# Buttons & Actions

Buttons and Actions are core interaction mechanisms in **ONEWEB Smart Forms**.\
They define **what users can do** on a form and **how the system responds** to those actions—ranging from saving data to triggering processes or executing custom logic.

This section explains the different types of **Buttons** and **Actions** supported by **App Designer**, and when each should be used.

***

### Buttons

**Buttons** represent **user‑initiated actions** on a Smart Form.\
App Designer supports **three types of Button configurations**, each serving a different scope.

***

#### Entity Button

**Entity Buttons** perform actions that apply to the **entire Smart Form (Entity)**.

Typical use cases include:

* Save / Update entity data
* Search records
* Cancel, Reject, or Reset the form
* Trigger entity‑level database operations

Entity Buttons are usually placed near the **top or bottom of the form** and affect the overall form state.

<figure><img src="https://2015371994-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FMpDjHWFRUtZ5nJcSfVXd%2Fuploads%2FF5wuWQe4XWInefbtDwkd%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=23df2be6-025c-47df-a881-7488087ecca9" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<p align="center"><em>Example of Entity Buttons</em></p>

***

#### Module Button

**Module Buttons** apply actions only to a **specific 1‑Many module** and do not affect the entire entity.

Typical use cases include:

* Add a new record to a 1‑Many module
* Update or delete selected rows
* Save or cancel changes within the module

Module Buttons are commonly used inside **child modules** such as item lists or related records.

<figure><img src="https://2015371994-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FMpDjHWFRUtZ5nJcSfVXd%2Fuploads%2Fv5iNT0tEHdorwL7QnclT%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=792a6305-cca3-4df3-887b-71aae030b320" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<p align="center"><em>Example of Module Buttons</em></p>

***

#### Process Button

**Process Buttons** connect Smart Forms to **business processes or Microflows**.

Typical use cases include:

* Submit form data to start a workflow
* Trigger approval processes
* Invoke backend automation logic

Process Buttons act as the bridge between **UX/UI** and **process execution**.

<figure><img src="https://2015371994-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FMpDjHWFRUtZ5nJcSfVXd%2Fuploads%2FEv9ktSS3teV1C0AjycSY%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=1b8ce074-41db-43f4-b17b-744f14c900c3" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<p align="center"><em>Example of Process Button</em></p>

***

{% hint style="info" %}
**Note:** For a complete list of Button configuration properties, refer to the **Buttons** section in\
**Chapter 8 – App Designer Reference**.
{% endhint %}

***

### Actions

**Actions** are extensibility hooks provided by **App Designer** that allow developers to attach **custom logic** to Smart Forms.

Actions can be used to:

* Override default save or update behavior
* Inject custom Java or JavaScript logic
* Extend form behavior beyond configuration

There are **two types of Actions**, based on scope.

***

#### Entity Action

**Entity Actions** apply to the **entire Entity**.

Key characteristics:

* Can attach **Java classes** to override save, update, or entity‑level behavior
* Cannot attach JSP files
* Used for entity‑wide business logic

Entity Actions are suitable when logic must apply consistently across the entire form.

<figure><img src="https://2015371994-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FMpDjHWFRUtZ5nJcSfVXd%2Fuploads%2F5Fcl0gjcXyrNCseb17qa%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=8f286f5d-bc51-4dbd-bc23-f6dd2e39faa8" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<p align="center"><em>Example of Entity Action</em></p>

***

#### Module Action

**Module Actions** apply only to a **specific module**.

Key characteristics:

* Can include **custom JSP files**
* Can attach **Java classes** to override add, update, or save behavior
* Can use **JavaScript** to customize module‑level interactions

Module Actions are ideal for extending behavior within **1‑Many modules** or specialized UI sections.

<figure><img src="https://2015371994-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FMpDjHWFRUtZ5nJcSfVXd%2Fuploads%2F3PtgJsinqFCZqhyZKWOd%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=4124594a-8006-42bd-a52b-4e951afc73c3" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<p align="center"><em>Example of Module Action</em></p>

***

{% hint style="info" %}
**Note:** For full configuration details of Actions, refer to the **Actions** section in\
**Chapter 8 – App Designer Reference**.
{% endhint %}

***

### Design Perspective

As part of **Smart Form best practices**:

* Use **Entity Buttons** for form‑level actions
* Use **Module Buttons** for localized data manipulation
* Use **Process Buttons** to integrate with workflows
* Apply **Actions** only when configuration alone is not sufficient

Keeping button scope and action scope clear helps maintain **predictable behavior** and **clean design**.


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