Task output forms: collect structured data

Some tasks need the person doing them to record specific, structured information - measurements, readings, pass/fail checks, a serial number, or a photo of the finished job. Instead of printing a sheet, writing on it by hand and re-typing the numbers into another system, a task can carry a built-in output form: the person fills it in on their phone or PC, and the values are captured digitally, ready to export to Excel or be read by another system.

How a task output form flows: the creator enables and designs the form while the task is To Do; the assignee fills only the fields once it is In Progress; required fields must be filled before Submit for review; values export to Excel or the API.

What it is

An output form is a normal document - headings, text, tables, pictures - with input fields dropped into it. When someone works the task, the whole document is shown read-only except the fields they need to complete. Think of a printed form you cannot accidentally change, only fill in.

A form belongs to a task. You do not need a schedule or a template to use one - any task can have a form.

Turn it on (while the task is "To Do")

The person who creates or manages the task sets this up before work starts:

Open the task.
In the side panel, find Output form and click (enable).
A new Form tab appears on the task.

This is just a setting on the task. While the task is still To Do you can (remove) it to go back to a plain free-text output.

Design the form (the Form tab)

In the Form tab you write the form like any document and drop in the fields people must complete:

Type your instructions, add headings or a table, or paste a picture, exactly as in any editor.
Click Field in the toolbar to add an input field. Give it a label, choose a type, and tick Required if it must be filled.

Field types:

Text - a short free-text answer (a note, a serial number).
Number - a value with an optional unit (for example mm or kg).
Select - pick one option from a list you define.
Date - a date picker.
Checkbox - a yes / no tick.
Photo - take a photo with the camera or upload one (handy on a phone).

Click Save form when you are done.

Reuse an existing form. If another task already has the form you want, use Import form from another task at the top of the Form tab to copy it across, then adjust it.

Fill it in (the person doing the task)

Once the task is In Progress, the assignee completes it on the Output tab:

The document is locked - only the input fields accept typing.
Enter each value; for a photo field, tap Photo to capture or upload one.
Click Save output. You can come back and update it while the task is in progress.

Required fields

Any field marked Required must be filled before the task can be submitted for review. If something is missing, myWork blocks the submit and tells you exactly which field(s) to complete.

Get the data out

The captured values are real data, not a picture of a form:

Export to Excel - one click on the Output tab downloads a spreadsheet of every field and its value.
Read by another system - other tools can pull the values through myWork's API, so numbers never have to be re-typed.

Forms vs. Recurring Tasks

These are two different things:

Recurring Tasks issue a task automatically on a schedule (for example every week). A recurring task can optionally carry a form that each issued copy starts with.
An output form is part of a single task, set up on that task's own Form tab - no schedule needed.