ConfiForms - How to eliminate duplicate values from a Smart Multiselect?

[Jon K]

I have 2 forms named "lookup" and "myform"

On the "lookup" form I have 3 fields in my table: Application, Component, Function.

On the "myform" form, I have a Smart Dropdown for selecting the Application.
The Smart Dropdown shows every row for the "lookup.Application" field and I want to display unique values from that field only.

 

Additionally, the "My Component" field is a Smart Multiselect. This field is to contain the values from the "lookup.Component" form. It is to also have a filter where "My App" equals the "lookup.Application" so it only shows the distinct values of "lookup.Component" for the respective choice in "My App". I am unable to get this to work and I would also like for this to return a distinct list of Component values for the respective "My App".

Below are my sources for the two forms. Any advice on what I'm doing wrong is much appreciated.

"lookup" form:

<ac:structured-macro ac:macro-id="8ae3d29e-e4d4-4ff3-8389-2b11629c983b" ac:name="confiform" ac:schema-version="1">
 <ac:parameter ac:name="formName">lookup</ac:parameter>
 <ac:parameter ac:name="registrationFormTitle">Lookup Form</ac:parameter>
 <ac:rich-text-body>
 <p>
 <ac:structured-macro ac:macro-id="e69f91b5-eea7-4fcd-be37-4d7ca691294c" ac:name="confiform-field-definition" ac:schema-version="1">
 <ac:parameter ac:name="fieldName">Application</ac:parameter>
 <ac:parameter ac:name="fieldLabel">Application</ac:parameter>
 <ac:parameter ac:name="values">false[1=WebApp|2=InternalApp|3=AnotherApp|]</ac:parameter>
 <ac:parameter ac:name="type">select</ac:parameter>
 </ac:structured-macro>
 </p>
 <p>
 <ac:structured-macro ac:macro-id="34b80d92-74fc-406c-ad96-985597b34339" ac:name="confiform-field-definition" ac:schema-version="1">
 <ac:parameter ac:name="fieldName">Component</ac:parameter>
 <ac:parameter ac:name="fieldLabel">Component</ac:parameter>
 <ac:parameter ac:name="values">false[1=UserInterface|2=API|3=Database|]</ac:parameter>
 <ac:parameter ac:name="type">select</ac:parameter>
 </ac:structured-macro>
 </p>
 <p>
 <ac:structured-macro ac:macro-id="95431d48-c95a-432e-ab0c-3d580395b90d" ac:name="confiform-field-definition" ac:schema-version="1">
 <ac:parameter ac:name="fieldName">Function</ac:parameter>
 <ac:parameter ac:name="fieldLabel">Function</ac:parameter>
 <ac:parameter ac:name="values">false[1=Home Page|2=Registration API|3=Purchase API|4=Batch Processing|5=Dashboard|6=Send Data Files|]</ac:parameter>
 <ac:parameter ac:name="type">select</ac:parameter>
 </ac:structured-macro>
 </p>
 <ac:structured-macro ac:macro-id="319c9f9b-9ccc-4f7f-8b07-3a092341c673" ac:name="confiform-entry-register" ac:schema-version="1">
 <ac:parameter ac:name="embedded">true</ac:parameter>
 <ac:rich-text-body>
 <p>
 <br/>
 </p>
 </ac:rich-text-body>
 </ac:structured-macro>
 </ac:rich-text-body>
</ac:structured-macro>
<ac:structured-macro ac:macro-id="a23c2c7d-bec0-4ca0-9011-81244a25a0e3" ac:name="confiform-table" ac:schema-version="1">
 <ac:parameter ac:name="formName">lookup</ac:parameter>
 <ac:rich-text-body>
 <p>
 <ac:structured-macro ac:macro-id="775f2e68-78fa-437e-860f-b5deabba91b0" ac:name="confiform-field" ac:schema-version="1">
 <ac:parameter ac:name="fieldName">Application</ac:parameter>
 </ac:structured-macro>
 </p>
 <p>
 <ac:structured-macro ac:macro-id="f6e24a6c-e204-47c6-98a1-f087dc8270f8" ac:name="confiform-field" ac:schema-version="1">
 <ac:parameter ac:name="fieldName">Component</ac:parameter>
 </ac:structured-macro>
 </p>
 <p>
 <ac:structured-macro ac:macro-id="fd9ef0ca-7a14-4953-b311-57ce550c4e9b" ac:name="confiform-field" ac:schema-version="1">
 <ac:parameter ac:name="fieldName">Function</ac:parameter>
 </ac:structured-macro>
 </p>
 </ac:rich-text-body>
</ac:structured-macro>

"myform" form:

<ac:structured-macro ac:macro-id="73d6ff04-3e34-44c5-bbd9-37de62c40ef1" ac:name="confiform" ac:schema-version="1">
 <ac:parameter ac:name="formName">myform</ac:parameter>
 <ac:parameter ac:name="registrationFormTitle">My Form</ac:parameter>
 <ac:rich-text-body>
 <p>
 <ac:structured-macro ac:macro-id="919e1174-69fb-4ca9-9d6c-f4a0fe726f98" ac:name="confiform-field-definition" ac:schema-version="1">
 <ac:parameter ac:name="fieldName">myticket</ac:parameter>
 <ac:parameter ac:name="fieldLabel">My Ticket</ac:parameter>
 <ac:parameter ac:name="type">text</ac:parameter>
 </ac:structured-macro>
 </p>
 <p>
 <ac:structured-macro ac:macro-id="81706444-f25b-46d5-b955-fc962e3782a2" ac:name="confiform-field-definition" ac:schema-version="1">
 <ac:parameter ac:name="fieldName">myapp</ac:parameter>
 <ac:parameter ac:name="fieldLabel">My App</ac:parameter>
 <ac:parameter ac:name="values">[324123093|lookup|Application|true|false|[entry.Application.label]]</ac:parameter>
 <ac:parameter ac:name="type">smartselect</ac:parameter>
 </ac:structured-macro>
 </p>
 <p>
 <ac:structured-macro ac:macro-id="4dd59b93-5bc5-42d4-bec8-57cfba2b72fb" ac:name="confiform-field-definition" ac:schema-version="1">
 <ac:parameter ac:name="fieldName">mycomp</ac:parameter>
 <ac:parameter ac:name="fieldLabel">My Componenet</ac:parameter>
 <ac:parameter ac:name="values">[324123093|lookup|Component|true|false|[entry.Component.label]]</ac:parameter>
 <ac:parameter ac:name="type">smartmultiselect</ac:parameter>
 </ac:structured-macro>
 </p>
 <p>
 <ac:structured-macro ac:macro-id="4ab52df1-c8a3-491a-b1fe-881966165d3f" ac:name="confiform-field-definition-rules" ac:schema-version="1">
 <ac:parameter ac:name="fieldName">mycomp</ac:parameter>
 <ac:parameter ac:name="values">Application:[entry.myapp]</ac:parameter>
 <ac:parameter ac:name="action">Apply Filter on a field</ac:parameter>
 <ac:parameter ac:name="actionFieldName">myapp</ac:parameter>
 </ac:structured-macro>
 </p>
 <ac:structured-macro ac:macro-id="319c9f9b-9ccc-4f7f-8b07-3a092341c673" ac:name="confiform-entry-register" ac:schema-version="1">
 <ac:parameter ac:name="embedded">true</ac:parameter>
 <ac:rich-text-body>
 <p>
 <br/>
 </p>
 </ac:rich-text-body>
 </ac:structured-macro>
 </ac:rich-text-body>
</ac:structured-macro>
<ac:structured-macro ac:macro-id="4fc709d9-b4b0-48d4-940a-bec2358702fb" ac:name="confiform-table" ac:schema-version="1">
 <ac:parameter ac:name="formName">myform</ac:parameter>
 <ac:rich-text-body>
 <p>
 <ac:structured-macro ac:macro-id="8e5c243d-28c4-4a8f-b991-e4fe380cefaa" ac:name="confiform-field" ac:schema-version="1">
 <ac:parameter ac:name="fieldName">myticket</ac:parameter>
 </ac:structured-macro>
 </p>
 <p>
 <ac:structured-macro ac:macro-id="6883e784-dbb8-4fbf-b802-d59992985d4b" ac:name="confiform-field" ac:schema-version="1">
 <ac:parameter ac:name="fieldName">myapp</ac:parameter>
 </ac:structured-macro>
 </p>
 <p>
 <ac:structured-macro ac:macro-id="16429633-8014-4cee-8768-a1364a348004" ac:name="confiform-field" ac:schema-version="1">
 <ac:parameter ac:name="fieldName">mycomp</ac:parameter>
 </ac:structured-macro>
 </p>
 </ac:rich-text-body>
</ac:structured-macro>

[Alex Medved _ConfiForms_]

These choices are not duplicates at all.

Choices in the "My component" field represent rows from your lookup table.

And they are UNIQUE. The values for a particular field are not, but the choices are unique. 

Smart fields operate on references (UUIDs) to records  in other forms they are connected to. 

[Jon K]

Do you know if there if there someway to achieve the behavior described in the main post?

[Alex Medved _ConfiForms_]

What you asking is to group by labels something what is stored as a unique record.

I just cannot understand what will be selected when you "group" it like that

let's say you have 2 records with different IDs, but holding the same values. Imagine we show this value only once in the options... what record will be selected when you select this option!?

[Jon K]

It could be either record in theory, because I just want the value.

Below is an example of how I want my form to look; if I use the data from the "lookup" form in the main post.

Dropdown1: (choices)

• InternalApp
• WebApp

I chose Internal App

Dropdown2: (multiselect)

• API
• UserInterface

I dont necessarily care which record the "API" choice comes from, I just want to see a unique list so I can pass the value onto the next dropdown.

Dropdown3: (multiselect, if I choose both from Dropdown2, I'd want to see. If I only chose "API" in Dropdown2, then we wouldnt get HomePage.)

• HomePage
• PurchaseAPI
• RegistrationAPI

Essentially, I only care about getting the values, so they can be passed as filters on the next form entry/dropdown. 

Hopefully my use case makes sense. 

[Alex Medved _ConfiForms_]

So, with upcoming version of ConfiForms (2.0.4) you will be able to reference via "smart" fields the values, not records

This will enable the design you want. However, the question on how to filter wisely the data in your dropdowns remains - as you are loosing the "rich" context of the record and having just the values (choices) will make them "disconnected" from the other fields these records have

[Curtis Freudigmann]

Hey Alex, is there a tentative release date for 2.0.4?

[Alex Medved _ConfiForms_]

Hm... there have been like 20 versions already since then - have a look https://wiki.vertuna.com/display/CONFIFORMS/Release+Notes

[Curtis Freudigmann]

Hey Alex, my mistake. I read 2.0.35 as being 3.5 as in less than 4. I will need to pay closer attention.. Thanks!

As a side note what should I be using then to filter my smart dropdowns on duplicate value rather than unique entries?

I have a few different use cases this is relevant for.

One being Smart Drop downs. the other being an IFTTT that copies form data to a form on another page, which then shows these values in a table. Everytime the first form is submitted ALL records from that form are put in to the second form and so I keep getting multilpe values entered in to my table. I'd be happy to explain more in depth if needed.

As always, thank you so much for your time and expertise!

-Curtis

[Sopaboba]

Hi Alex. I would like to retake this thread so I don't have to open a new one.

I had the same problem as Curtis, and tried to solve it by the way you offer as of version 2.0.4 and really worked as needed. But ...

I always get an extra empty option at the top of the list!!!! And I don't know why and it's driving me crazy. Why could that be happening? I have been double checking all the records in the dataset just in case some user created an empty one and everything seemed normal. And it's happening with every single smart checkbox group that I try to set up this way.

Let's say I am filtering this smart checkbox group with a Rules for field definition. Could that be related with the way I am building that filter and that adds up an empty records? It happens always at the top of the smart checkbox group.