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Pane Layout

SAIL Design System guidance available for Pane Layout

When users need to scroll through information but also leave part of the interface static, use the pane layout. Learn how to use two- and three-pane layouts to build flexible interfaces with greater user control.

Function

a!paneLayout( panes, showWhen )

Displays two or three vertical panes, each with independent scrolling.

See also:

Parameters

Name Keyword Types Description

Pane

panes

Any Type

List of two or three panes to display in the pane layout.

Visibility

showWhen

Boolean

Determines whether the layout is displayed on the interface. When set to false, the layout is hidden and is not evaluated. Default: true.

Usage considerations

Panes as a top-level layout

The pane layout is a top-level layout that is meant to provide the overall structure for an interface, similar to form layout and header content layout.

This means you can't:

  • Place other components next to a pane layout.
  • Nest a pane layout inside other components.
  • Place more than one pane layout on an interface.

However, it can be used in the contents parameter of a header content layout to display a pane layout with a header.

Using the pane layout with Appian Mobile

Pane layouts 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.

Note:  Pane layouts are not converted for mobile browsers. Users viewing the paned interface this way will have a similar experience to those using a desktop browser. See Adjusting for different screen sizes to learn how to adapt the layout for smaller screens.

Adjusting for different screen sizes

The user's screen size should be considered when designing a paned interface. Let's look at the message inbox template as an example.

On a large, wide screen, such as a laptop display, this interface uses three panes so users can scroll both the list of messages and the message contents.

Message Inbox interface on desktop

For smaller screens, we recommend considering alternative layouts to better accommodate the contents of the panes.

You can reuse the wide display for a tablet in landscape mode, but the user will not have the ability to scroll the panes independently.

For a tablet in portrait mode, moving the navigation elements to a top bar helps save some space so users can still comfortably see the list of messages and message details.

Message Inbox interface on tablet in portrait mode

On phone screens, you can display the list of messages separately from the message contents to give users the ability to navigate each set of information freely.

Message Inbox interface on phone

Examples

Pane layout with two panes

This example shows a two-pane layout for a dashboard with filter controls. Users can select from the available filters to apply to the dashboard data. Each pane can be scrolled while the other remains fixed.

Order Summary interface with filter controls pane and data pane

Pane layout with three panes

This example shows a three-pane layout from an insurance claim processing app. The layout includes a timeline, claim details, and input fields for the claim reviewer to add their findings. Each pane can be scrolled while the others remain fixed.

Order Summary interface with filter controls pane and data pane

Panes with billboard header

This example shows a two-pane layout within a billboard header content layout. It displays the following interface.

A billboard header with a pane layout

To experiment with examples, copy and paste the expression into an interface object.

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a!headerContentLayout(
  header: {
    a!billboardLayout(
      backgroundMedia: a!documentImage(document: a!EXAMPLE_BILLBOARD_IMAGE()),
      backgroundColor: "#f0f0f0",
      marginBelow: "NONE",
      overlay: a!fullOverlay(
        alignVertical: "BOTTOM",
        contents: {
          a!cardLayout(
            contents: {
              a!richTextDisplayField(
                labelPosition: "COLLAPSED",
                value: {
                  a!richTextItem(text: "Properties / First Property / "),
                  a!richTextItem(text: "Messages", style: "STRONG"),
                  char(10),
                  char(10)
                }
              ),
              a!sideBySideLayout(
                items: {
                  a!sideBySideItem(
                    item: a!richTextDisplayField(
                      labelPosition: "COLLAPSED",
                      value: {
                        a!richTextItem(
                          text: "First Property",
                          size: "LARGE",
                          style: "STRONG"
                        ),
                        char(10),
                        a!richTextItem(text: "Address, City, VA 99999"),
                        char(10)
                      }
                    )
                  )
                },
                alignVertical: "MIDDLE"
              )
            },
            style: "TRANSPARENT",
            padding: "NONE",
            marginBelow: "NONE",
            showBorder: false
          )
        },
        style: "SEMI_DARK"
      )
    )
  },
  contents: a!paneLayout(
    panes: {
      a!pane(
        contents: {
          a!sectionLayout(
            label: "",
            contents: {
              a!cardLayout(
                contents: {
                  a!sideBySideLayout(
                    items: {
                      a!sideBySideItem(
                        item: a!richTextDisplayField(
                          labelPosition: "COLLAPSED",
                          value: a!richTextHeader(text: "Inbox")
                        ),
                        width: "MINIMIZE"
                      )
                    },
                    alignVertical: "MIDDLE",
                    marginAbove: "STANDARD",
                    marginBelow: "STANDARD"
                  )
                },
                height: "AUTO",
                style: "TRANSPARENT",
                marginBelow: "NONE",
                showBorder: false
              )
            },
            marginAbove: "EVEN_LESS",
            marginBelow: "EVEN_LESS"
          ),
          a!cardLayout(contents: {}, height: "EXTRA_TALL"),
          a!cardLayout(contents: {}, height: "EXTRA_TALL")
        },
        width: "MEDIUM",
        padding: "NONE"
      ),
      a!pane(
        contents: {
          a!cardLayout(
            contents: {
              a!sideBySideLayout(
                items: {
                  a!sideBySideItem(
                    item: a!richTextDisplayField(
                      labelPosition: "COLLAPSED",
                      value: {
                        a!richTextItem(text: "Messages", size: "MEDIUM_PLUS")
                      },
                      preventWrapping: true
                    )
                  )
                },
                alignVertical: "MIDDLE"
              )
            },
            height: "AUTO",
            style: "#ffffff",
            shape: "SEMI_ROUNDED",
            padding: "STANDARD",
            marginBelow: "NONE",
            showBorder: false
          ),
          a!cardLayout(contents: {}, height: "EXTRA_TALL"),
          a!cardLayout(contents: {}, height: "EXTRA_TALL"),
          a!horizontalLine(marginAbove: "NONE", marginBelow: "NONE")
        },
        width: "AUTO",
        backgroundColor: "GRAY",
        padding: "STANDARD"
      )
    }
  ),
  contentsPadding: "NONE"
)

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.

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