Anchor a Control

You can anchor controls on a form to make your controls grow or shrink to use available space.

Although you can anchor form controls, Cherwell recommends using adaptive layouts to determine how forms adapt to changes in screen size. Adaptive layouts are effective across CSM Browser Client, CSM Desktop Client, and CSM Portal. For more information on adaptive layouts, see Adaptive Layouts.

Please note that if you use anchoring, form rendering may vary across the CSM Clients. Controls that will grow or shrink to use available space in the CSM Desktop Client will not do so in the CSM Browser Client and CSM Portal. This can be achieved with Adaptive Layouts.

To anchor controls on a form, use the Form Editor. You can access the Form Editor from within a Blueprint in CSM Administrator. To select anchoring options, choose the sides of the form to which the control should be anchored (you can use combinations). Options include:

  • Left: Control keeps the same distance to the left edge and moves farther away from the right edge when the form gets bigger.
  • Top: Control keeps the same distance to the top edge and moves farther away from the bottom edge when the form gets bigger.
  • Right: Control keeps the same distance to the right edge and moves farther away from the left edge when the form gets bigger.
  • Bottom: Control keeps the same distance to the bottom edge and moves farther away from the top edge when the form gets bigger.
  • LeftandRight: Distance between both horizontal edges remains the same, and the control stretches to fill the horizontal space when the form gets bigger.
  • TopandBottom: Distance between both vertical edges remains the same, and the control stretches to fill the vertical space when the form gets bigger.
  • All (Left, Right, Top, and Bottom): Distance between all edges remains the same and the control proportionally stretches to fill both the horizontal and vertical space when the form gets bigger.

Good to Know:

  • Top and Left is the default.
  • If the control is not anchored to any edge, it floats between the two edges.
  • Anchoring options are available on the Form Editor toolbar and context (right-click) menu.
  • For tips on working with controls and the Form Editor, see Form Editor Behaviors.

To anchor a control:

  1. Open a form in the Form Editor.
  2. Select a control.
  3. On the Form Editor toolbar, select the drop-down arrow on the Anchor controls to edges button Anchoring Button.
  4. Select an anchoring option (you can use combinations).
  5. To save your changes, select Select.

    If you do not select Select, your changes are abandoned.

  6. Publish the Blueprint to commit the changes, or save the Blueprint to continue making other changes.