About Forms

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ACE provides hundreds of built‐in fields to capture data. However, you may need specialized fields beyond the default options. Custom forms let you record additional data points for clients, debts (accounts), and debt transactions in a structured way.

Caution

Only work on Form updates outside of active production. Adding/Modifying a form can harm your system's stability when users are actively working in ACE or when jobs, loaders and reports are running.

Types of Forms

  1. Client Forms

    1. Location: Display on the client’s profile page.

    2. Usage: Store information specific to a client (e.g., organization details, special instructions).

  2. Debt Forms

    1. Location: Display on individual account pages.

    2. Usage: Store information related to a particular debt (e.g., payment preferences, property references).

    3. Locations of Debt Forms:

      1. Standalone

        1. Appears in the left‐hand sidebar, listed alphabetically after ACE’s standard options.

        2. Can be single‐instance (default) or multi‐instance (see below).

      2. Include

        1. Appears as a section within the account view.

        2. You can reorder it under Setup > User Interface > Account View.

        3. Single‐instance only (multi‐instance is not available for Include).

    4. Multi‐Instance (Standalone Only)

      1. Available only when Allow Multiple Instances = True in the form configuration.

      2. Lets you store multiple entries for the same form on one account.

      3. Requires exactly one Primary Key field to uniquely identify each entry.

  3. Debt Transaction (Debt Trans) Forms

    1. Location: Display on individual transactions.

    2. Usage: Store details such as transaction statuses, special handling notes, or receipts.

How to Create a Form

  1. Navigate to Setup → Forms, New

  2. Enter Basic Form Details

    1. Label: e.g., “Property References”

    2. Identifier: Defaults to uppercase/underscores (match the label if possible)

    3. Form Config Type: DEBT, CLIENT, or DEBT_TRANS

    4. Icon: (Standalone only)

    5. Location: (For Debt forms) STANDALONE or INCLUDE

    6. Allow Multiple Instances: True or False (True only works if Location = Standalone)

    7. Roles: Set view, insert, update, and delete permissions

    8. Description: Summarize the form’s purpose

  3. Click Apply to save these basic settings.

  4. Add Form Fields

    1. In Form Fields, click New.

    2. Enter a Label, copy it into Identifier.

    3. Field Type: Choose from String, Boolean, Date, etc.

    4. Set any additional properties (e.g., Required, Hidden, Searchable).

    5. For multi‐instance, mark exactly one field as Primary Key.

    6. Click Save.

  5. Add More Fields as needed, then Reorder Fields (if desired) by clicking and dragging.

  6. Finalize

    1. Click Save to confirm your form setup.

Image Displays Example Standalone Multi-Instance Form Configuration

Form Page Fields

The Form page consists of fields for data entry. Fields with an * are required.

View the table below for field descriptions.

Field

Description

Identifier*

Unique name in the database (often matches the label).

Form Config Type*

DEBT, CLIENT, or DEBT_TRANS

Allow Multiple Instances

True or False (Standalone only).

Label*

Display name for the form.

Description

Explains the form’s purpose.

Icon*

For Standalone forms (sidebar display).

Location*

Include or Standalone

Layout Columns*

Default 2 (adjust the number of form columns).

View/Insert/Update/Delete Roles

Controls user permissions.

Account View Visibility Logic

A logic condition that will be used to determine whether or not the form shows on an account page. If the logic result is true, this form will show.

 Form Field Section

The form field section consists of additional fields for data entry. Fields with an * are required.

View the table below for field descriptions.

Field

Description

Form

Auto-populated by ACE based on Form settings.

Identifier*

Unique Identifier in database table.

Misc1 & Misc2

Extra value that can be stored on the account, used for reports or code. Won’t be directly visible on the account level.

Label*

Name of the form field shown to users.

Ui Label

Overrides the default Label on the UI (rarely used).

Ui Label Style

Overrides the default html style of label field element (rarely used). The default is “width: 25%”.

Ui On Change

Runs a custom JavaScript when a user changes this field (rarely used).

Tooltip

Displays a ? Icon with extra text for users.

Field Visibility Role

Restricts which roles can see this field. Choose “Agent” for general visibility.

Field Type

The data type (String, Boolean, Date etc.)

Primary Key

For multi-instance standalone forms, one field must be marked as Primary Key.

Required

User must populate the field before saving.

Hidden

Field doesn’t appear in the screen but is still stored in the database.

Searchable

Makes this field searchable at the account level; use sparingly to avoid slowing down searches.

Display on Summary

  • For Standalone and Include Forms: Enables the field to be displayed in the account summary.

  • For Multi-Instance: Displays the field in the Multi-Instance Form Summary.

Colspan

Adjusts field width (1-16).

Custom Validation Section

Custom Form Validation (JavaScript) can be used to verify data exists or meets expectations. It can also be used to display an error if valid data doesn't exist when saving a completed form.

Editing Limitations During Concurrent Sessions or Active Jobs

The system enforces limitations on editing forms while another user is logged in or when any job is running. Users are permitted to make modifications to certain form attributes and fields, with specific restrictions.

Modifications Allowed While Another User is Logged In or a Job is Running

Forms:

  • Label

  • Description

  • Icon

  • Location

  • Number of Columns

  • Any/All Roles

  • Account View Visibility Logic

  • Custom Validation

Form Fields:

  • Misc1

  • Misc2

  • Label

  • UI Label

  • UI Label Style

  • UI On Change

  • Tooltip

  • Field Visibility Role

  • Primary Key

  • Required

  • Hidden Display on Summary

  • Colspan

Modifications Not Allowed

Forms:

  • Creation, cloning, or deletion of forms

  • Adding or deleting form fields

  • Modifying the "Allow Multiple Instances Per Type" setting after creation

Form Fields:

  • Editing field identifiers

  • Altering the Searchable Boolean setting

  • Editing field types

These limitations ensure system integrity and prevent conflicts when multiple users are engaged in form modifications or background processes are running. For any questions regarding these changes, please contact support.

Review the following articles on how to create Forms.

Form Include Type

Standalone Form

Multi Instance Form