Table of Contents

Field Input-Type string-dropdown-query

Use this field type for configuring a dropdown UI elements, storing string/text data. It's an extension of the string field type.

The special thing about this is that the items shown for selecting are retrieved from Query and not pre-defined as part of the the field definition. This allows you to look up any kind of data and offer it for selection.

Features

  1. provide values to select from a query
  2. optionally provide query parameters
  3. optionally use tokens in query-parameters, to pass on values from other fields in the form
  4. provide visible labels which are different from the stored value
  5. you can configure which field is stored (like an ID etc.)
  6. you can configure which field is shown visible in the drop-down
  7. data is semi-lazy loaded, so the query is only hit again, if the dropdown is opened after parameters change
  8. optionally allow users to type in something different, in scenarios where this is important

Configuring a String-Dropdown-Query

This shows the configuration dialog:

  1. Query the name of the query to use
  2. Advanced
  3. Parameters a string like country=Switzerland or country=[Country] to parameterize the query
  4. Stream Name the stream name, in case you don't want the Default stream
  5. Value Field the value which is stored - basically the field you want in your string at the end
  6. Label Field the label which is shown - basically for nice display in the UI
  7. Multi-Select
  8. Multiple Items enable this if you want to allow multi-select
  9. Separator the character which will separate the selected items, like "company1,company2,company3"

Cascading Dropdowns

Dropdown-Fields can be cascaded - so that a selection on one dropdown changes the list of possible items on another dropdown. You'll have to work with the Parameters to get this to fly. S

Special Behavior

  1. When the drop-down UI element finds data stored, which doesn't match any of the values it has available, it will leave that data intact unless the users selects something manually

History

  1. Introduced in EAV 4.5 2sxc 9.11
  2. Enhanced with options to allow edit/delete in 10.20