Cascading Lists

Cascading lists are dropdown fields (Data List fields with the Multiple Choice field type) that you arrange in order when creating a form so that users’ choice in the first field determines the values in the second field (and so on). The data flows or "cascades" from field to field (the term "cascade" does not appear in the system).

In a cascading list, the values in each field come from the data in the columns of a data source file you uploaded before creating the form. The data source file is a Microsoft Excel file or a comma separated value (CSV) file. The order of the columns in the data source must match the order of the field types in the Data List field in the form.

Relationship Between Data Source Columns and Form Fields

It is crucial to understand how the data source relates to the form. To receive data, the form must have a Data List field. To use the data as the values in a dropdown list and have the data cascade from field to field based on user choice, the data from each column must go into a separate Multiple Choice field type in the same Data List field. If the final field type receives only a single value and no further choice is needed, then the Text field type can be used.

In order for the values to cascade from field to field, the system reads the data row by row across the columns, based on the user's choices in each field to determine the data to display in each field. The user's choice in the first field makes the second field display the values from the second column that are in the rows containing the value chosen in the first field. Likewise, the user's choice from the second field makes the third field display the values in the third column that are in rows containing the value chosen from the second field. The system processes all the columns and fields in this way until none are left.

In this example, the system loads all values from column 1 into the State field. In the State field, the user’s choice of "IL" loads all values from column 2 that are part of the IL rows into the City field. In the City field, the user’s choice of "Chicago" loads all values from column 3 that are part of the Chicago rows into the Node field.

Rules

  1. A cascading list uses one Data List form field to contain one Multiple Choice field type per column in one data source file. Only one data source can be used per cascading list
  2. The Multiple Choice field types must be in the same order as the columns in the data source file, so that the data in the first column goes into the first Multiple Choice field type, the second column's data goes into the second Multiple Choice field type, etc.
  3. When loading the values from the data source columns into the Multiple Choice field types, the system automatically removes duplicate values, so you see each value from a column once per field
  4. Optional. The last field type can be a Number or Text field type if it receives only one value from the preceding field
  • To use the same cascading list in more than one form, put the fields from the cascading list in a component and add the component to multiple forms
  • To use cascading lists so that some fields are in one form and some fields are in another form, the forms must be in a parent-child relationship to each other

  1. Create a data source (Microsoft Excel file or comma separated value (CSV) file. The order of the columns in the data source must match the order of the field types in the Data List field in the form. Put the values you want in each field in the corresponding column in the data source file. See Create Data Source File from a File

  2. Upload the file. See Upload Data Source File

  3. Add a Data List field to a form. See Data List fields

    1. At the bottom of a section of the form, click + Add Field
    2. On the Add Field window, click Data List
    3. On the Configure Data List window:
      1. In the Data Source dropdown, choose the data source file
      2. On the Configure Data List window, click + Add Field
      3. On the Select a Field Type window, click Multiple Choice
      4. On the Configure Data List Field window, in the Data Source Column dropdown, choose the column from the data source file containing the data you want to use in the field. Fill in the remaining fields. For more information, see Multiple Choice : Multiple Choice. Click Save
    4. Repeat steps a-c for each field in the cascading list
    5. On the Configure Data List window, click Save

 

This is how to create a cascading list that automatically fills in address fields based on the user name.

In the data source file, the first column lists the user names, which are unique (no name is repeated). A Multiple Choice field type is linked to the first column so the names display as options in the dropdown list. The remaining fields are Text field types, which only allow data to be displayed. They are linked to the remaining columns. The user's choice of a name pulls in all the data from the remaining columns in the row to fill in the rest of the fields.

Data Source Columns (left to right in file) Data List Fields (top to bottom in form/item) Field Type
User Name User Name Multiple Choice
Street Address Street Address Text
City City Text
State State Text
Postal (ZIP) Code Postal (ZIP) Code Text
Phone Number Phone Number Text
Email Email Text