Replacing dropdown with autocomplete

[bruceiow]

Hi All,

 

I have a table called "Claims", there is a related table called "nameLink" and table related to that called "name". So there is one claim to many namelinks (claim.claimId to namelink.claimId). Then nameLink.nameId to name.nameId.

 

So the situation is that I have many names to one claim.

 

Currently I have a layout that has claim as my primary table. I have a portal on that layout that brings in all related nameLink rows. 

 

The portal has one popup menu, which has data displayed from namelink.nameid, and its values from names table (storing the id, but displaying the name.name field).

 

This works great, I get a popup showing all the names in the name table. I can use the portal as you would expect, adding and removing namelink rows using the popup menu.

 

The problem lies in the fact that the name list is pretty huge now and my ipad users are struggling to scroll through the hundreds of names to find the ones they want - even with alphabetical ordering it is a bit of a mission.

 

What I wanted to do was change the popup menu to an edit box and allow it to be auto completed by my ipad users typing in part of a name. I changed the popupmenu field to be an edit box but hit upon a snag straight off. That field is numeric. We are holding the ID of the name in the namelink table, so I cant just recycle that popup menu in a different form.

 

I then tried to add the name.name field in place of the namelink.nameid field. That field I set as auto complete, but when I opened my layout I couldn't type in to the field so there was obviously a problem somewhere along the line. 

 

Can anyone offer me an Olive branch on this, I must be doing something wrong!!

 

Many thanks

 

**note my post topic states dropdown, but in fact as the body suggests - I am using a popup menu**

[Ocean West]

I have had the same issue with using popup lists on IOS its just not as fluid as you would like.

 

it would be better for you to create a new layout that you switch to to choose people from a list view or alternatively a portal 

 

the idea would be tap a field or button and it just goes to a a different layout either a LIST view or a FORM with a portal  of known people you can then tap them and it creates and sets the fields into your join table. 

with a bit of custom formatting you can even highlight the people that are "SELECTED" you can also add a global "filter" field on that screen to reduce the list

and or portal.

 

then a button to go 'back' to the Claims...

[bruceiow]

I don't know if I can achieve this for the simple reason that I have a script that runs when the form is loaded to force a new record. This is very much an input form, when the user clicks through to form from the menu system we need them to be presented with a blank new form. I do this by forcing on load of the form a new record.

 

If I take the user away from the form to a separate lookup form I will loose the form data that input up until that point.

[Ocean West]

well in your script you could set a flag - a global field or a $$variable as you are leaving this layout for a utility layout and when you do the task(s) there and finish and return your trigger script would test to see if the flag is present and  that and branch accordingly to avoid creating any new blank form and just return the user to the place they left. then clear the flag.