Panel Designer

Panels are custom displays of data that you can name, build, arrange in grids, and add to your site. Using panels, your users can browse, edit, add, and delete their data, as you specify.

You can conveniently manage your custom data directly from the web pages where you place these content items:

• Panel Editor - Creates panels and shows one panel
• Panel Collection Editor - Combines existing panels into tabbed displays

You can configure content items to let your users add and edit that data directly from their browser page.

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Note

Panels are shared. When you update one panel or field, it updates within every content record that uses it.

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Note

To allow a panel source to be accessed through the REST API, enable Available via the REST API. If this option is not enabled, the panel source cannot be accessed externally. See Restricting or granting REST API access to panel sources for details.

Defining your own data with Panel Designer

With the Panel Designer, you can craft reusable panels that combine fields from many tables. You can also define new data structures (business objects and properties) to manage information for your organization. Without special tools or knowledge of the iMIS schema, you can add data sources right from your browser. When you save the panel, you save your newly created data sources as iMIS business objects.

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Note

You can see your new data source show up as a business object in Business Object Designer, but it will be read-only. Continue to edit and manage these special sources in Panel Designer.

Access the Panel Designer in the following ways:

• From the Staff site, go to RiSE > Panel Designer. Select an existing panel to edit, or select Add panel definition to create a new panel.
• Edit the Panel Editor content item directly from a content record by clicking the gear cog icon.

Understanding the different panel parent types

The following are the different panel types offered in Panel Designer:

• Contact – Associates the table data with a specific contact. These are the panels you put on user account pages to display data that is specific to each contact.

For Contact panels, an ID is automatically generated for the business object that represents the panel data source. The ID is a unique value used to join the business object to other panel data sources and business objects in IQA. It is also used as the iMIS ID for linking in IQA.

• Groups - Associates the table data with a specific group type. These are the panels you put on a group page to display data that is specific to each group.

For Group panels, a GroupKey is automatically generated for the business object that represents the panel data source. The GroupKey is a unique value used to join the business object to other panel data sources and business objects in IQA.

• Event - Associates the table data with a specific event. Panels can include properties for resources, sponsors, hotels/venues information, or any data you want a value list for. Panels associated with events results in creating panel sources such as tables and business objects that have a column for EventKey. An EventKey is a unique value used to join a business object to other panel data sources and business objects in IQA that represent events. For event panels, an EventKey is automatically generated for the business object that represents the panel data source.

All other properties and single and multi-instance panels can be used when created event-based panels.

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Note

When using the Bill to ID property, it is recommended you use CsContact.BillToId instead of CsNameFin.Bt ID.

• Standalone - Does not associate table data with a specific contact. Standalone panels are multi-instance only
  and can be used anywhere in iMIS. These panels are useful for anonymously tracking information or creating a multi-instance form.
  See Creating standalone panels for more information.

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  Note

  Only staff users and system administrators can create, edit, view, and delete standalone panels. Public users cannot view standalone panels, and as a result, standalone panels should not be added to any public-facing content records.

Best practices for panel layout

Here are key layout features to help you optimize screen display:

• Multiple columns: Click the + or – icons next to the panel layout to add columns to or remove columns from your panel. For best display results, place multi-column panels into single-column content records.
• Hide in summary view: Select this option if you want to display the property only when users open the full window for viewing, adding or editing.
• Read-only: Check this box to provide information in read-only form while still allowing users to edit other information on the panel.

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  Note

  To prevent editing of all of the properties, disable Allow users to edit on the content item configuration instead of editing in the Panel definition.

Version 3 table model

The version 3 table model structure applies to all newly created tables in iMIS EMS. The version 3 table model differs from versions 1 and 2 in that actual database tables are used to store data as opposed to “virtual” tables. This has the benefit of improved data access performance. The creation and management of these version 3 tables should only be done through Panel Editor.

Event panels

Panels are custom displays of data that you can name, build, arrange in grids, and add to your site. Using panels, your users can browse, edit, add, and delete their data, as you specify. You can create single-instance or multi-instance panels when creating events by creating panel definitions.

You can conveniently manage your custom data directly from the web pages where you place these content items:

• Panel Editor - Creates panels and shows one panel
• Panel Collection Editor - Combines existing panels into tabbed displays

You can configure content items to let your users add and edit that data directly from their browser page.

📘

Note

Panels are shared. When you update one panel or field, it updates within every content record that uses it.