*NOTE* It's recommended that you have an understanding of using queries before attempting to use Dynamic Dropdown fields.
Apricot for Victim's Support (AVS) is a database that has been set up with a standard process for entering data. It allows you to enter new information about clients who are receiving services from your organization. It was built primarily for organizations that provide services to victims of domestic violence.
The AVS database has been set up with dropdown menus pre-populated with standard options. Some of these were pulled from the Alice database when data was migrated from that system into the Apricot system. All dropdown menu options are adjustable and can be customized to show what you want.
What is a Dropdown Field?
A dropdown field is a place on a record where you can collect data from a menu of pre-set options.
In the AVS database, there are two kinds of dropdown fields: standard and dynamic.
1. In the example above, the field labeled "Gender" is a standard dropdown menu. A user can select a choice from the available options and save it in the record.
What is a Dynamic Dropdown Field?
In the example above, the fields labeled "Service Category" and "Service" are considered dynamic dropdown menus.
1. Depending on what you select in the "Service Category" menu,
2. The options available in the "Service" field will change. If you select change the selection under "Service Category" from Community Education to Women's Shelter, the options that show up under "Service" will change to match the new Service Category selection.
Note: When a user fills out a record, in most cases the standard dropdown fields look similar or the same as the dynamic dropdown fields. An Administrator can see the differences, but only when they are editing a form's design.
Changing Options in a Standard Dropdown Field
To edit options available in a standard dropdown field, click the Administrator tab.
In the left hand menu, select Standard Forms.
Find the form you want to edit. If you are looking for a Tier 2 or secondary form, expand the black arrow next to the Tier 1 or primary form to display them.
Hover over the Actions tab.
Select Edit.
When your form is open for editing,
Find the field you want to edit and click the green gear in the upper right hand corner.
At the top of the field properties window that appears, the type of field you are editing will appear in parentheses. In the example above, it says dropdown which means it is a standard dropdown field and we will be able to edit the options here. If it were a dynamic field, the options would not be visible and we would not be able to edit them.
To the right of "Field Choices," click the + sign. This will add a new bar where you can add a new choice to the menu.
Type your new option into the text box. You can also edit existing choices by typing over the options that are there or deleting the text you no longer need.
Select Apply.
Select Publish to save your changes and make them available to your users.
Now your new menu options will be available to your users when they create records.
Changing Options in a Dynamic Dropdown Field
On the same form design page, if we attempted to change the options in a dynamic dropdown field, this is what we would see.
At the top of the field properties window, it will be labeled as a "dynamic dropdown."
Instead of rows for our options, it will display the name of a different form instead (in this case: Category).
To change options in a dynamic dropdown field, click the My Apricot tab.
Expand the gray arrow next to More in the left hand menu.
Select Category.
Dynamic options live here under the Category form.
Expand the black arrow next to "Add Search Field" and add "Category" and "Option." These are the two dynamic fields that appear on the Services form.
If you are interested in changing some of the options available in a specific category, you can type that into the search bar to narrow down the search results.
Expand the gray arrow to view the available options. You may need to review the options that are already entered into the system before making changes.
If you need to edit an existing option (the service category has a new name, it has been spelled wrong, you would like your user's to refer to it in a new way, etc.), you will need to mark the existing service category "Inactive", and create a brand new one. This will ensure that your prior records remain linked correctly.
If you would like to add a new option under the category you have selected, click the gray text.
Creating a new Service option
Choose the category folder (Tier 1) that you want to use for your service option
Hover over the "Actions" dropdown (next to the "Option" record) and choose "Create New"
Type your new option into the text box.
Select Save Record.
Now your new option will be available in the dynamic field.
Deleting Options in a Dynamic Dropdown Field
You can also remove options from the dropdown menu. To do this, follow the steps to find the category that contains the options you want to edit.
Instead of creating a new option, expand the gray arrow to display the options that have already been created.
Click on the orange text of the option you would like to remove from the dropdown menu.
Check "Yes" for the field labeled "Inactive?"
Save Record