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Purpose
MetaField contains the MetaField® DIY Engine, an engine that allows you to build your own custom forms (for data input/editing) and reports (for client facing output) without complicated programming. This is a powerful platform that allows you to customize many aspects of MetaField for your business needs.
Built on the MetaField DIY Engine is the MetaField® DIY Library, a built-in catalog of pre-designed forms and associated reports supporting an assortment of engineering services and disciplines.
The MetaField DIY Library contains two different types of forms:
- Integrated forms are already configured with the system and ready for you to with minimal setup. These forms and their associated reports cannot be modified but they can be copied and used as a basic for custom forms and reports. For forms used across companies and governed by standards such as the majority of lab tests, this allows you to get up and running quickly but still gives you the ability to customize when needed.
- Template forms cannot be used to log data and must to be copied to create your own forms/reports and customized for use. For processes that vary across companies, these templates provide a foundation to help build custom forms applicable to your business.
In addition to the library, the DIY engine contains :
- Form Designer - this interface allows an administrative user to define the field data collection form for any type of inspection, observation, field test, sample, specimen or anything else that happens in the field. Forms for data collection and test calculations in the lab can also be defined. In addition to defining the data collection, there are advanced features for determine workflow, adding calculations, formulas, charting, and defining form behavior. It can be accessed in Administration under Actviity->Form or under LIMS/Samples->Sample Forms or LIMS/Samples->Test Forms.
- Report Designer - this interface allows an administrative user to define the report outputs for a form or group of forms. This includes layout, design, and formatting of the reports as well as defining certain key properties about the forms. Report Designer is accessed from within Form Designer.
Form Designer and Report Designer work together to define both the data collection and the data reporting for a specific type of data. The entire workflow from data collection through report generation can be customized for the business need. These powerful features can be used in many different ways to add value to your organization.