Creating Custom Request Forms

Ares allows you to create as many request web forms as you need for your item types. If you decide to create new item request forms, you will need to create both the IRF and IRFEdit forms. It is a good idea to use another IRF and IRFEdit form as a template (for example, IRFBook.html and IRFEditBook.html). You will also need to add the new request type to the ItemFormat group in the CustomDropDown table, and verify that the DocumentType is in the DocumentTypes table and the IRFMenu form.

To create a new form: 

1. Using a similar form as a template as suggested above, edit or remove fields as appropriate.

2. Update the tags as shown below to reflect your new format value. When an item is submitted into your system, the drop-down fields in the client will display this new format.

   <input type='hidden' name='ItemType' value='MON'/>
   <input type='hidden' name='format' value='Book'/>

3. Add the new document type to the DocumentTypes table in the customization manager. This is necessary so that Ares will know how to deal with items of the type you have created and so the new document type will appear in the dropdown fields.

4. Add your new request type to the IRFMenu.html document. To do that, just copy and paste one of the other entries and edit your information on it.

   <span style="float:left; text-align: center; margin: 5px; padding: 20px;">
   <a href="<#ACTION action="10" form="2" value="IRF______">&CourseID=<#COURSE field="CourseId">">
   <img src="images/ImageFileName.gif" height="32" width="32" title="ImageDisplayName"/>
   <br/>
   Replace this with the Display Name</a>
   </span>