Dynamic values in drop down list using a calculation.

Question

I'm trying to source the values for a drop down list for a text multiple choice field the values entered on other related children records, but only show certain values and not every value from every record across the entire table. The data entered in the field could be anything the end user types into a text field, so it's going to vary and not be a fixed list.

I have parent table of projects and then a child table of items. Of those items, the items can be a primary or an alternate and there can be multiple different alternates for a primary item. There are also items that are not quantified as a primary, those items are universal. The primary is determined by end user selecting a boolean checkbox. The end user is creating these records as needed for their projects, there will be a couple hundred items per project. If an alternate is needed, the end user will create that record and then select from a pulldown on a multi choice field which primary it is an alternate for.

What I'm having trouble with is I want to source the values in the drop down list with only items from the project the item is associated to / a child of. So if I have 5 items with the primary checkbox selected on a project, on an alternate item for this project, I want to see in a drop down list those 5 items and not every item in the table that has that checkbox selected, which would be primary records for multiple different projects. So what I've tried to do is create a calculation field that will determine if the record is a primary and if so, that calculation field would then be filled in with the item name and item number. Then use that field as the input type for the field where I'd be selecting this is an alternate for this primary item.

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Tony Grondin
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markshnier__you · Answer

This all may be possible, but it may need some one one one consulting time to sort it all out. The explanation you posted is kind of confusing but that might be because your needs are actually fairly complex.

------------------------------
Mark Shnier (YQC)
Quick Base Solution Provider
Your Quick Base Coach
http://QuickBaseCoach.com
mark.shnier@gmail.com
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tonygrondin · Answer

Perhaps an example would help. This is for advertising for regional market versions, so a retailer may want to sell Coke in one market but alternate it with Pepsi in another. And these items need to be referenced / linked to each other so that we can know where one goes and the other does not.
Project 1
 item 1 Coke primary selected
 item 2 Lays Potato Chips primary selected
 item 3 Gala apples universal
 item 4 Pepsi alternate text field with list of values of (Coke would be selected, because that's what we'd alternate it with)
  Item 1 Coke
  Item 2 Lays
 Item 5 Mountain Dew alternate text field with list of values of (Coke would be selected)
  Item 1 Coke
  Item 2 Lays

Project 2
 Item 1 Cheddar cheese primary selected
 Item 2 Wonder bread primary selected
 Item 3 Skippy Peanut butter universal
 Item 4 Colby Jack alternate text field with list of values of (Cheddar would be selected)
  Item 1 Cheddar
  Item 2 Wonder
 
------------------------------Tony Grondin------------------------------

markshnier__you · Answer

Certainly helps to have an example rather than the abstract, but now using the example can you explain further how you want the drop downs to work.

------------------------------
Mark Shnier (YQC)
Quick Base Solution Provider
Your Quick Base Coach
http://QuickBaseCoach.com
mark.shnier@gmail.com
------------------------------

tonygrondin · Answer

User is going to create a primary item record and check off a "is primary" button (as well as do a bunch of other data entry on the record). Later, in the day or tomorrow or next week, they will create an alternate or multiple alternates and what we'd like to see is a list of all items on that project with primary checked off and the user will select one item from that list. So in a calculation field that is on the item table is a calculation which is -&gt; if primary is checked off, concatenate the item number and the item name and if it isn't checked off, field is blank. This calculation field is what I'm trying to use as a source for the list for an "is alternate for" text field to show on Project 1 just a list of Coke &amp; Lays and not Coke, Lays, Cheddar &amp; Wonder. Right now, I'm going to get latter. Then on Project 2 for those items in that same field for is alternate, I'd want to see a list of values of Cheddar and Wonder.So I'm trying to determine from the item record, which project the item is for and build a list of values based on every primary item that is on that one same project and exclude all the other primaries on every other project. So what I'm thinking I want to do in the abstract is a calculation that knows what project the item is for and then calculate the values into the field I can use as a source for a list of just the records on the project there primary is checked. Sort of a on the fly self join relationship via the project name.Apologies if I'm calling things by the wrong thing here and confusing the matter, I'm still trying to adapt to Quick Base terminology like for value lists, drop downs, field types, etc.------------------------------Tony Grondin------------------------------

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Dynamic values in drop down list using a calculation.

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