How to Customize Predefined Forms (Report/Forms) Using Forms Designer
Introduction
This knowledge base article explains how to customize predefined Purchase Order/Invoice forms using the Report/Forms Designer. By copying a default form and modifying it, you can safely add or adjust fields—such as UDFs—without impacting the system-delivered version.
📌Important Note:
Email Template Behavior: When you recreate a new Purchase Order or Invoice form and set it as Default, that form will also be used as the email template when sending approval notifications.
Support Policy: Microix Support does not provide assistance with the Report/Forms Designer. Form customization is a paid professional service. If you require help designing or modifying forms, please contact sales@microix.net to request a quote.
Procedure
Access the Report/Forms Designer (Steps 1-3)
From the left navigation menu, expand Reporting and select Report/Forms Designer to open the design workspace.
In the Form/Report Actions panel, expand the appropriate sub-category under Form (for example, Requisition / Purchase Order).
Select the predefined form you want to customize (for example, Purchase Order (Default)). At the bottom of the panel, click Copy to create a new editable version before making any changes.
Create a New Editable Form
When the Form/Report Actions dialog opens, enter a clear and descriptive name in New Description (for example, PurchaseOrderUDF). This makes the customized form easy to identify later. Click Create to generate the new form.
Locate Available Fields (Steps 5-6)
In the designer, open the Field List panel using the right-side toolbar.
Expand the appropriate data source and dataset (for example, the Header dataset) to view fields associated with the document header. Select fields that belong in the top section of the form.
Add and Position Fields on the Form (Steps 7-9)
Use the left-side design toolbox to insert or select report controls, then click on the form canvas to place them in the appropriate section.
From the Field List, locate the desired field (for example, a UDF such as UDF1) and drag it onto the layout. After dropping the field, resize and align it with existing elements to maintain a clean and readable layout.
Click Save in the top-right corner to store your design changes before exiting the designer or switching to preview mode.
Set the Customized Form as Default (Steps 10–11)
Return to the Form/Report Actions list and verify that your newly created form appears under the correct category.
If you want this customized form to be used automatically, select it and click Default so the system treats it as the default form for that process.
Validate the Output (Steps 12–13)
Navigate to the Documents screen, open the Print menu, and confirm that your customized form appears in the list (and is marked as default, if applicable).
Preview or print the document and verify that the newly added field (such as the UDF label/value) appears in the correct location on the output.
Troubleshooting & Support
Field not visible in Field List: Confirm the field exists in the report dataset or database view and that the correct dataset (header vs. detail) is expanded.
Field prints blank: Verify the document record contains a value for the field and that it is placed in the appropriate report band.
Overlapping or misaligned layout: Resize and realign elements using the grid and consistent spacing tools.
Conclusion
You have successfully customized a predefined form by copying the default version, assigning a clear name, adding fields such as UDFs, saving the updated layout, and validating the final printed output. This approach ensures flexibility while preserving the original system-delivered forms.