Displaying field value on one line when actual value contains carrige returns

[Joe_Schmo]

If you click into a dropdown field on a layout and hold down the command (apple) key you can select multiple entries from the dropdown. We use this featue on occasion but the layout doesn't show the values after the first one becuase a carrige return is automatically inserted after each entry and the layout only shows one line of text. Is there a way to make the additional items selected be visable without changing the layout to show more than one line of text?

I was thinking of making a new field that copies the text from the first one and inputs it into the new field with a comma and space in place of the carrige return.

So if a user selected multiple items, the contents of the field would change from...

"Value 1 [carrige return]

Value 3 [carrige return]

value 7 [carrige return]"

to

"Value 1, Value 3, Value 7"

...so that all values are visable in one line of text without altering the layout.

However, if there is another way to display the values in one row of text WITHOUT creating a new field that copies the values that would be preferable. I'm just not aware of any other way.

Any suggestions? Or is increasing the layout text box size the only solution?

[LaRetta]

Hi Joe, you should be using a different control than drop-down. It seems like good feature but if a User does not notice there are other entries entered by other people and they forget to hold down shift, they will wipe out everyone's selections. All it takes is for them to forget to hold shift ONCE.

If you simply increase the height of the text box itself then when User makes selection, their selections will also increase in height, spacing the selections out. It looks funky. You can create a calculation (result is text) with:

Substitute ( dropdownField ; ¶ ; ", " )

But it is really best to use a different selection method. :^)

[Joe_Schmo]

I agree, I really want to avoid the selection method of holding down a key and clicking multiple entries in the first place. But what other selection method would you suggest?

[EDIT]

Although, my main concern isn't changing the selection method, it's getting the text to display in one line. If that means changing the selection method, then I am definitely ok with that, but I don't mind keeping the selection method the way it is if I can get the field values to display as described, with commas instead of carrige returns.

[LaRetta]

That would depend upon the situation, Joe. Checkboxes allow multiple selection but you would probably want a portal. It can even be pop-up window.

But, if space is tight and you want to keep using a drop-down then you can attach it to a global.

[LaRetta]

Joe, you cannot display a drop-down value list (or pop-up value list) in a single string. You can only use a calculation or layout variable to display in single string but it would need to be placed below (or above) the value list itself. The calculation I gave you does that.

[LaRetta]

Well, to contradict myself, here is how you can do what I said you cannot do, LOL.

You may not care about the issue I brought up but it is a problem. So I decided to show how you can 1) solve your problem of using the drop-down and Users deleting other Users' information and 2) display the results of the pop-up in a single line.

The calculation and popup are stacked.

ADDED: In this way, Users do not even have to hold down shift.

SelectPopup.zip

Edited January 17, 2012 by LaRetta

[Joe_Schmo]

Thanks, I'll check it out tomorrow and get back to you. I didn't mean that I don't care about the issue. But what I don't want is an alternate method of selection that still requires increasing the field size on the layout to see them all. It's the display I'm trying to fix, not the selection method. But you're right about the method needing improvement. It sounds like your example file will fix both. Thanks again!

[Joe_Schmo]

Your substitution calculation works well for solving the display issue. I was able to combine that with your stacking idea and put the merge field on top stacked so that the text aligned perfectly for the first value, and all other values of the merge field appeared to the right, while all other values of the original field appeared below (or would appear, if the field size allowed).

So it looks something like this:

Value 1, Value 2, Value 3

Value 2

Value 3

where the bold is the stacking of both texts (but it looks like one in browse mode)

and the italics show the additional values of the original field, even though they don't actually show in the layout.

Thanks for the ideas! I know this isn't the exact solution you suggested, but I wouldn't have thought of it on my own and it works just like I wanted it to now.