Using a card window instead of conditional value lists

[comment]

Users often need to select an item from a large list. In such case it may be convenient to make the selection process hierarchical - for example, select a category first, then a subcategory in the selected category and finally an item in the selected subcategory.

A popular solution is the use of conditional value lists. However, this requires adding relationships and table occurrences to the relationships graph in order to "filter" the value lists. Plus fields to hold the intermediate selections - fields that are otherwise not required, since only the final selection matters. Plus the value lists themselves. 

Here is an alternative method using a card window to make the successive selections. This requires no additional TOs, relationships, fields or value lists. All that is needed is one layout for each level of selection and a simple script (the attached demo has an extra script purely for cosmetic purposes).

 

 

DwindleCardWindow.fmp12

Edited November 19, 2021 by comment

[LaRetta]

This is an incredibly simple but highly useful and elegant example!  

[Steve Martino]

Cool.  Thanks for posting!