non-body parts for browse display

[David Jondreau]

Does anyone have any experience with using non-body parts to display data in Form View?

Right now, for some of my data entry tables I have two layouts, a list view and a form (detail) view. In the name of simplicity and the principle of "Return your user to where they left," I'd like to use one layout for both views.

What I've come up with is to have on layout with a small body in which I've put the contact's name. Then I've put all the detail info in a trailing grand-summary part.

In List view the summary doesn't show, just the name. In Form view, both parts show, with the name in a decent enough location on the screen.

Do you see any downsides to this technique?

[LaRetta]

The only thing I can see is that it appears you can't have any field labels in the trailing grand summary part or they still show. There may be ways of hiding them however. Also, if you put a number field in the trailing grand summary, that number will still show and appear the same on EVERY record.

It is a clever technique and similar to Comment's use of not displaying data in sub-summary parts if not sorted by the leading part category. In that light, you might want to consider using a sub-summary part instead of the trailing grand summary because it overcomes the two disadvantages listed above.

Edited October 18, 2008 by Guest
Changed wording

[David Jondreau]

Just found a third disadvantage of the trailing grand...when there's only a single record in list view, the summary shows with all the "form view" layout parts.

Sub-summary it is!