--- title: Activate Web Form Controls slug: activate-web-form-controls createdAt: 2025-07-14T03:17:12.921Z --- Activate provides a variety of **predefined controls** that can be used to build **web forms** displayed on the **Activate web portal**. These controls enable dynamic form creation for various purposes, including user interaction, data collection, and service provisioning. *** ## Control Usage Activate controls are primarily designed for: - **Web Portal forms** displayed directly in the Activate portal. - **Display-only HTML rendering**, useful for scenarios like embedding form output in emails. - **Plain text rendering**, which may be necessary when integrating with systems like service desks that support **text-only tickets**. :::BlockQuote **Note:** Some controls have limitations based on the **rendering format** (HTML or text). Unsupported controls should not be used where the output must be plain text or a specific rendering mode is required. ::: *** ## Services Web Forms When designing **web forms for services**, it is generally expected that the form supports **HTML display-only rendering**. However, a **plain text format** may also be needed when: - Generating a **service desk ticket**, where the target system only accepts plain text input. *** ## Difference Rendering Certain controls support **difference rendering**, which highlights or renders only the **changes (differences)** when: - Updating services - Modifying existing records Controls that support this feature are identified in the summary below. *** ## Control Summary | Control | HTML Display Only | Text | Supports Difference | Notes | | --------------------------------- | ----------------- | ---- | ------------------- | --------------------------------------------- | | ActivateWebGrid | Yes | Yes | No | | | Break | Yes | Yes | - | | | CheckBox | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | CheckBoxList | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | CompareValidator | No | No | No | | | CustomValidator | Yes | Yes | No | Renders Nothing | | DatePicker | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | DropdownList | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | ExpressionValidator | Yes | Yes | | Renders Nothing | | FileUpload | Yes | Yes | No | | | FormButton | No | No | - | | | FormPanel | No | No | - | | | GridPanel | Yes | Yes | - | | | HelpPanel | Yes | Yes | - | Renders Nothing | | HTMLEditor | Yes | No | No | Cannot be rendered in text mode | | Image | Yes | Yes | - | Renders nothing in text mode | | ImageUpload | No | No | - | | | LocalLabel | Yes | Yes | - | Label control is not supported | | Listbox | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | ListPanel | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | Literal | Yes | Yes | - | | | OptionalPanel | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | OrganisationChart | No | No | - | | | Panel | Yes | No | - | | | RadioButton | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | RadioButtonList | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | RangeValidator | No | No | - | | | RegularExpressionValidator | No | No | - | | | RequiredValidator | No | No | - | | | SectionHeader | Yes | Yes | - | | | SelectAsset | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | SelectComputer | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | SelectContact | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | SelectDLFolder | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | SelectFolder | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | SelectGroup | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | SelectPrinter | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | SelectProvisioningObject | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | SelectResource | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | SelectRole | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | SelectService | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | SelectTask | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | SelectUser | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | SelectMultipleProvisioningObjects | Yes | Yes | No | | | TabControl | Yes (v6.1+) | Yes | - | Displays contents of each tab under a heading | | TermsAcceptor | Yes | Yes | No | | | Textbox | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | UserOrganisationChart | No | No | - | | | ValidatedPhoneNumber | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | ValidatedTextBox | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | ValidationSummary | No | No | - | | *** ## Troubleshooting If a form includes an **unsupported control**, rendering the form in an incompatible mode (e.g. text or difference view) may result in the following error: :::BlockQuote **Error:** *"Unfortunately, the details cannot be shown in this mode. Please view the details on the Activate Web Portal."* ::: Additionally: - An **exception will be logged** in the application event log with detailed information. - Removing or replacing the **unsupported control or script** should resolve the issue. Activate provides a variety of **predefined controls** that can be used to build **web forms** displayed on the **Activate web portal**. These controls enable dynamic form creation for various purposes, including user interaction, data collection, and service provisioning. *** ## Control Usage Activate controls are primarily designed for: - **Web Portal forms** displayed directly in the Activate portal. - **Display-only HTML rendering**, useful for scenarios like embedding form output in emails. - **Plain text rendering**, which may be necessary when integrating with systems like service desks that support **text-only tickets**. :::BlockQuote **Note:** Some controls have limitations based on the **rendering format** (HTML or text). Unsupported controls should not be used where the output must be plain text or a specific rendering mode is required. ::: *** ## Services Web Forms When designing **web forms for services**, it is generally expected that the form supports **HTML display-only rendering**. However, a **plain text format** may also be needed when: - Generating a **service desk ticket**, where the target system only accepts plain text input. *** ## Difference Rendering Certain controls support **difference rendering**, which highlights or renders only the **changes (differences)** when: - Updating services - Modifying existing records Controls that support this feature are identified in the summary below. *** ## Control Summary | Control | HTML Display Only | Text | Supports Difference | Notes | | --------------------------------- | ----------------- | ---- | ------------------- | --------------------------------------------- | | ActivateWebGrid | Yes | Yes | No | | | Break | Yes | Yes | - | | | CheckBox | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | CheckBoxList | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | CompareValidator | No | No | No | | | CustomValidator | Yes | Yes | No | Renders Nothing | | DatePicker | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | DropdownList | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | ExpressionValidator | Yes | Yes | | Renders Nothing | | FileUpload | Yes | Yes | No | | | FormButton | No | No | - | | | FormPanel | No | No | - | | | GridPanel | Yes | Yes | - | | | HelpPanel | Yes | Yes | - | Renders Nothing | | HTMLEditor | Yes | No | No | Cannot be rendered in text mode | | Image | Yes | Yes | - | Renders nothing in text mode | | ImageUpload | No | No | - | | | LocalLabel | Yes | Yes | - | Label control is not supported | | Listbox | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | ListPanel | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | Literal | Yes | Yes | - | | | OptionalPanel | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | OrganisationChart | No | No | - | | | Panel | Yes | No | - | | | RadioButton | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | RadioButtonList | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | RangeValidator | No | No | - | | | RegularExpressionValidator | No | No | - | | | RequiredValidator | No | No | - | | | SectionHeader | Yes | Yes | - | | | SelectAsset | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | SelectComputer | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | SelectContact | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | SelectDLFolder | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | SelectFolder | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | SelectGroup | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | SelectPrinter | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | SelectProvisioningObject | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | SelectResource | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | SelectRole | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | SelectService | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | SelectTask | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | SelectUser | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | SelectMultipleProvisioningObjects | Yes | Yes | No | | | TabControl | Yes (v6.1+) | Yes | - | Displays contents of each tab under a heading | | TermsAcceptor | Yes | Yes | No | | | Textbox | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | UserOrganisationChart | No | No | - | | | ValidatedPhoneNumber | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | ValidatedTextBox | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | ValidationSummary | No | No | - | | *** ## Troubleshooting If a form includes an **unsupported control**, rendering the form in an incompatible mode (e.g. text or difference view) may result in the following error: :::BlockQuote **Error:** *"Unfortunately, the details cannot be shown in this mode. Please view the details on the Activate Web Portal."* ::: Additionally: - An **exception will be logged** in the application event log with detailed information. - Removing or replacing the **unsupported control or script** should resolve the issue.