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In some dropdown objects, ie, the Customer:Job dropdown on the Estimates screen, I am not understanding how the selections in Step 4 of 6 were made and I am unable to change some of them.  In the Customer:Job dropdown, the Select Table field is set to Customer and is diabled, I cannot edit it (though I don't really want to, I just don't know how this selection field was disabled).  I do want to edit the Select Field dropdown in Step 4 of 6.  There are only two values in the dropdown, the first is blank, the second is "ParentFullName via Customer'.  The value in this dropdown remains set to the second choice, even if I try to change it.

Why are there only two choices in the 'Select Field' dropdown?

Why don't I see the expected Customer table fields?

How does a choice like 'ParentFullName via Customer' come into being?

Does this all represent a field definition that only Method customizers can make?  In other words, people outside of Method Integration, like me, can't make changes mentioned above.

The reason I am asking these questions, besides trying to understand Method CRM better, is that the 'Select Field' choice of 'ParentFullName via Customer' is producing blanks results in the 'Customer:Job' dropdown on the screen I am customizing.  So when I select a customer I receive an error message that no value is selected and the screen's field do not populate.  I am trying to fix this and, for now, I will have to recreate the 'Customer:Job' dropdown from scratch.

Hi viret56, 

I just wanted to explain to you the difference between the dropdown fields and the dropdown objects that you have the option of placing within your screen. 

When you select the “Dropdown” object in the designer, when you go to “Step 4 of 6”, you have the option of selecting a table and a specific field with data from that table that you want to display as a list. For example, after you drag the “Dropdown” object to the designer screen, when you go to “Step 4 of 6” after you click on the Edit on the object, you can select table “Customer”, and the field “FullName” which comes from the “Customer Name” field in the “New Customer” screen. 

When you are adding a "Dropdown" type field to the table, you have two options:

a) Either create a new table for this dropdown field where you can add choices to your new dropdown.

- For example, if you added a field called “Customers” and assigned it the field type of “Dropdown”, in the “Dropdown Wizard” screen which pops-up, in “Step 1 of 3”, when you choose “Create a New Table”, “Step 3 of 3” will give you have the option of entering in your choices in the text field. 

b) Use an existing table which already has choices selected.

- For example, if you add a field called “ActivityType” and assign it to the field type “Dropdown”, in the “Dropdown Wizard” screen which pops-up, in “Step 1 of 3”, when you select “Choose from an existing Table”, “Step 2 of 3” will give you the option of selecting the table which will have the data so in the above case it will be table “ActivityType”, and in “Step 3 of 3”, you have to select the “name of the field” field from the dropdow instead of “RecordID" which will have all of choices available to the user so for the above example it will be field “ActivityType”. 

I hope that this helps.

Ronen

 So the 'Dropdown' I am looking at is a field rather than an object.  The table it is linked to is 'Customer'.  The first column field was orginally blank, but after editing the dropdown I noticed it is now 'ParentFullName via Customer', which produces all blank entries in the first column of the dropdown.  The first column is supposed to be filled with customer names (FullName in the Customers table).  Now I do see the ParentFullName in the Customers table, but I do not understand why the dropdown menu has only blank values in the first column.

Can you shed any light on this?

Hi viret56, 

These are the steps that I recommend that you take to add the dropdown field successfully to the Estimate screen:

1. Go to Customise > Screens.
2. Select the copy of the estimate screen.
3. In the designer, click on Add Objects tab.
4. Select the object Dropdown1 and drag that into the designer screen.
5. Click on the Edit link on the object.
6. In Step 1 of 6, you want to give the field a new name.
7. In Step 4 of 6, under the Select Table And Fields label, click on the Select Table dropdown and select Customer.
8. Click on the Select Field dropdown and choose the field FullName.
9. You will then see a selection of the names in the text box below. 
10. Click on Finish.

I also would like further clarification.

I have a dropdown on my Customer Edit screen for Job Type that represents the QuickBooks field for subaccounts. Accounts can categorized as either Main Account, Staff, etc. It is a field in my Job Type table.

The dropdown only allows me to show "Fullname via JobType" in the first column, when in actual fact, I'd like to show the "Name" field instead. The reason is, the "FullName via JobType" column has ntries like "Subaccount desc:Main Acocunt", whereas the "Name" field just has "Main Account". I can display the "Name" field as a second column, but not as the first (and only) one.

How can I do this?

Looking at the JobType table, it appears that the "Fullname via JobType" field is the only unique field in the table. I could be wrong, but I imagine that's why it's the only one able to be selected. But I can't seem to be able to make the "Name" field unique as well, or alternatively, show the "Name" field only in the dropdown.

Thanks

Hi MikeB,

If I understand correctly, you have the dropdown field JobType from the Customer table on your screen editor. Now when you click Edit, you want the Name field (NOT the FullName field) from the JobType table to be the first field in Step 4 of 6 of the dropdown field wizard.

Try to add the JobType.Name field to the Customer table as a linked field. In my testing, you should be able to then select JobType.Name as your first field. Let me know if this works for you and if I understood correctly. 

- Jason

Yes, that worked - thanks. I didn't realize it was the Job Type field from the Customer table. I was looking at the Job Type table only.

Also, since there was already a Name field in the Customer table, I just named the linked field "JobTypeName". That's what I was supposed to do, right?

Yes. You can name it whatever you like, but "JobTypeName" would make the most sense.

This forum post explains linked fields in detail if you're interested. 

- Jason