add-form-field

Add Form Field

Scope

This skill ONLY handles: Appending a single attribute definition to an existing form's field list without replacing other fields.

For replacing all fields at once → use set-form-fields For reading a form's current fields → use get-form

Append an attribute definition to the end of a form's field list without replacing existing fields.

Tools Used

• novadb_cms_get_object — Read current form to get existing fields
• novadb_cms_update_objects — Update form with the new complete field list

Workflow

Step 1: Read Current Form

Call novadb_cms_get_object:

{
  "branch": "<branch>",
  "objectId": "<formId>",
  "inherited": true
}

Step 2: Extract Existing Fields

From the form's values array, find all entries with attribute: 5053. Sort by sortReverse ascending. Extract the value (attribute definition ID) from each.

Step 3: Build Updated Field List

Append the new attribute definition ID to the existing list. Rebuild ALL 5053 entries with correct sortReverse ordering (0, 1, 2, ...).

Step 4: Update the Form

Call novadb_cms_update_objects:

{
  "branch": "<branch>",
  "objects": [
    {
      "meta": { "id": "<formId>", "typeRef": 50 },
      "values": [
        { "attribute": 5053, "language": 0, "variant": 0, "value": "<existingId1>", "sortReverse": 0 },
        { "attribute": 5053, "language": 0, "variant": 0, "value": "<existingId2>", "sortReverse": 1 },
        { "attribute": 5053, "language": 0, "variant": 0, "value": "<newAttrDefId>", "sortReverse": 2 }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Key Details

• typeRef: 50 = Form
• The complete field list must be sent — this is a replacement of all 5053 values
• Each field is a separate CmsValue entry with incrementing sortReverse
• The new field is appended at the end (highest sortReverse)

Response

Returns { updatedObjects, createdValues, transaction }.

Common Patterns

Multi-Value ObjRef (Form Fields)

Form content (attribute 5053) uses individual value entries, NOT arrays. Each field is a separate entry with incrementing sortReverse:

• ✓ { attr: 5053, value: fieldId1, sortReverse: 0 }, { attr: 5053, value: fieldId2, sortReverse: 1 }
• ✗ { attr: 5053, value: [fieldId1, fieldId2] }

Read-Modify-Write Pattern

1. Read current form to get existing fields from attribute 5053
2. Extract existing field IDs and their sortReverse values
3. Append new field with next sortReverse value
4. Send complete field list (existing + new) back

API Response (PATCH/Update)

Returns { transaction }. Fetch the form afterward to confirm changes.