How Do I Display Forms to my Users?

There are two ways to display a list of forms to users: real-time web service calls (preferred) or download the forms data into a local database. This section discusses both options but focuses on how to build your own forms database that is refreshed by Quik!.

Real-time Web Services

All the Forms Data web services can be called at run-time to download only the requisite forms. Call each desired web service and pass search parameters. For example, you can provide an advanced search feature to users in your application by calling the web services to get a list of dealers, states, categories and transaction types to fill your drop-downs and list boxes with options for your user to choose. Then, allow the user to select from the search criteria and pass that data to the next web service call (e.g. the forms list method) to return only the desired forms. This method is optimal because it enables your application to be in sync with the Quik! web server in real-time.

Local Database

To manage the list of Quik! forms available to your users, we have built a turn-key ASP.NET web application and SQL Server (2005) database that can be setup and scheduled to synchronize your form data. Please see the QuikFormsWizard project for details.

If you want to build your own database and web service calls, we recommend updating a single table containing the list of forms. This table should be updated at least once per day to ensure the list of forms is current. In addition, if the customer provides the forms service to multiple broker/dealers, the customer should also manage which dealer's forms a user or set of users can see (based on their broker/dealer affiliation).

Quik! recommends the following tables to manage forms (a script to generate all of these tables is included in the file named QuikFormsWizard_TableScript.sql):

  • tblQFForms – contains the list of forms and their attributes, as updated by the forms data web service.
  • tblQFDealer – contains the Quik! dealer ID and dealer name, as updated from the dealer list web service.
  • tblQFDealerType_lkup – contains a list of dealer types as defined in Quik!
  • tblQFDealerDealerTypes_xref – cross-references dealers with their associated dealer types
  • tblQFFormCategory_lkup – contains a list of categories for forms
  • tblQFFormQFFormCategory_xref – cross-references forms with their associated categories
  • tblQFStates_lkup – contains a list of state codes and names
  • tblQFFormQFState_xref – cross-reference of forms and their associated states
  • tblQFFormTransType_lkup – contains a list of transaction types
  • tblQFFormQFFormTransType_xref – cross-reference of forms and their associated transaction type(s)

NOTE: Primary keys are in BOLD BLUE and foreign keys are in blue.

tblQFForms Schema

The purpose of this table is to hold the list of forms and their attributes to display to users in your application.

Column Name

Data Type

Length

Allow Nulls

Description

QFFormID

int

4

0

Quik! Form ID

QFDealerID

Int

4

0

Quik! Dealer ID for the form

QFFormShortName

varchar

250

1

Form's short name to display to user

QFFormDesc

varchar

1000

1

Form's long description

QFFormStatusID

int

4

1

Form status in Quik!

PublishDate

datetime

8

1

Last publish date for the form

FileSize

int

4

1

Size of PDF file

LitNo

varchar

100

1

Literature number from dealer

NoPages

int

4

1

Number of pages in form

LastUpdate

datetime

8

1

Last date record was updated 


tblQFDealer

This table contains the Quik! Dealer ID and dealer name, as updated from the dealer list web service. Dealers include any entity that provides forms (broker/dealers, mutual funds, insurance companies, etc.)

Column Name

Data Type

Length

Allow Nulls

Description

QFDealerID

int

4

0

Quik! DealerID

QFDealerName

varchar

1000

0

Dealer company name

QFDealerStatusID

Int

4

0

The status for the dealer record (1 = Active, 2 = Inactive)

LastUpdate

datetime

8

0

Last date record was updated


tblQFDealerType_lkup

This table contains a list of dealer types as defined in Quik!

Column Name

Data Type

Length

Allow Nulls

Description

QFDealerTypeID

varchar

3

0

Dealer Type

QFDealerType

varchar

255

0

Dealer type name

QFDealerTypeDesc

varchar

1000

1

Dealer type description

LastUpdate

datetime

8

0

Last date record was updated


tblQFDealerDealerTypes_xref

This table is a cross-reference of dealers with their associated dealer types

Column Name

Data Type

Length

Allow Nulls

Description

QFDealerID

int

4

0

Dealer ID

QFDealerTypeID

Int

4

0

Dealer Types ID

LastUpdate

datetime

8

0

Last date record was updated


tblQFFormCategory_lkup

This table contains a list of categories for forms.

Column Name

Data Type

Length

Allow Nulls

Description

QFFormCategoryID

Int

4

0

Form Category ID

QFFormCategoryDesc

Varchar

255

0

Category name

QFFormCategoryDesc

Varchar

1000

1

Category description

LastUpdate

Datetime

8

0

Last date record was updated


tblQFFormQFFormCategory_xref

This table cross-references forms with their associated categories

Column Name

Data Type

Length

Allow Nulls

Description

QFFormID

Int

4

0

Quik! Form ID

QFFormCategoryID

Int

4

0

Quik! Category ID for the form

LastUpdate

Datetime

8

0

Last date record was updated


tblQFStates_lkup

This table contains a list of state codes and names for use with tblQFormStates.

Column Name

Data Type

Length

Allow Nulls

Description

QFStateID

Int

4

0

Quik! State ID

StateCode

Varchar

6

0

State abbreviation

StateName

varchar

100

0

State full name

SortOrder

Int

4

0

Order the states are listed in the drop downs on the web pages

LastUpdate

datetime

4

0

Last date record was updated


tblQFFormQFState_xref

This table is a cross-reference of forms and their associated states

Column Name

Data Type

Length

Allow Nulls

Description

QFFormID

Int

4

0

Quik! FormID

QFStateID

Int

4

0

The state where the form can be used

LastUpdate

datetime

4

0

Last date record was updated


tblQFFormTransType_lkup

This table contains a list of form transaction type values.

Column Name

Data Type

Length

Allow Nulls

Description

QFFormTransTypeID

Int

4

0

Form transaction types

QFFormTransType

varchar

255

0

Transaction type

QFFormTransTypeDesc

varchar

1000

1

Description of transaction type

LastUpdate

datetime

4

0

Last date record was updated


 

tblQFFormQFFormTransType_xref

This table is a cross-reference of forms and their associated transaction type(s).

Column Name

Data Type

Length

Allow Nulls

Description

QFFormID

Int

4

0

This table lists forms and their transaction types

QFFormTransTypeID

Int

4

0

Form transaction type associated to FormID

LastUpdate

datetime

4

1

Last date record was updated

For help regarding Quik! Forms and the Quik! API
Email: support@quikforms.com | Phone: (877) 456-QUIK