Configure Advanced Options for Predefined Selection Fields

Several custom fields with predefined selection options support multi-step configuration beyond their basic settings. A list of values can depend on a selection in another field, retired options can stay hidden while their historical data is preserved, and the value saved to the system can differ from the value shown to users. For the full list of input type settings, see Custom Fields Common Input Types Settings Reference.

Who: Global administrators and system administrators

When to Use Advanced Options for Predefined Selection Fields

Use advanced options for predefined selection fields when:

• Conditional lists fit a field whose available values depend on another field's selection.
• Retired options fit list values that must be hidden but kept for historical records.
• Stored and displayed values fit a field where the value saved to the system needs to differ from the value shown to users, such as for translation.

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Access Custom Fields

Custom fields appear under several tabs in Global Settings and under universal tracking application (UTA)/modules for each level. Each tab shows only the fields related to its purpose.

Access Custom Fields from Global Settings

To open the custom fields list from Global Settings:

1. Click the System Administration gear in the upper navigation bar, and then select Global Settings.
2. Click the relevant tab.
   • Custom fields appear on the Organizations, User, Associations, and Transactions tabs.
3. Click Custom Fields.
4. Click the New Field [+] button to add a new custom field.
   • Click the edit [pencil] icon to edit an existing custom field.

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Access Custom Fields for a UTA/Module

To open the custom fields list for a UTA/module:

1. Click the Menu icon in the upper navigation bar, and then select the relevant UTA/module from the Applications drop-down menu.
2. Click the Configuration Settings gear.
3. Click the relevant Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 tab.
4. Click Custom Fields.
5. Click the New Field [+] button to add a new custom field.
   • Click the edit [pencil] icon to edit an existing custom field.

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Set Up Conditional Lists of Values

The selectable values in one custom field can depend on the selection made in another field. The controlling field is the Parent Field, and the dependent field is the Child Field.

Child fields can include the following selection field types:

• Lookup - Autocomplete Options: Presents a collection of values in an Ajax lookup box. It lets users select more than one value and can look up values from an external source.
• Select Many - Checkboxes: Presents values as checkboxes so users can select multiple values. View mode shows the selected values separated by semicolons.
• Select One - Radio Buttons: Presents values as radio buttons so users select a single value.
• Select One - Dropdown List: Allows users to choose one value from a drop-down menu.

To set up a conditional list of values:

1. Navigate to the child field using the instructions in the Access Custom Fields section of this article.
2. Click the General Settings tab.
3. Click the Parent Field, and select the relevant field from the drop-down menu.
   • The selected field provides the dependent values as the Parent Field.
4. Click the Predefined Options field, enter each set of dependent values wrapped in the ssOption syntax, which names the parent value that displays them, and click Save.

Example

The following example shows Ontario and British Columbia only when Canada is selected in the Country field, and Texas only when United States is selected:

--Select One--<ssOption:Canada>;Ontario;British Columbia</ssOption><ssOption:United States>;Texas</ssOption>

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Configure Retired Options

Retired options hide list values that are no longer in use and keep them for historical records.

To configure retired options:

1. Navigate to the relevant custom field using the instructions in the Access Custom Fields section of this article.
2. Click the edit [pencil] icon to open the custom field values for editing.
3. Click the Predefined Options field, and enter the values to retire wrapped in the ssRetiredOptions tag, with a semicolon before and after the tag.
   • If a value to retire is first in the list, move it to the end of the list, because retired values must never be first.
4. Click Save.

Example

The following example hides values 5 and 6 from the list and keeps them available in existing records:

1;2;3;<ssRetiredOptions>5;6</ssRetiredOptions>;7;8

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Set Up Stored and Displayed Values

Several selection field types let the value stored in the field differ from the value displayed to the user. The stored value stays the same across languages while the displayed value can change, which supports translation.

These settings apply to Select Many - Checkboxes, Select One - Radio Buttons, Lookup - Autocomplete Options, and Select One - Dropdown List fields.

To set up stored and displayed values:

1. Navigate to the relevant custom field using the instructions in the Access Custom Fields section of this article.

2. Click the Predefined Options field. Enter values using this syntax, where the value before the equal sign is stored and the value after the equal sign is displayed but not saved: 

   StoreValue1=DisplayValue1;StoreValue2=DisplayValue2;StoreValue3=DisplayValue3;

   • The StoreValue must stay consistent across all languages.
3. Click Save.

Example

The following example shows a selection field where Yes, No, and Maybe are the displayed options, and 1, 2, and 3 are the stored values:

1=Yes;2=No;3=Maybe;

Reference the Stored Value for a Selection Field Type

To reference the stored value of a selection field elsewhere in the system, use this syntax:

New syntax {{fieldname.value}}.

Old syntax @fieldname.value@.

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