App Builder lets you create a complete custom application, forms, approvals, notifications and generated documents — without any code. Building an application follows a simple six-stage path: create the application, create a form, design the form, set up the workflow, add document templates (optional), and publish. This article walks you through each stage in order.

Stage 1 - Create the application

Step 1 - Log in and select App Builder from the bottom of the sidebar.

Step 2 - In the Applications window, click Create Application.

Step 3 - Enter an Application Name. The Menu Label fills in automatically.

Step 4 - Add a Description and select an Application Icon.

Step 5 - Click Create. A draft application is created.

Note: To edit or delete an application later, click the three-dot menu ( ⋮ ) next to it and choose Edit or Delete.

Stage 2 - Create a form

Step 1 - Open the application you just created to reach the Forms window.

Step 2 - Click Create Form.

Step 3 - Enter a Form Name and click Save. The form opens with three tabs: Design, Workflow, and Document Templates.

Stage 3 - Design the form

On the Design tab you have a drag-and-drop canvas and a panel of widgets. Drag a widget onto the canvas, then click it to open the Properties Panel and configure it. Widgets are grouped into Basic and Advanced.

Basic widgets

• Text Field — short, single-line text such as names or titles.
• Text Area — longer text or comments (up to 5,000 characters).
• Number Field — whole numbers or decimals.
• Date Picker — selecting a date.
• Time Picker — selecting a time.
• Dropdown Selection — choosing one value from a list.
• Checkbox Group — selecting several options.
• Radio Button Group — selecting one option from several.
• Single Checkbox — Yes / No or True / False.
• Toggle Switch — On / Off or Active / Inactive.
• Attachment — uploading one file per field.
• Employee Autocomplete — searching for and selecting an employee.
• Master Data — picking values from a Master Data form in the same app.

Advanced widgets

• Instructions — displaying guidance text (not an input).
• Section Separator — dividing the form into visual sections.
• Record Owner — defining the employee the record belongs to (added by default).
• Document Generator — generating a document from a linked template.
• Action History — showing the record's workflow history (read-only).
• Lookup Field — pulling data from a Master Data form in the same app.

Step 1 - When you are done, click Save.

Step 2 - Click Preview to see the form as end users will. Preview is available only after saving.

To continue setting up the app builder workflow, please refer to this article: https://help.orangehrm.com/hc/en-us/articles/60358830715289/

Reporting with Combined Form and Employee Data

You can now build reports that combine the data captured in an application form with employee information, then filter and export them. This gives a fuller picture than form data alone.

1. Open the reporting area for your application.

   

2. Choose the form fields and employee fields to include.

   

3. Apply filters to focus the report.
4. Export to CSV, Excel or PDF.

Usability Enhancements

Several refinements make day-to-day use of App Builder applications easier:

• A Status column is shown in lists and reports, so you can see where each request stands at a glance.
• Dates are shown in your own local format.
• Form field tokens are clearer, making it easier to author templates.