Two way reference

[Mark_11]

Hi,
i’d like to know if is possibile to have a “two way” ref.
Let me clarify…
I would like to have a dropdown cascade that allow me to go dip in a exactly selection; it work like a filter.
Do i have a way to manage this in a different way? I’d like to have a system that autofill backward if i already know what i will choose in the second dropdown…
for example:
if i have [categories] [item]
like

fruit / apple
fruit / pear
fruit / orange
vegetable / peas
vegetable / bean

i normally have a dropdown to choose the categories so the second dropdown i have a filter with the SELECT function to find what i need. But if i’m sure to what i want as [item], how can i skip the first dropdown and if i can, will it autofill?

[Suvrutt_Gurjar]

Hi @Mark_11,

I believe following more inputs will be useful for the community to help better.

Would you always like this reverse autofill from item to category to be taken care by app logic.

Alternatively, would you like this reverse autofilling logic to optionally invoke, only when the user is sure of item, and so he fills in item first and in other cases the user can fill in with normal flow from category to item.

[Mark_11]

i’d like to have 3-4 enum in a regular flow with a hierarchy order.
every column Request.
I put the first value, so the second enum is a subcategory of the first one, the third enum is a subcategory of the second one…
If an employee have to submit a lot of row, at the end of the day this work could be boring and a waste of time, but i need it as filter, because could happen that someone doesn’t remember the exact name, so he can follow the path; but if i remember the forth field, i’d like to open that dropdown and choose the exact item; at this point i have at least 3 record above requested.
The other problem is, if don’t follow the path, i can’t skip any enum, because i have a SELECT condition by the previous enum.

It seems like a maze, is more like something nice to have; if is a kind of crazy stuff i can find another way maybe

[Suvrutt_Gurjar · Accepted solution]

Hi @Mark_11,

Yes the requirement mentioned by you indeed seems to be tricky. Please exlpore if following approach with teh mentioned workaround helps. Workarounds:

1. There are two columns for Items( or in the test app that I am sharing the column called document, which is lowermost in hierarchy )
2. There are two views.Teh employee who is confident of entering last column document can use the “Reverse Flow” view.The employee who wishes to fill in by hierarchy, can use “Normal Flow” view.

A few images are below
Image 1: Normal view and Reverse View

Image 2: Normal Flow.Here the user goes in the hierarchical flow of selection: Continent, Country and Document

Image 3 : Reverse flow.Here the user only selects the Document name . The Continent and Country are filled in by an action after the form is saved.

Image 4: The action fills in continent and country in reverse flow.

Image 5: Please note the table structure. It has two columns for Document ( the lowermost column in the hierarchy)

I modified a sampleapp dependent dropdowns for this functionality The app is available at Dependent Dropdowns

[Mark_11]

This seems great to me…
I will explore these settings;
can you explain the theory behind this “dual column” solution.
Could be useful understand the process to be more efficient next time

[Suvrutt_Gurjar]

HI @Mark_11,

The main reason for using two fields is the hierarchical fields Continent, Country, Document are in dependent dropdown format. As such, each successive field is available only when previous is selected. Only when Continent is selected, the Country option becomes visible and so on.

As such, this format is not useful when starting with a revrse flow.

Even though there are two fields for last field ( Document), in every record only any one will be populated , either in normal or reverse flow. So we can use one of these two document fields in further logic, by selecting non blank amongst the two.

Also since the logic for two flows is different, normal flow-one dependent dropdownand reverse flow- use of acions, there are two different views for two flows.

Hope this helps.

[Mark_11]

Thanks,
for the followinf flow, can i just a SELECT or ANY to pick the ones is filled or is better to create a virtual column for this purpose and than use it?

[Suvrutt_Gurjar]

Hi @Mark_11,

Could you please elaborate it a little more?

[Mark_11]

I mean, after these column input i will have to manage the document filed. But with this method i have 2 different “document” column. Would be a smart thing to create a third column to merge the data, to simplify following formulas?

[Suvrutt_Gurjar]

Hi @Mark_11,

Yes you are right.

Suvrutt_Gurjar:

So we can use one of these two document fields in further logic, by selecting non blank amongst the two.

I was also thinking on similar lines.