Form

Last updated 14/01/2026

Form Object

The

Form

object allows to represent a form user interface and its fields, allowing your code to read from and react to input. It provides the connection between the user interface and your application's logic.

In Five, all events have an instance of the

Five

object as the initial parameter, and this provides a function called

sender() : any

. Using this function we can get the current form in many situations, below are scenarios depending on the appropriate event:

• If an event attached to a form is called (ie,
  OnShow
  ), the current form will be
  five.sender()
  ;
• If an event attached to a form page is called (ie,
  OnLeaving
  ), the current form will be
  five.sender().getParent()
  ;
• If an event attached to a form field is called (ie,
  OnExit
  ), the current form will be
  five.sender().getParent().getParent();

If you are in subforms, you can further call

getParent()

to move up the form hierarchy if needed.

What the Form Object Does

• Holds the current values entered into the form fields
• Lets you get field values programmatically
• Allows validation of user input
• Triggers logic when fields change or a form is submitted (saved)

How the Form Object Fits into an Application Flow

A typical lifecycle looks like this:

1. Form loads - fields are populated from data or defaults.

2. User interacts - by typing, selecting, or changing values.

3. Form object - values are stored internally, and form events are attached.

4. Your code reacts - it runs the logic, updates other fields, and shows messages or errors.

5. Form submits - final validation occurs, and data passed to the backend or workflow.

Summary

The

Form

object is not just data, it is behavior + state + interaction. It allows you to treat the form as a programmable object, keep the UI and logic cleanly connected, and build responsive, rule-driven user experiences.

Functions on the Form Object

The following functions are available on the

Form

object.

actionID()

The

actionID()

is a function on the

Form

object that returns a string identifier for the action associated with that form. It is used to differentiate forms in your code based on the action they represent. It's specifically limited to forms and is used to control logic, UI, or behavior based on that action.

Available: Client

Function Signature

actionID() : string;

Return value: A string representing the unique identifier for the form action.

Examples:

actionID()

event()

The

event()

is a function on the

Form

object that returns the ID of the event that caused the form event logic to run, such as

OnShow

. Effectively, it tells you why the form code is executing.

Available: Client

Function Signature

event() : string;

Return value: A string representing the ID of the event that triggered the form logic.

Examples:

event()

getPage()

The

getPage()

is a function on the

Form

object that returns a

FormPage

object that represents any page on a form. Many forms in Five are split into pages,

getPage()

gives you access to specific pages so you can work with them in code.

Available: Client

Function Signature

getPage(pageID: string) : FormPage;

Parameter	Type	Description
pageID	string	The Page ID for the page

Return value: A

FormPage

object that represents any page on a form.

Examples:

getPage()

getParent()

The

getParent()

is a function on the

Form

object that returns another

Form

object, specifically, the parent form of the current form if it exists.

By returning another form, it allows you to move up the form hierarchy. Forms in Five are nested, within a form, there is a main form that can have sub-forms,

getParent()

lets you navigate upward in this structure.

Available: Client

Function Signature

getParent() : Form;

Return value : A

Form

object for the parent form of the current form.

Examples:

getParent()

getValue()

The

getValue()

is a function on the

Form

object that reads or retrieves the current value of a field on the form. It does not modify the field, it only reads the value in the field.

getValue()

is used for the entire form, if you have multiple pages/sub-forms on a form, the first unique identifier for a field will be used. In the event of duplicate field IDs on a form, it is recommended to use:

getPage("PageID").getField.("FieldID").getValue()

Available: Client

Function Signature

getValue(fieldID: string) : any;

Parameter	Type	Description
fieldID	string	The Field ID for the form field

Return value : Any value stored in the field, it can be a string, number, boolean, object, date, null/defined etc.

Examples:

getValue()

isCreate()

The

isCreate()

is a function on the

Form

object that tells you whether the form is currently being used to create a new record. It returns

true

when the form is in create mode (new record), and returns

false

when the form is not creating a new record (eg. editing or viewing an existing record).

Available: Client

Function Signature

isCreate() : boolean;

Return value : boolean,

true

for create or

false

for not create.

Examples:

isCreate()

refresh()

The

refresh()

is a function on the

Form

object that reloads or updates the form with the latest data. Effectively, ensuring everything is up-to-date on the form.

The optional parameter gives you control over how much of the form hierarchy gets refreshed, but you don't have to provide it if you only care about the current form.

Available: Client

Function Signature

refresh([includeParents]) : void;

Parameter	Type	Description
includeParents	boolean	Optional: Refresh this form and all parents in the hierarchy

Return value : void, this function does not return a value back to the caller.

Examples:

refresh()