownership * GAV = GAV at Share.

If we can't do this I may need to abandon using the new Nintex Repsonsive Designer which is unfortunate because everything else works so nicely.

[EuanGamble]

Hi @tmfitz,

I have created a video show explaining how you could create a calculation within a Nintex Form. Hope this is helpful.

We do not support the calculated column from SharePoint in Nintex Forms.

Cheers,

Euan

[tmfitz]

@EuanGamble - thanks!  This really helped!

[jdblundell]

Any updates on improving the accessibility of the forms?

[EuanGamble]

Hi @jdblundell,

Accessibility is something we would definitely like to do in the future but nothing to share at this point.

Cheers,

Euan

[jdblundell]

For the sake of all your government and higher ed customers, I hope it's something on your roadmap in the near future.

[connormower]

Hi @EuanGamble ,

Its great to see that what customers are asking for is being reflected in the ongoing updates for the new resposnive designer.

After creating some new forms on the new designer, the main two issues I have that are stopping me from migrating existing forms into the new designer are:

1. Not having a default attachment control option so that when a form is published in an existing list with attachments it picks up the existing attachments. I have seen a fair few posts asking about this
2. Repeating section control names not holding true in the XML and being assigned random system names. This means that a) I can't publish the new designer on an existing list with XML as it won't display this existing data because we can't control the control names in the XML and b) we can't use it on task forms that involve repeating sections

Do you know if either of these will be resolved soon?

Thanks

Connor

[EuanGamble]

Hi @connormower,

This week we expect to begin rolling out an update to allow you to set a 'Default file upload' control. This will then show all attachments from SharePoint that have not been uploaded through a Nintex File Upload control.

With regard to the repeating section XML, this is part of a broader piece of work. It is something we are aware of and working towards, but do not have a date as yet.

Cheers,

Euan

[connormower]

Excellent news @EuanGamble . 

Thanks for the update.

Connor

[EuanGamble]

Hi @connormower,

Nintex New Responsive Forms for Office365 has just been updated. This includes the option to set a 'Default file upload control'.

Cheers,

Euan

[connormower]

Perfect, thanks Euan.

Connor