Function

a!pane( contents, width, backgroundColor, showWhen, padding, accessibilityText )

Displays a pane within a pane layout.

See also:

• Pane Layout
• Pane Layout design guidance
• Responsive Design

Parameters

Name	Keyword	Types	Description
Contents	contents	Any Type	Components and layouts to display within the pane.
Width	width	Text	Determines the width of the pane. Valid values: "AUTO" (default), "EXTRA_NARROW", "NARROW", "NARROW_PLUS", "MEDIUM", "MEDIUM_PLUS", "WIDE", "WIDE_PLUS".
Background color	backgroundColor	Text	Color to show behind the contents of the pane. Valid values: Any valid hex color or "WHITE" (default), "GRAY, "TRANSPARENT", "CHARCOAL_SCHEME", "NAVY_SCHEME", "PLUM_SCHEME".
Visibility	showWhen	Boolean	Determines whether the component is displayed on the interface. When set to false, the component is hidden and is not evaluated. Default: true.
Padding	padding	Text	Determines the space between the pane's edges and its contents. Valid values: "NONE", "EVEN_LESS", "LESS", "STANDARD" (default), "MORE", "EVEN_MORE".
Accessibility Text	accessibilityText	Text	Additional text to be announced by screen readers. Used only for accessibility; produces no visible change.

Usage considerations

Using the accessibilityText parameter

Each pane must include a unique accessibilityText value. Panes are a top-level navigation item, so this text ensures users who rely on screen readers can accurately and more easily navigate a page with panes.

The text should briefly indicate what type of content is contained in the pane. For example, you might use AI options for a pane that lets users select from a list of available language models, or you could use Create solicitation to describe a pane containing fields needed for a new solicitation.

Do not include the following terms in the text: main, navigation, section, form, search, header, footer, article or region. These terms are common elements of web pages in general, and they should be avoided in favor of descriptors that apply specifically to the pane component.

For example, say you have a pane that contains a list of cards defined as links. When a card is clicked, the corresponding calendar item is highlighted.

This lets the user navigate through their tasks, but you should say what is being navigated without using the term navigation. A description like Tasks needing attention tells users what the pane contains without mentioning that it is a navigation item.

Panes on Appian Mobile

Panes have different behavior when the interface is viewed in the Appian Mobile app. Panes are converted to columns, so the contents cannot be scrolled independently. Larger devices like tablets will display the columns side by side, while phones and other smaller devices will show the panes as stacked columns. This may result in very long pages depending on a pane's contents.

Examples

See the pane layout design guidance for information about setting widths, background colors, and padding.

Feature compatibility

The table below lists this component's compatibility with various features in Appian.

Feature	Compatibility	Note
Portals	Compatible
Offline Mobile	Compatible
Sync-Time Custom Record Fields	Incompatible
Real-Time Custom Record Fields	Incompatible	Custom record fields that evaluate in real time must be configured using one or more Custom Field functions.
Process Reports	Incompatible	Cannot be used to configure a process report.
Process Events	Incompatible	Cannot be used to configure a process event node, such as a start event or timer event.