Enhancing Acumatica's Modern UI: Adding More Than Three Columns to Form Templates

In the world of Acumatica customization, developers often face limitations that require creative solutions. One such limitation is the predefined structure of the Modern UI form templates, which typically supports a maximum of three columns. However, as business needs evolve, the requirement for more dynamic and flexible form layouts becomes essential. In this article, we'll explore how to add more than three columns to the Modern UI form templates and some considerations to keep in mind.

Understanding the Limitations of Modern UI Templates

Acumatica’s Modern UI is designed to be intuitive and responsive, with templates that fit a variety of common use cases. However, the default templates, as per the Modern UI Development Guide, only support a maximum of three columns. This can be restrictive when trying to create more complex, multi-column layouts for forms.

The default templates provide a basic structure, often referred to as 1-1-1 (for three equal columns).

These templates are widely used and are suitable for many business cases. However, when users need to add more complexity to the layout—such as displaying multiple related fields side by side—they face the limitation of these three predefined columns.

Solution: Modifying Templates to Add More Columns

While Acumatica’s Modern UI provides some restrictions, it also allows for significant customization through template modification. To overcome the three-column limitation, you can modify the template structure using the following approach.

Here's an example of how to add more than three columns to a form:

<qp-template name="1-1-1" ...>

  <div slot="A">...</div>

  <div slot="B">...</div>

  <qp-template slot="C" name="1-1">

    <div slot="A">...</div>

    <div slot="B">...</div>

  </qp-template>

</qp-template>

In the code above, we extend the original "1-1-1" template by nesting another "1-1" template inside it. This results in an analog template structure similar to “2-2-1-1.” The flexibility of this method allows for greater customization without compromising the integrity of the form’s responsiveness.

Why Is It Not Recommended to Exceed Three Columns?

Although modifying the template to exceed three columns is possible, it’s important to understand the implications. According to Acumatica’s engineering team, exceeding three columns can lead to rendering inconsistencies across different screen resolutions. This can result in a suboptimal user experience, as the UI may not adapt well to varying screen sizes and devices.

The layout may appear broken, with content either getting misaligned or not displaying properly, particularly on smaller screens. Therefore, while technically feasible, it’s advised to stick with three columns to maintain a consistent and responsive design.

Merging Fields in Modern UI Templates

Another consideration for customizing form templates is merging fields. The Modern UI documentation does not explicitly cover how to merge fields, but some developers have raised questions about this functionality.

Merging fields typically involves combining multiple fields into a single visual area, which can be useful when displaying related data in close proximity. This feature is especially useful for creating compact forms or when you want to save screen space. However, as this is not a documented feature in the Modern UI guide, it is often left to unofficial methods or custom code implementations.

Conclusion

The ability to customize Acumatica’s Modern UI templates offers developers the flexibility to create tailored layouts for a variety of business needs. By modifying templates and nesting additional layout structures, it is possible to go beyond the default three-column limit. However, developers must consider the potential drawbacks, such as rendering inconsistencies, when implementing such customizations.

As always, when making changes to Acumatica’s UI templates, it is important to balance customization with usability and responsiveness. Test thoroughly across multiple devices and screen sizes to ensure a seamless experience for all users.

By understanding the capabilities and limitations of the Modern UI, Acumatica developers can push the boundaries of design while maintaining a user-friendly interface.

Looking to take your Acumatica customization to the next level? If you’re facing limitations with the default Modern UI form templates or need a more dynamic layout solution, we’re here to help. Our team specializes in developing customized, flexible form templates that meet your unique business needs.

Leave a request for your custom Acumatica solution today, and let’s discuss how we can create a layout that works seamlessly across all devices while enhancing your users' experience. Contact us now to get started!