Creating public access pages, forms, subforms, outlines, views, agents, and style sheets

About this task

The database ACL controls access to specific design elements, such as pages, documents, forms, outlines, views, folders, and style sheets. Users with No Access or Depositor access in the ACL cannot access the design elements of a database. There are times, however, when you might want to make design elements accessible to all users, regardless of access level. To do so, you make the design elements available for Public Access.

For example, public documents are necessary for calendar applications where one user lets another user read or create appointments on his or her behalf. To create the public documents for this application, you must first create a public access form containing a public access field. Then you create a public folder or view to display the document.

Note that you can also make manually run agents available for public access.

To designate a page, form, or subform for public access

Procedure

  1. Open the page, form, or subform.
  2. Choose Design - <design element> Properties.
  3. Click the Security tab.
  4. Select "Available to Public Access Users."
  5. On a form or subform, create a field.
  6. In the Name field, enter $PublicAccess.
  7. In the Type field, select Text and Computed when composed.
  8. In the Programmer's pane at the end of the form, enter "1" as the default value for the field.
  9. To hide this field from users, select the Field Hide When tab and specify hide-when conditions.

To designate a view for public access

Procedure

  1. Open the view.
  2. Choose Design - View Properties.
  3. Click the Security tab.
  4. Check "Available to public access users" if you want to make documents in this view or folder available to users with public access read or write privileges in the access control list for this database.

To designate an outline for public access

Procedure

  1. Open the outline
  2. Choose Design - Outline Properties.
  3. Check "Available to public access users."

To create a style sheet for public access

Procedure

  1. Click Resources - Style Sheets in the Design pane.
  2. Highlight a style sheet and choose Resource - Resource Properties. The Style Sheet Resource Properties box appears.
  3. Select the Security tab and check "Available to public access users."

To create an agent for public access

Procedure

  1. Open the agent in Designer.
  2. Click Options.
  3. Select "Available to Public Access Users."