Page 2: Form Designer & Field Options | Conroe ISD Knowledge Base

This guide covers how to create a new form in Laserfiche Forms, standards for variable naming, and an overview of all available field types and layout containers.

🛠️ How to Create a Form

Open your process in the Laserfiche Forms Designer.
In the process canvas, navigate to Forms in the left navigation pane or click directly on a User Task in your process diagram.
Click New Form (or select Save As / Copy from an existing template).
Enter a descriptive Form Name (e.g., Employee Onboarding Request).
Click Create to launch the Drag-and-Drop Form Canvas.

🏷️ Standard Variable Naming Convention

To maintain consistency, improve readability in process diagrams, and prevent errors when mapping data across workflows and integrations, all field variables must follow the standard naming convention:

Rule: `varVariableName`

Rule Element	Details
Prefix:	Always begin with `var` in lowercase.
Casing:	Use camelCase for the remainder of the variable name (capitalize the first letter of each subsequent word).
Descriptive & Concise:	Clearly describe what data the variable holds without using special characters, spaces, or hyphens.

💡 Examples:

Field Label	Variable Name	Notes
First Name	`varFirstName`	Basic camelCase with `var` prefix
Email Address	`varEmailAddress`	Clear, explicit naming
Total Expense Amount	`varTotalExpenseAmount`	Descriptive
Request Date	`varRequestDate`	Clear data type context

⚠️ Best Practice: Always set your variable names immediately when adding a field to the canvas. Changing variable names later can break field rules, lookup rules, and process diagram data mappings! If you need to delete or change a variable name, use the Variable Management setting.

📝 Form Field Options

Fields in Laserfiche Forms are divided into three main categories: Basic Fields, Advanced Fields, and Containers.

1️⃣ 📄 Basic Fields

Basic fields are the fundamental inputs used to collect standard text, choices, numbers, and dates.

Field Type	Description	Variable Example
Single Line	Short, single-line text input (e.g., names, titles, IDs).	`varEmployeeTitle`
Multi Line	Text box for multi-line text or detailed comments.	`varJustificationNotes`
Email	Validates that the input matches standard email syntax.	`varSubmitterEmail`
Checkbox	Allows users to select one or multiple options from a list.	`varRequestedEquipment`
Radio Button	Forces a single selection from a list of mutually exclusive choices.	`varDepartmentType`
Drop-down	Compact single-selection menu, ideal for longer lists of choices.	`varCostCenter`
Number	Numeric input field; restricts entries to integers or decimal values.	`varQuantity`
Currency	Numeric field formatted automatically for currency values (e.g., $USD).	`varTotalCost`
Date Time	Combined date picker and time selector widget.	`varAppointmentDateTime`
Time	Standalone time picker widget.	`varStartTime`

2️⃣ ✨ Advanced Fields

Advanced fields provide specialized functionality such as media uploads, rich text rendering, signatures, and spatial capture.

Field Type	Description	Variable Example
File Upload	Allows users to attach documents/files (PDF, PNG, DOCX, etc.).	`varSupportingDocs`
Address	Multi-input field structured for street, city, state, and ZIP code.	`varMailingAddress`
Rich Text	Formatted text display area (supports bold, italics, bullet points, and images).	`varInstructionalHeader`
Custom HTML	Allows injection of raw HTML, inline CSS, or custom JS formatting.	`varCustomBanner`
Signature	Touch/mouse signature pad for collecting secure user signatures.	`varApprovalSignature`
Geolocation	Captures the user's GPS coordinates (latitude/longitude) upon submission.	`varSubmissionLocation`

3️⃣ 📦 Containers

Containers organize fields on the layout grid and enable repeatable or dynamic multi-row inputs.

Container Type	Description	Best Use Cases
Section	Groups related fields under a common header. Supports collapsible sections and conditional rules.	Grouping "Applicant Info", "Manager Approval", or "HR Comments".
Collection	Repeats a group of fields dynamically (users can click "+ Add Another").	Line items where each item needs multiple fields (e.g., Asset Name + Serial Number + Cost).
Table	Grid format with columns and dynamic rows. Allows structured dynamic entries.	Itemized expense reports, time cards, or equipment lists.