Forum Discussion

EricSagong's avatar
EricSagong
Qrew Trainee
7 years ago

Referencing another cell

I am bringing a name over from another field and when I'm referencing a person's name from another table, it seems to ALWAYS bring it over and then change the data to multiple choice.  So, while I'm getting the correct information, the problem is it's showing up along with a blank field in a drop-down (giving me the choice between having a blank field and the data that I really want.  What I'd ideally like to have happen is for it to call over the information without me having to even use a drop-down menu.  Since the data is clearly already there (and NOT residing as a multiple choice/multiple line entry in the other table) I have no idea why QuickBase is automatically turning this into a multiple choice drop-down when I am specifying it appear as a single line of text.  Has anyone else had this issue before?
Forms
  • ChrisChris's avatar
    ChrisChris
    Qrew Assistant Captain
    7 years ago

    Are you bringing over a 'parent' list into a child record or are you looking to embed a report of related 'child' records in a parent record?

    • EricSagong's avatar
      EricSagong
      Qrew Trainee
      7 years ago
      Chris, thanks for taking the time to reply.  I'm trying to bring over one (literally one) piece of data from a parent table.  I've attached screenshots of the field properties menu.  When I specify the field as a text, after saving and reopening, it reverts to text (multiple choice).  It's maddening, I tell you!  Any advice you might have would be greatly appreciated.
  • ChrisChris's avatar
    ChrisChris
    Qrew Assistant Captain
    7 years ago

    Yes, because CPM Name is probably the proxy field for that parent table. As parent, it will display all it's choices. You may want to create a formula text field that captures the name of CPM Name. Something like this.

    [Formula Text field]

    [CPM Name] << content of the formula text field, just [CPM Name], that's all.

    • EricSagong's avatar
      EricSagong
      Qrew Trainee
      7 years ago
      Chris, forgive my ignorance, but I'm very new to the platform.  What would the syntax I would use be to call the data over form another table?
    • ChrisChris's avatar
      ChrisChris
      Qrew Assistant Captain
      7 years ago

      Not a problem at all. I'm still a beginner relatively speaking. I have not forgotten what that is like. Okay, so ...

      Make a formula text field called "CPM Name Text"

      in the properties for the field where you enter code, simply put in:

      [CPM Name]

      That's it. Save the field and see your results.

    • ChrisChris's avatar
      ChrisChris
      Qrew Assistant Captain
      7 years ago

      Eric,

      I made an assumption that you have related the two tables. Have you done that? Or do you not want to make them related? I recommend you do.

  • QuickBaseCoachD's avatar
    QuickBaseCoachD
    Qrew Captain
    7 years ago
    HEric,
    I think that we need to stand back here to understand what you are trying to accomplish.

    If, so example the source of the data is a table of Resources (people) and you want to choose a person and also bring across some other lookup fields from that table, then you will need to set up a relationship.

    Here is some help on relationships.
    https://help.quickbase.com/user-assistance/cs/cs_about_relationships.html

    If you are trying to simply manually select a name off a drop down list then you can use the method that you are using and in that case for each new record, you would be selecting a name for that multiple choice field.  The field type you are selecting is indeed a multiple choice field type so that it why it behaves as a multiple choice field.
  • EricSagong's avatar
    EricSagong
    Qrew Trainee
    7 years ago
    For what I'm trying to do, a drop-down menu won't be idea.  I'm going to go ahead and follow Chris's advice and build a table-to-table relationship and then try the formula.  Thank you for responding to my question and also for providing me with the link!
  • EricSagong's avatar
    EricSagong
    Qrew Trainee
    7 years ago
    Chris & QuickBaseCoach, thank you very much for your help!  I set up a table-to-table relationship and was able to call up the correct information using the formula.  Thanks again!