Adding Values to Values Lists

You can create the values that are displayed to users as the available selections in global and field-specific values lists. You can either manually add them or import them from an XML file.

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Manually add values

  1. Open the values list field or the global values list.

    The following table describes how to get to the Values tab, depending on the type of values list.

    Global

    Field-Specific
    1. From the menu, click Admin menu> Application Builder > Global Values Lists.
    2. Select the Global Values list to update.
    1. From your application, go to Designer tab > Layout tab > Objects panel.
    2. In the Data Fields section, select the Values List field to update.
    3. Go to the Properties > Values, click Edit Values.
  2. In the Values section, click Add New .
  3. In the Text Value field, enter the value as you want it to display in the values list.
  4. (Optional) In the Description field, enter a description.

    If the field is configured to display description links, users will be able to view this description by clicking the linked value.

  5. By default, Active is selected, which makes the value available for selection on the user interface. If you do not want users to be allowed to select the value, clear Active.

    Once you edit records with an inactive value in the value list field, the inactive value is removed.

  6. (Optional) In the Default Selection field, click Select this value by default to set the value you are working with as a default selection when the values list is displayed to users.

    Note: When a user adds a new record in an application or questionnaire that contains a Values List field with a default value, the default value automatically is selected in the Values List field, regardless of the user’s access to the field. For example, if a user has read-only access to a Values List field with a default value of “In Progress,” when the user saves the record, the value of this field is set to “In Progress” even though the user cannot edit the field. Users with full access to the field can change the default value.

  7. In the Numeric Value field, enter the appropriate number to associate a numeric value with your text value.

    For example, if your text value is "High," you might assign it a numeric value of "10." The Numeric Value field accepts positive, negative, and decimal values. Using the Calculations feature, you can reference these numeric values in calculated field formulas.

  8. (Optional) In the Text Color field, select a color to apply to the text of the value.

    Note: If you associate a color with a values list item, the color is displayed in records in view mode and on a record node in Relationship Visualization. Values list items are not displayed in color when users add or edit records unless the user has read-only access to the field.

  9. To include an image to represent your value, in the Image field, click Edit. In the Graphic Selector dialog box, select from the following options:
    • Select a Graphic from a Library. In the Available Graphics control group, select the option next to the graphic that you want to assign to the values list item and click OK.
    • Add a New Graphic. In the Available Graphics control group, click Add New to browse for and select the file. Once you have selected a file, click Open to add the graphic to the Files to Upload list. Click OK to begin the upload of the file.

      Once the file is uploaded, you can select the file to be the image that displays for the value.

    Note: If you associate an image with a values list item, the image is displayed in records in view mode in place of the value name. Values list items are not displayed as an image when users add or edit records unless the user has read-only access to the field.

  10. If you want users to enter descriptive text associated with the value:
    1. Select Other.
    2. From the Height list, select the height for the text box.
    3. In the Default Text field, enter the text that you want to be displayed by default next to the values list control.

    Note: Enabling this property causes the values list control to display a required text box on the user interface. For example, if you have a value of "N/A," you can use the Other option to force users to enter information supporting their selection of the "N/A" value.

    Only 1 value for each values list may have the Other option enabled. Changing the Other option from 1 value to another results in the loss of all data entered in the “Other” field associated with the original value. For example, you have a values list where the value “N/A” is enabled with the Other option. If you enable the value “None of the Above” with the Other option, all data contained in the “Other” field associated with the “N/A” value is erased.

  11. Click Save.

  12. Click Save or Save and Close.

    • To apply the changes and continue working, click Save.
    • To save and exit, click Save and Close.

Importing values

You can define the values list properties by importing the properties from an external XML file. The following conditions apply when importing a values list:  Existing values list with a node name that matches a value in the XML file will be updated with the properties contained in your import file.Values can be imported in global, field-specific, and questionnaire values lists. The process for adding values to these types of lists is identical.Values in your XML file that do not match an existing value in the list are imported as new values.

Values can be imported in global, field-specific, and questionnaire values lists. The process for adding values to these types of lists is identical.

XML example and attributes

The following table describes each attribute and whether it is required or optional.

Attribute

Required/Optional

Description

name

Required

The name of the value as you want it to display in the values list. It maps to the Text Value field on the Edit Value page.

active

Required

Defines whether the values list item is available for selection on the user interface. It maps to the Active field on the Edit Value page. Use the value "true" or "false" with this attribute.

value

Optional

The numeric value associated with the text value name. For example, you could associate the numeric value "10" with the text value "High." This attribute maps to the Numeric Value field on the Edit Value page.

description

Optional

Description of the value. It maps to the Description field on the Edit Value page.

selectedDefault

Required

Defines whether the values list item is the default selection. It maps to the Default Selection field on the Edit Value page. Use the value "true" or "false" with this attribute.

textColor

Optional

The HTML color code to apply to the value. It maps to the Text Color field on the Edit Value page.

status

Required

Defines whether the properties of this value can be modified. A value of “0” means administrators can edit the value. A value of “1” means that the value is "locked;" only the name and description of the value can be modified. A value of "2" means that the value is "static;" no properties can be modified.

otherTextEnabled

Optional

Associates the "Other" text field with the values list item. It maps to the Other field on the Edit Value page. Use the value "true" or "false" with this attribute. Only 1 value per values list can be defined as "Other."

otherTextHeight

Optional

Defines the height of the "Other" text field. This attribute can be used only in conjunction with the otherTextEnabled attribute.

otherTextDefault

Optional

Defines the default text for the "Other" text field. This attribute can be used only in conjunction with the otherTextEnabled attribute.

image

Optional

The name of the image file associated with the values list item. When you import a values list item that has an image attribute (the filename of the image), Archer maps the image attribute to a file name on the server. Archer displays the image associated with the filename on the server. If an exact match cannot be found, no image is displayed. This attribute does not accommodate the import of new or updated images.

  1. Go to the Values List page of the following values list you want to update.

    The following table describes how to get to the values list, depending on the type of values list.

    Global

    Field-Specific
    1. From the menu, click Admin menu> Application Builder > Global Values Lists.
    2. Select the Global Values list to update.
    1. From your application, go to Designer tab > Layout tab > Objects panel.
    2. In the Data Fields section, select the Values List field to update.
    3. Go to the Properties > Values, click Edit Values.
  2. In the Values section, click Import.
  3. Click Add New.
  4. Select the XML file you want to upload and click Open.
  5. Click OK.
  6. Update the value properties as needed.

  7. Click Save or Save and Close.

    • To apply the changes and continue working, click Save.
    • To save and exit, click Save and Close.