Pendragon Forms Centralized User Control & Security

Building a data collection form is only one part of a successful mobile application. You need to easily manage users, forms and data from one place.

The Pendragon Forms Manager desktop program makes this easy to accomplish, so you won't waste time configuring many computers and handhelds each time you make a change. Updates to forms, users and most security settings are automatically sent to the handheld during the next synchronization.

But simple administration doesn't mean there aren't many ways to control data access and modifications and implement security.

User Groups

Pendragon Forms User Groups let you easily organize handheld users and forms. Users in each group get only the forms and data that they need to see.

User Groups also simplify distributing forms. Just add the form to the group, and it will be sent to each handheld in the group during the next synchronization. You can also remove forms this way.

Users and forms can even be assigned to more than one group. In the example at the right, the handheld user Mickey is in both the Mice User Group and in the Animals User Group.

User Groups Design Tip:

Use the Default Group for form design and testing. Create a second User Group for forms that are ready for your users.

Professional Strength Controls

The Forms Manager lets you build professional strength applications with many choices for managing the user experience and controlling data access.

Checkboxes so that even novice users can implement powerful controls without writing code.

Select different options for each form. Restrict more sensitive forms while providing unrestricted access to others.

Some of the ways you can make your form work better are....

Specify how long records stay on the handheld after synchronization. Whether you're creating a single-use survey or historical service log, you choose the setting that's right for you.

Choose whether the handheld user can add, modify or delete records.

Disable navigation (end, next and previous) and review buttons for the entire form. (Views Tab)

Be selective about the records sent to the handheld. Create your own rules to select records based on the handheld user, the date, a checkbox value or an answer selected from a list. (Synchronization Tab)

You make the rules for sharing records via Infrared beaming. You have control over whether or not beaming is allowed and how duplicate records are merged. (Beaming Tab)

Set a password for any form to restrict unauthorized access. (Security Tab)

Get data insurance. Schedule Backup data to a removable media card. (Security Tab)

Perspective. Layout, Field or Record View (Defaults Tab)

Get the Pendragon Forms Reference Guide

If you have already installed the Pendragon Forms evaluation, the Reference Guide is available by clicking the Windows Start button ... Programs ... Pendragon Forms ... Reference Guide.

The Pendragon Forms Reference Guide is also available online. (8.1MB, PDF download. Right-click on this link and choose Save Target As...)

How long will records stay on the handheld?

You can choose whether or not handheld users .. Using the Data Persistence selections on the Form Properties screen, you can select

For surveys and other one-time data collection applications, you may want to remove the form from the handheld after synchronization.

Service applications may be more useful if historical data is available. For applications like work orders, you may only want to remove the record when the job and data entry for the record are completed.

Keep a copy of records on handheld
Keep new records on handheld for __ days
Keep incomplete records on handheld