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Question

More than 20 choices for Multi-select drop down?

  • June 21, 2018
  • 0 replies
  • 131 views
Is there a way around the 20 choice limit for the Multi Select drop down (tip or trick) ?

In short, I have a contractor database with approx. 150 Contractors, I then have a drop down multi-select list where I add the country that they're available in, most are available in more than 20 countries. How would you recommend I get around this?
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    I don�t have a hack to allow more than 20 choices, but this can be set up as a proper Many to Many relationship where 1 contractor has many Contractor Country Assignments and 1Country has many Contractor Country Assignments. So you would need to add that middle �Join� table.

    I do have a technique to let you add these quickly.

    An alternative to your 20 limit would be to have two fields, but that is messy.
    • anomDiebolt
    • Registered
    • June 21, 2018
    > don�t have a hack to allow more than 20 choices, 

    I have a hack to allow you to put any data you want into your fields and to implement an appropriate graphical interface for manipulating that data. Consider this demo where I create a Chessboard field using a text multi-line field:



    IMA Grandmaster - Does QuickBase Support Chessboard Fields?
    https://community.quickbase.com/quickbase/topics/ima-grandmaster-does-quickbase-support-chessboard-f...

    Edit Chessboard Position By Moving Pieces
    https://haversineconsulting.quickbase.com/db/bmpbjbbxx?a=er&rid=3

    The same technique can be used to create any field type you want:
    • Chromosome Fields
    • Molecule Fields
    • Building Drawing Fields
    • Family Tree Fields
    • Satellite Orbit Fields
    • Wedding Planning Fields
    You just store some type of JSON representation of you custom Field type in a multi-line text field and through script slap in an appropriate graphical display and editor widget to visually view and manipulate your custom field. Here is a screenshot of my Molecule Field Editor



    Similar to the Chessboard Field demo, the [Molecule] field is not directly edited by the user and is just used to store the state of the Molecule being viewed or edited. It turns out that there is a simple format for representing molecules using SMILES (Simplified Molecular-Input Line-Entry System),.

    Simplified Molecular-Input Line-Entry System
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_molecular-input_line-entry_system

    So to get around the 20 choices limitation of the Multi-select options you just store your selected choices in a field in some type of format (CSV would suffice) and use an appropriate graphical editor to display and select the "Pills" (the selected choices are often called pills).

    Bootstrap Pills
    https://getbootstrap.com/docs/4.0/components/navs/#pills
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