Model-driven UI Controls

Your Case Type Data Model includes a field with the Picklist Field Type. When creating the field, the selection of Picklist as the Field Type determines the UI display options for that field:

• Drop-down list – best when the number of records to choose from is limited and viewing one record at a time is preferred.
• Search box – best when you need to display more than one property and there are many records to choose from.
• Radio buttons – best when the number of records to choose from is limited.

The following image shows how these choices are provided when configuring the Incident Type field in the Case Type Data Model:

Configurations can use two related fields, both defined with the Picklist Field Type, to define a View with a cascading drop-down configuration. The Picklist Field Type can also be used to relate two fields using a cascading drop-down configuration pattern.

Business requirements for an application often require the choices associated with one field to be restricted based on the choice of an earlier field. For example, the selection of an Industry name is based on the earlier selection for the Industry sector field, as seen in the following figure:

In Pega’s Traditional architecture, developers use Dev Studio to define a Section Rule in which an On Change event and an Action set are combined to create the required UI control.

In Constellation, you simply define an Industry sector field with the Picklist Field Type. Then, you configure the Data Page to include an Industry Sector parameter. The second Industry field, also with the Picklist Field Type, references the value of the first field. This cascading configuration ensures that the second field dynamically updates based on the selection in the first field. This approach makes it easier to configure and maintains consistency with the Data Model.

This is the Constellation advantage - the most common Case management patterns are built into the Data Model configuration options.

The 'Data Model - UI control' configuration approach is not specific to the Picklist Field Type. Each Field Type has its own associated UI control. Additional Field Types and their associated UI controls include: 

Location

The Location Field Type is used to store location data. When authoring a View, the UI control for Location is an embedded Google Map.

Currency

The Currency Field Type, rather than the Decimal Field Type, is used when the field is used in reference to money because it includes currency codes and the appropriate decimal and comma-separators for the currency.

Text (single line)

The Text (single line) Field Type is used for numerical fields (for example, Account number or Customer number), where comma separators are not wanted. Additionally, Email and URL Field Types are used instead of Text (single line) because they include out-of-the-box validation for email and URL text patterns. 

Embedded Data (List of Records)

The Embedded Data Field Type is used to create a relationship between a data object and a Case Type. In a field with an Embedded Data Field Type, a record or list of records entered by a user is associated with a Case instance. 

The Embedded Data Field Type supports the following modes: 

• Single record
• List of records

When authoring a View, the UI control options for an embedded list of records are a table or a field group. The Table is displayed differently depending on whether the field is set to Editable or Read-only, as seen in the following figures:

The Editable table:

The Read-only table:

Additionally, the field group approach provides another way to display an embedded list of records. A field group is useful when you need a more structured and detailed view of each record in the list. Understanding when to use a table versus a field group depends on the complexity and format of the data you need to present. Tables are ideal for simpler data, while field groups are better for complex data structures where each record requires multiple fields for detailed information.

Case Reference

The Case Reference Field Type is used for conveniently selecting a previously created Case from within the current Case - creating a Case-to-Case relationship. The UI control options for a Case Reference are Autocomplete, Dropdown, and Table, as seen in the following figures:

Case Reference table:

Case Reference dropdown:

Case Reference autocomplete:

Data Reference

The Data Reference Field Type is used for conveniently searching and selecting information related to a Data Object whose records are sourced either from the Pega Database or from an external system of record.

The Data Reference Field Type supports following modes:

• Single record
• List of records
• Many to Many

Each mode has its own associated UI controls, for example, the list of records mode supports Table, Simple Table, Combobox, and Checkbox Group, some of which are displayed in the following figures:

Data Reference simple table:

Data Reference combobox:

Data Reference checkbox group: