Creating Dynamically-controlled Card Lists

You can make the values of one list control determine what appears in a second list control when both are used in a file or item card. This is done by creating card lists with related list values.

In this example, you create three card lists:
  • A controlling card list, with two values
  • Two dependent card lists that correspond to the values in the controlling list

When you create the data card, you add one list control to let users select a value from the controlling card list. You add a second list control and make the options that users can select depend on their selection in the first list control.

To use card lists dynamically in a data card:

  1. Right-click Lists (for cards) and select Add New.
  2. In the dialog box, create the controlling card list using the following values:
    List name Material
    Data type Text
    Data Metal

    Plastic

  3. Click Save .
  4. Repeat steps 1 through 3 to create two dependent card lists that correspond to the data values Metal and Plastic in the controlling list:
      for Metal for Plastic
    List name Metal types Plastic types
    Data type Text Text
    Data Copper

    Stainless Steel

    Zinc

    Polyethylene

    Polypropylene

    Polystyrene

    Although these list names match the values in the controlling card list Data field, you can assign any name you want for List name. It is not until you add controls to the data card that you create the actual relationship between the lists.
  5. Create a data card and add a list control (List box, Combobox, Droplist, or Combolist).
  6. In the control's properties pane, under Items, select Special value and select the controlling card list, Material.
  7. Under Value, select a Variable name to store the value.
  8. Add a second list control.
  9. To make the list values in this list control depend on what the user selects in the first list control, select Controlled by variable and click Details.
  10. In the Controlled by variable dialog box, for Variable, select the variable connected to the controlling list control, in this case, Material.
  11. Click under Variable Value and type a variable value, for example, Metal.
  12. Under CardList, select the list to show if the variable value matches the user's selection.
  13. To add another variable value, repeat steps 9 and 10.
  14. Under Value, link the second list control to a variable, for example Type.
  15. Click File > Save to save the data card.
When a user completes the data card, the value selected in the first list (Material) controls the list values available in the second list (Type).