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Patterns and components

Users can create resources from multiple entry points. If it's the user's first time, or a recurrent creation, we provide three pattern solutions.

Modal

A user interface element subordinate to an application's main window. It prevents interaction with the main page content, but keeps it visible with the modal as a child window in front of it.

Single page create

Use single page create if you want your users to create a resource on a single page. This component is optimized for simple to medium-complex forms.

Multipage create

Use the multipage create, which employs the wizard component, when you want users to create resources by completing a set of interrelated tasks. We recommend multipage create for long or complex configurations.

Flow charts

Criteria

	Modal	Single page create	Multipage create
Length	= 1 field	Between 2 and 15 fields in the primary section or up to 5 groups of settings	More than 16 fields in primary sections or more than 5 groups of settings
Complexity	Basic text input fields and simple selects	Flow does not require any category to have its own page	Concepts require in-depth interactions that benefit from having their own page
Recovery	Input is mutable after creation	Input mutable after creation	Input immutable after creation
Error handling	In trigger page	In creation page	In every single step and in summary step
Frequency	n/a	Frequent	Infrequent

Length

Deciding how many fields are in the primary section:

Any required field that we can’t provide a good default for (For example, a password).
Any field that 80% or more users would expect to see and want to know the value of in order to be successful (For example, knowing the security group associated with the resource, even when we provide a good default).
All other fields go into the additional configuration section with appropriate defaults.

Some flows have variables that are based on what the user chose in a previous step. The total number of fields should be considered for the longest possible variation of your form.

Complexity

Complexity refers to the types of interactions in your flow. In some cases, interactions are complex enough that having their own page will make it easier for users to complete and make better decisions.

Recovery

For configurations that allow or disallow a correction or modification without creating a new one.

Error handling

Where in the flow errors can be caught, so the user can modify them in context.

Frequency

Only use frequency as a criterion if you’re unsure which pattern to use.

Create resource