Form Runner JavaScript API

Getting a reference to a form

[SINCE Orbeon Forms 2023.1]

You can get a reference to an object representing a Form Runner form with the getForm() function:

ORBEON.fr.API.getForm(formIdOrElem: string | HTMLElement): FormRunnerForm

The formIdOrElem parameter is described below.

Identifying a form by id or element

The formIdOrElem parameter used in APIs can be:

  • missing or undefined: this searches for the first Orbeon Forms form on the page

  • a string: this is the namespaced id of the form

  • an HTML element: this is the HTML form element, or a descendant or an HTML form element

If the form is not found, null is returned. If found, an object is returned, which contains methods described below.

The FormRunnerForm object

[SINCE Orbeon Forms 2023.1]

Finding a Form Runner control by name

[SINCE Orbeon Forms 2023.1]

The findControlsByName() function returns the HTML element(s) corresponding to the given Form Runner control name.

NOTE: The control must be visible or it will not be found. In particular, if the control is in a hidden wizard page, the control will not be found.

A Form Runner control name is the name entered by the form author in Form Builder. Examples:

  • first-name

  • street-address

function findControlsByName(
    controlName : string
): HTMLElement[]
Name
Required
Type
Description

controlName

Yes

string

The name of the Form Runner control.

If no control is found, an empty array is returned.

If there are multiple controls with the same name, the array will contain multiple elements. This can happen in the following cases:

  • when controls are repeated, for example in a repeated grid or section

  • when controls appear in the main form and section template and/or in different section templates

On the other hand, if the control exists but is not shown at a given time, for example if it is in a hidden wizard page, the array will be empty.

Example:

ORBEON.fr.API.getFOrm().findControlsByName('street-address')

Setting a control's value

[SINCE Orbeon Forms 2023.1]

The setControlValue() function allows you to set the value of a Form Runner control.

function setControlValue(
    controlName : string,
    controlValue: string | int,
    index       : int[]
): Promise<void> | undefined
Name
Required
Type
Description
Since

controlName

Yes

string

The name of the Form Runner control

2023.1

controlValue

Yes

string | int

The value to set

2023.1 (2024.1.2 for int)

index

No

int[] | undefined

If specified, and the control is repeated, the 0-based position of the control

2023.1.1

Here is how to set the value of a text field called my-field to the value "Hello!":

ORBEON.fr.API.getForm().setControlValue('my-field', 'Hello!')

For single selection controls, pass the index of the item to select:

ORBEON.fr.API.getForm().setControlValue('my-single-selection', '2')

For multiple selection controls, pass a space-separated string of item indexes:

ORBEON.fr.API.getForm().setControlValue('checkboxes', '0 1 3')

The following controls are supported:

  • Text field

  • Plain text area

  • Dropdown

  • Checkboxes

  • Radio buttons

  • Number

  • Currency

  • Date

  • Time

[SINCE Orbeon Forms 2023.1.1]

The setControlValue() function returns either:

  • a JavaScript Promise which resolves when the value is set on the server

  • or undefined if

    • the control is not found

    • the control is an XBL component which doesn't support the JavaScript lifecycle

If a control is repeated, use the optional index parameter to specify which repetition to set. The index is 0-based.

ORBEON.fr.API.getForm().setControlValue('my-repeated-control', 'Anvil', 3)

[SINCE Orbeon Forms 2024.1.2]

For single-selection controls, you can also pass an integer value rather than a string:

ORBEON.fr.API.getForm().setControlValue('my-single-selection', 2)

Getting a control's value

[SINCE Orbeon Forms 2024.1.2]

The getControlValue() function allows you to get the value of a Form Runner control.

function getControlValue(
    controlName : string,
    index       : int[]
): string | undefined
Name
Required
Type
Description
Since

controlName

Yes

string

The name of the Form Runner control

2024.1.2

index

No

int[] | undefined

If specified, and the control is repeated, the 0-based position of the control

2024.1.2

Here is how to get the value of a text field called my-field:

ORBEON.fr.API.getForm().getControlValue('my-field')

The getControlValue() function returns either:

  • a string with the value of the control

  • or undefined if

    • the control is not found

    • the control is an XBL component which doesn't support the JavaScript lifecycle

Activating a form control

[SINCE Orbeon Forms 2023.1]

The activateControl() function allows you to activate a Form Runner control. This is useful to activating buttons that are present within the form (as opposed to process buttons, which are typically placed at the bottom of the form). However, you can also activate other controls, in particular Text Fields.

function activateControl(
    controlName: string
): Promise<void>
Name
Required
Type
Description

controlName

Yes

string

The name of the Form Runner control

The following controls are supported:

  • Text field (as if the user presses the Return or Enter key)

  • Button

[SINCE Orbeon Forms 2023.1.1]

The activateControl() function returns either:

  • a JavaScript Promise which resolves when the activation has run on the server

  • or undefined if

    • the control is not found

    • the control is not a trigger or input control

Telling whether the form data is safe

[SINCE Orbeon Forms 2023.1]

function isFormDataSafe(): boolean

Orbeon Forms supports the notion that form data can be "safe" or not: specifically, it is safe if it's been saved to a database.

This function allows you to tell whether the data is safe or not.

Example:

ORBEON.fr.API.getForm().isFormDataSafe()

See also the set-data-status action.

Activating a process button

[SINCE Orbeon Forms 2023.1]

function activateProcessButton(buttonName: string): void

Process buttons are typically buttons that are not directly part of the form, but placed at the bottom of the form. They include functions such as "Save", "Send", "Next", etc.

You can activate a process button with this function by specifying the button name. Example:

ORBEON.fr.API.getForm().activateProcessButton("wizard-next")

Adding and removing process callback functions

[SINCE Orbeon Forms 2023.1]

Form Runner simple processes now support a callback() action server action that allows client-side callback functions to be called.

You add a callback function on the client using:

function addCallback(name: string, fn: () => void): void
Name
Required
Type
Description

name

Yes

string

Name passed to the server-side callback() action

fn

Yes

() => void

Callback function to be called on the client

You remove a callback function on the client using:

function removeCallback(name: String, fn: () => void): void

The name and fn parameters must be the same as those passed to addCallback().

Finding a Form Runner control by name

[SINCE Orbeon Forms 2017.2]

The findControlsByName() function returns the HTML element(s) corresponding to the given Form Runner control name.

ORBEON.fr.API.findControlsByName(
    controlName  : string, 
    formIdOrElem?: HTMLElement
): HTMLElement[]
Name
Required
Type
Description

controlName

Yes

string

The name of the Form Runner control.

formIdOrElem

No

formIdOrElem: string | HTMLElement

See Identifying a form by id or element

[SINCE Orbeon Forms 2023.1]

Prefer using first the getForm() function, and then, on the object returned, the findControlsByName() function.

Setting a control's value

You can set a control's value using the XForms JavaScript API.

For example, here is how to set the value of a text field called my-field to the value "Hello!":

ORBEON.xforms.Document.setValue(
    ORBEON.fr.API.findControlsByName('my-field')[0],
    'Hello!'
)

NOTE: For dropdowns created with Form Builder, the API does not provide direct support as of Orbeon Forms 2019.1. You can do it with the following JavaScript:

ORBEON.xforms.Document.setValue(
    ORBEON.fr.API.findControlsByName('my-dropdown')[0].querySelector(".xforms-select1"),
    1
)

Where the value you pass corresponds to the position of the item starting at 0.

[SINCE Orbeon Forms 2023.1]

Prefer using first the getForm() function, and then, on the object returned, the setControlValue() function.

Telling whether the form data is safe

[SINCE Orbeon Forms 2019.2]

ORBEON.fr.API.isFormDataSafe(
    formIdOrElem: string | HTMLElement
): boolean
Name
Required
Type
Description

formIdOrElem

No

formIdOrElem: string | HTMLElement

See Identifying a form by id or element

[SINCE Orbeon Forms 2023.1]

Prefer using first the getForm() function, and then, on the object returned, the isFormDataSafe() function.

Focusing on a control

[SINCE Orbeon Forms 2017.2]

The wizard.focus() function sets keyboard focus on a Form Runner control by name, including toggling wizard pages first if needed.

ORBEON.fr.API.wizard.focus(
    controlName   : String,
    repeatIndexes : Int[]?
)
Name
Required
Type
Description

controlName

Yes

string

The name of the Form Runner control.

repeatIndexes

No

array of Int

Repeat indexes.

This function doesn't have any effect if the control is readonly or non-relevant.

Example:

ORBEON.fr.API.wizard.focus('street-address')

The optional repeatIndexes parameter allows reaching controls within repeats. For example, with one level of repeat:

ORBEON.fr.API.wizard.focus('comment', [ 2 ])

accesses the second iteration of the comment field.

Similarly, for nested repeats, you add as many elements in the array as there are nested repeats:

ORBEON.fr.API.wizard.focus('comment', [ 3, 2 ])

When repeatIndexes is not specified, if the field is repeated, a single field is selected following the current repeat indexes.

NOTE: This only supports the wizard's free validation mode. lax and strict are not yet supported.

[SINCE Orbeon Forms 2023.1.2]

This now also works with the strict and lax validation modes. In these modes, the wizard will check whether the switch to the requested wizard page is allowed.

  • If so, it will switch and focus on the control.

  • If not, it will ignore the focus() request.

Listening for Error Summary navigation

[SINCE Orbeon Forms 2022.1]

For analytics purposes, it can be useful to capture when the user is interacting with the Error Summary.

You can do so with the errorSummary.addNavigateToErrorListener() function:

ORBEON.fr.API.errorSummary.addNavigateToErrorListener(
    listener: (e: ErrorSummaryNavigateToErrorEvent) => void
)

Example:

ORBEON.fr.API.errorSummary.addNavigateToErrorListener(
    function(e) { console.log(e); }
)

The parameter to the function is an event object defined as follows:

type ErrorSummaryNavigateToErrorEvent = {
    readonly validationPosition: number;   // positive integer
    readonly controlName       : string;   // Form Runner control name
    readonly repetitions       : number[]; // 1-based repeat indexes if within repeated grids/sections
    readonly controlLabel      : string;   // control label in the current language
    readonly validationMessage : string;   // validation message in the current language
    readonly validationLevel   : string;   // "error", "warning", or "info"
    readonly sectionNames      : string[]; // ancestor section names
    readonly elementId         : string;   // id of the element in the DOM (can be missing from the DOM!)
}

The listener can be removed with removeNavigateToErrorListener() by passing the same function object as parameter.

ORBEON.fr.API.errorSummary.removeNavigateToErrorListener(fn)

See also

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