Editing Reference

ekk20 · 07-13-2019 11:08 AM

Hello,

I have two tables, one is a client consent form and the other one is a master contact list.

I have referenced the name field inside the client consent form to the master contact list. This allows me to fetch contact Info data like phone numbers, email, etc.

However, clients at times like to provide a different number when filling out the consent form. Without exiting the client consent form to make manual edits in the master contact list, how can I edit the contact information directly inside the client consent form?

Thank you.

Steve

Presumably, your references to the master contact list in the client consent form are something like [Contact].[Phone] in a the column’s app formula expression. If the current column in the client consent form is a virtual column, change it to a normal column. Then remove the expression from the app formula property and put it instead in the initial value property.

ekk20

@Steve Thank you for the prompt reply. I’ve just tried your method, and this would allow me to save the new/updated data in the consent form table, but this would not update the master contact list.

I’m wondering if the following is possible?

Enter the name of the client, using reference to bring up the other data (phone, email etc). Assign a button that would open a new menu/pop-up window containing fields from the master contact list, then edit from there., Once done, close and continue filling out the rest of consent form.

Steve

You cannot display buttons within a form view, nor can you leave a form to visit another without first saving the form (except in very specific circumstances).

You could add a column to the consent form of type Yes/No to allow the user to indicate the desire to update the contact information pulled in from the matter contact list. Then attach a Form Saved event action to the form that navigates the user to the contact-editing form upon saving the consent form if so indicated.

ekk20

Hi @Steve, again thank you for the prompt reply.

This is somewhat an unrelated question. Is there any benefit in using reference to create a dependent drop down over using valid-if method?

Regards

Steve

Hmmm… I’m not sure I understand your use of “dependent dropdown”. I’d guess you’re referring to the dropdown menu presented when a column value is of Ref type (a reference) or when a Valid If expression evaluates to a list.

The dropdown menu AppSheet generates for a Ref-type column with no Valid If expression is (I’m pretty sure) exactly equivalent to setting the column’s Valid If expression to TargetTable[RowKey], where TargetTable is the name of the table to which the Ref column refers and RowKey is the name of that table’s key column.

Valid If can be used to tailor the list presented in the dropdown. For instance, if you want to sort the list of references, you could set the column’s Valid If expression to ORDERBY(TargetTable[RowKey], [SortColumn]), where SortColumn is the name of the column in TargetTable by which you want the list entries sorted.

ekk20

@Steve,

You mentioned using initial value to reference another table and make changes should there be any.

I’m wondering if a change is made, say the initial email value referencing to master contact list is my@dog.com and the client has a new email, my@cat.com. She changes that, then save the consent form. Is it possible upon saving, to trigger an action where the key (in my case, ContactID #) is looked up in the master contact list and update the new email value from the consent form?

Thanks again.

Steve

Yes, that is possible.

ekk20

Are there articles or YouTube tutorials for this specific task?

Thanks again.

Steve

Not that I know of off the top of my head.

ekk20

Thanks anyway you’ve helped tremendously.