A choice field provides several predefined options to choose from. Only one option can be selected.
In SimpleOne interface, choice fields are displayed as drop-down lists, as in the example below:
Configure a choice-type column for a table.
Learn what sources can define a set of options for a particular choice field.
Configure choice options for a particular field via the new choice form.
Overriding of choice options set for child table
Change choice options for an inherited choice field in a child table.
You can provide a set of options for a choice field with localization, which will be displayed in user locale.
Create a choice column
This column database value can contain all kinds of symbols. If the string length is not set, then it is limited to 80 symbols.
To create a choice column, please complete the following steps:
- Navigate to the System Definition → All Tables.
- Open the table for which you want to create a column.
- Scroll down to the Related Lists area and click on the Columns tab.
- Click New and fill in the fields.
- Click Save or Save and Exit to apply changes.
You can also open the form this way:
- Navigate to System Definition → All Columns.
- Click New, and fill in the fields.
- Click Save or Save and Exit to apply changes.
Please note that in this case, you will need to fill in the Table field manually.
Column form fields
| Field | Mandatory | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Table | Y | Specify the table name that will be a parent for this column. This field is a reference to the Tables dictionary (sys_db_table). |
| Column Type | Y | Specify a column type: Choice. |
| Title | Y | A column title displayed on the form. It is preferred to be sensible and human-readable. Latin, Cyrillic, [0..9] numbers, and the underscore symbol ( _ ) are allowed. |
| Column Name | Y | A system column name. It is preferred to be human-readable and keep the kind of stored data. Latin letters, [0..9] numbers, and the underscore symbol ( _ ) are allowed. |
| Comments | N | Write a comment with the additional information. |
| Active | N | Select this checkbox, and customizing of this field displayed on the form and list will be possible. If unselected, then such a field will be not available for choosing in Form Layout or List layout. |
| Read Only | N | Select this checkbox to make the field read-only. |
| Mandatory | N | Select this checkbox to make the field mandatory (appropriate Choice columns with Choice Type = Dropdown with -- None --). |
| Full Text Search | N | Set this attribute equal to TRUE to make it possible to perform a Global Search against the current column. |
| Display by Ref | N | When a record references to another record and the table or column containing this record has the attribute Display by Ref equal to TRUE, then the column value will be displayed. If a table contains a field that has Display by Ref = TRUE, the value of this field will be displayed when referencing this table in the Reference field of the referencing table. |
| Unique | N | When turned on, no way to add a record with a value of this field, if a record with the same value already exists. |
| Type Specification tab | ||
| Choice Table | N | Reference to a table. |
| Choice Type | Y | Define whether the option "None" is applicable for the field. Available options:
If the Dropdown without --None-- is chosen, the Dafault value tab becomes mandatory. |
| Choice Field | Y | Reference to a particular column of the table specified in the Choice Table field. |
| Default Value tab | ||
| Default Value | N | The value of a choice option to be populated authomatically by default. Check the value of a field in Choice Options dictionary (sys_choice). The field is mandatory if the Choice Type is Dropdown without --None-- (must specify a default value). |
| Use Dynamic Default | N | Select this checkbox to specify the Dynamic Default field. |
| Dynamic Default | N | Select the script from the Dynamic Default Values (sys_default_value_dynamic) dictionary, so its execution result will be automatically calculated and entered into this field. This value will be the default value for the column specified. This field appears only when the Use Dynamic Default attribute is set to TRUE.
|
Sources for choice options
There are three ways to define a set of choices for the drop-down lists:
- by inheriting values from a parent table (if current table is a child to another one);
- by creating a set of records for this field in the Choice Options dictionary (sys_choice);
- by defining a source table and its column in the Type Specification tab.
In the second case, you may need to create a different set of choices if the column is inherited and has predefined options. See Overriding of choice options set for child table to learn more.
In the third case, the available options are taken from a particular column of a source table. In the example below, the choice table Role contains a column Name and some records where Name is not empty. The choice options will be values of the Name column in this table.
Create a choice option
Before creating a set of options for a particular table and column, please make sure that this column is already created (navigate to System Definition → All Columns).
To create a choice option for a column table, please perform the following steps:
- Navigate to the choice column for which you need to create a set of options.
- Scroll down to the Related Lists area and click on the Choice tab.
- Click New, and fill in the fields.
- Click Save or Save and Exit to apply changes.
You can also open the form this way:
- Navigate to System Definition → Choice Options.
- Click New, and fill in the fields.
- Click Save or Save and Exit to apply changes.
Please note that in this case, you will need to fill in the Table and Column fields manually.
Choice option form fields
| Field | Mandatory | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Table | Y | Specify the table to which this choice option is related. Select the same table for the translated choice version as for the original one. |
| Column | Y | Specify the column to which this choice option is related. Select the same column for the translated choice version as for the original one. |
| Title | Y | Type the translation of the source field there. |
| Language | Y | Specify the two-symbol name of the language (ru, en, and so on). Generally, references to languages are stored in the Languages (sys_language) table. |
| Value | Y | Type the same value as specified for the source field. |
| Order | Y | Enter the number to define the option order in the choice list (options are arranged in the ascending order). |
| Hint | N | Text hint. This field is not mandatory. |
An easier way to quickly create several options for the same column is to use Insert and Stay:
- After saving a choice option, change the Title, Value, Order fields values.
- In the hamburger menu, choose Insert and Stay. A copy of the current choice option record will be created and saved.
You can also use this way to create a translation for the choice options. After saving the record, enter the translation in the Title field and specify the language in the Language field. Then click Insert and Stay. A copy of the current choice option for the specified language will be created and saved. Please note that the Value field has to remain unchanged.
Overriding of choice options set for child table
Override allows changing choice options set for the child tables extended from the base table. For example, the parent table has the following options for a choice column State: New, Rejected, Processed. An overriding can change the quantity of these options or the options themselves in the child table. For example, for the State new set can be Draft, New, Assigned, Completed, Rejected.
When creating a choice field, it is recommended to set text values in the Value field to increase code readability. For example, it can be incoming, or active, or failed values for Incoming, Active, and Failed choice options.
Regarding task states, it makes sense to make values numerical; this can help with selection construction (see the code sample below).
task.addQuery('state', '>', '2'); // all states after In Progress
To create a new options set, please perform the following steps:
- Navigate to the column for which you want to create a new set.
- Scroll down to the Related Lists area and choose the Choice tab.
- Click New and fill in the fields.
- Fill in the Table field with the name of the table for which you need to configure a new options set.
- Click Save or Save and Exit to apply changes.
You also can find the form this way:
- Navigate to the System Definition → Choice Options.
- Click New and fill in the fields.
- Click Save or Save and Exit to apply changes.
Please note that in this case, you will need to fill in the Task and Column fields manually.
To learn how to change the column attributes, please see the Column Overriding article.
Choice list translation
To localize a choice list, please complete the steps below:
- Navigate to System Definition → Choice Options.
- Click New and fill in the fields.
- Make sure the Value fields of an option in both languages are equal.
- Click Save or Save and Exit to apply changes.
- Repeat steps 2 – 4 for the rest of the options on the list.
An easier way to quickly localize a set of options for the same column is to use Insert and Stay.
- After saving a choice option, insert the translation in the Title field and specify the language in the Language field.
- In the hamburger menu, choose Insert and Stay. A copy of the current choice option for the specified language will be created and saved.
Please note that the Value field has to remain unchanged.
If some of the choice options were not localized (for example, some added choice options in English but didn't add their translations), then in user locale other than English, choice lists containing untranslated options will display them in English by default, regardless of the current user locale.
To avoid this, please be careful when adding options to your choice lists.
