FAQ & limitations

Frequently asked questions

Every button appears twice (SharePoint Online).

The commands were additionally registered with AddCommandSet.ps1, although the package registers them itself on SharePoint Online. Remove the additional registration:

.\Scripts\AddCommandSet.ps1 -SiteUrl <site> -Platform SPOnline -Remove

The commands do not appear.

• The commands only appear in custom lists, not in document libraries or other list types.
• On SharePoint Server (SPSE), also check whether AddCommandSet.ps1 was run for the site collection (see Installation).
• On SharePoint Online, check whether the package was made available to all sites in the tenant app catalog and whether the tenant-wide registration was not deactivated.
• «Dynamisches Formular 'bearbeiten'» and «'anzeigen'» only appear once exactly one item is selected.

«Dynamisches Formular konfigurieren» is missing.

The command is only visible with the «Manage Web» permission, by default therefore for site owners.

«No form is configured for this list yet.»

There is no configuration for the list yet. In the list, open «Dynamisches Formular konfigurieren», build the form and choose Apply. If the message appears despite an existing configuration, check whether the file softforge-dynamicform/form-<list ID>.txt exists in the library config and whether the user has read permissions on the library (see Permissions & security).

«The form configuration could not be loaded …»

The configuration could not be read, for example because of missing read permissions on the library config. Check the permissions. If the stored configuration is unreadable or incomplete, the configurator starts with an empty configuration and shows a warning; you can then rebuild the configuration or paste it from a backup on the «Advanced» tab.

After adding a new column to the list it does not appear in the form.

The form shows only the fields assigned on the Layout tab. New columns are not added automatically: assign them to a section through «Add a column …».

A field in the configuration was deleted from the list.

The configurator shows the error «Column … in section … no longer exists in the list.» and allows saving only once you remove the field from the section.

I changed the list in the web part and the sections are gone.

This is intended: the fields of another list are different. Choose a content type and rebuild the form on the «Layout» tab (for example with «Take from list»).

The search in the item picker says the list is too large.

The list view threshold of SharePoint (5000 items) prevents text search in a column that is not indexed. Index the search column in the list settings or search for the ID of the item.

Where is the configuration backed up?

The configuration of a list is a normal file in the library config and is backed up with the site. You can also download it. A web part configuration is stored in the page. In addition, it can be copied as JSON on the «Advanced» tab.

Which languages does the form support?

Configurator and form appear in German or English, depending on the user's display language in SharePoint. English is used for all other languages; German is used for all German variants (for example German (Switzerland)).

Some texts are always German regardless of the display language: the names of the web part and of the commands in the command bar, the message «Dieses Feld darf nicht leer sein.», «Ja»/«Nein» in display mode and in the value selection of the rules, as well as some messages in the configurator and the web part (for example «Speichern fehlgeschlagen: …»).

Limitations

The following points are not part of the current version:

• Platforms: Only SharePoint Online and SharePoint Server Subscription Edition. No packages for SharePoint Server 2019 or 2016.
• Lists: Only custom lists. Document libraries are not supported; the commands do not appear there.
• Tabs and wizards: There are neither tabs nor multi-step wizard steps. The form consists of sections arranged one below the other.
• Calculated fields and formulas: Not available. Calculated columns are not displayed as an input control.
• Custom validation: Required fields follow the column setting of the list. Custom validation rules (patterns, minimum and maximum values, cross-field checks) cannot be configured.
• Data sources: Only SharePoint lists of the current site. No external data sources.
• Templates: There are no form templates and no catalog of ready-made forms. Configurations can be copied on the «Advanced» tab.
• New columns: Are not added to the form automatically (see above).
• Several rules per field: One visibility rule can be set per field; rules cannot be combined with AND/OR.
• Hidden fields are not a permission concept (see Permissions & security).
• Close the dialog (web part, button display): After saving, the dialog currently stays open in this combination. Use «Show a message and clear the form» or «Go to a page» instead.
• Default values for person, date, lookup, hyperlink and taxonomy fields can only be set as simple text in the configurator; please check Yes/No fields in the form (see Rules & default values).
• Numbers as rule triggers: The comparison is done as text. Prefer choice and Yes/No fields.
• One configuration per list for the command bar. You reach different forms for the same list through web parts with their own configuration on different pages.