Subforms & Associations
This article explains the difference between subforms and associations in our platform – when to use each, how they behave differently, and how they impact progress and data relationships.
Subforms
Subforms are tightly linked to the parent activity from which they were created.
Key Characteristics of Subforms
Part of the Form Workflow
Subforms are integrated into the progress of their parent form.
This means the parent form can only be completed once all related subforms have been filled out and completed.
Versioning and Status Changes
If a completed subform receives a new version (for example, because fields or structures were changed), it is automatically reset to draft status.
The parent form must also be in draft status at that time, and it can only be completed again once the subform has been fully completed.
Progress Tracking
The progress of each subform is included in the overall progress of the parent form.
Automatically and Ad Hoc Created Subforms
Subforms (ad hoc)
Subforms can be created ad hoc by users while working on an activity. This approach is useful when it’s not known in advance how many subforms will be needed for a specific case.
Subform (auto-generated)
If you already know that exactly one subform should always be created automatically when a specific step in the parent form is reached, you can use this version instead.
Associations
Zuordnungen sind lose verbundene Aktivitäten, die unabhängig voneinander existieren, auch wenn sie aus einem anderen Aktivität heraus erstellt wurden.
Wichtige Eigenschaften für Zuordnungen
Independent Lifecycle
An associated activity exists on its own. Its status does not affect the progress or completion of the parent activity.
Foundation for Dynamic Data
The data from associated activities can be used as supplementary or secondary information. Associations are the prerequisite for using Dynamic Data — only through an association can dynamic data be referenced and exchanged between activities.