ENUM List: Allow Other Values

[ConnieMaldonado]

I have a ENUM drop down for a “Tech ID” column. The drop down list is based on the IDs in the Tech ID column, and I want to provide the ability to add a new ID if needed. I set up the ENUM field for “Tech ID” and selected “Allow Other Values”, but it’s not clear to me how the user adds another value. What am I missing?

[Bahbus]

Are you populating the Tech IDs with a Valid_If?

[ConnieMaldonado]

Yes, I was validating with a Valid If statement.

[WillowMobileSys]

You must be gathering the Tech ID’s from a table?

I’m curious why you wouldn’t want to use a Ref column type instead of Enum?

If you have "Add"s enabled for the Table, the Ref dropdown will provide an Add option to add new entries.

[ConnieMaldonado]

That sort of works. I need to review the flow in my app. I’m not validating the tech IDs so I’m not using a valid_if. I should have a list of techs initially, so I tried the ref column to the tech table, and I like that approach. Stay tuned if I have more questions. You guys/gals are the best! Thank you.

[WillowMobileSys]

As an FYI…For what its worth, better or worse, the Valid_If is used in two ways:

1. Validate that entered values are correct
2. Specify the list of values for a dropdown, i.e. list of valid values a user can choose from.

You will notice when editing the Valid_If that it expects EITHER a Yes/No result OR a List shown as “(Yes/No, List)”:

[ConnieMaldonado]

Thanks! After I updated the fields - ie., made Tech ID a Ref type in primary table; used Valid if = Tech[Tech ID] as I’m showing a drop down of Tech IDs from the Tech table (with the ability to add a record to the Tech table if needed). I’m getting the following triangle with an exclamation point in the middle. What does it mean?

[WillowMobileSys]

Is Tech ID the Key column?

[ConnieMaldonado]

No, I had Tech ID as the key column initially, but in that case, the Tech Name showed up in the list for Tech ID. Initially, the row number was the key, but that didn’t work either and kept giving me an error.

[WillowMobileSys · Accepted solution]

The Tech Name showed because it was marked as the Label column. When you refer to a Tech, in lists or as a Ref value, do you always want to SHOW to the user the Tech ID?

If so, then make the Tech ID both the Key and the Label.

[ConnieMaldonado]

That worked! Thank you. That helps clarify the “label” attribute as I never understood what it meant. Thank you.