Updated Tutorial Available
Drop List Point
Learn how the Drop List point can be used and see it in action with the sample projects.
What is the Drop List point?
The Drop List point can be used to display a list of items in a drop down interface. This point is similar to the Selection point but is more suitable for displaying a large list of items. This point is highly customisable and can be configured to allow single or multiple values to be selected and can optionally display an empty item to allow deselection. The list of options can contain values that have a different value to what is displayed and can optionally provide the user with the ability to create new options, while a session is being created.
Key Features
- Provides a fundamental tool for making a selection from a large list of options.
- Can be configured to allow selecting single or multiple values from the list.
- Can be configured to allow deselection.
- Can provide the ability to create custom entries while a session is being created, on the mobile application.
- Can be configured to display different values to the values that are stored in a session, using the code-based feature .
Single and Multiple selections
When this point is displayed in a session on the mobile application, the user will be able to select options from the list. The point can be configured to allow the user to select only one item or to allow selection of multiple items.
Code-Based Items
The list of options can be configured to set the display text of each item separately to the values of each
item by using the
code-based
option. By selecting a style that allows code-based items you can then add code based items using the following
format:
150;Consulting Rate
The example above would display
Consulting Rate
when the point's items are displayed in a session on the mobile application. When the item is selected,
the value
150
will be saved to the session data.
Convert to a Selection Point
A Drop List point can easily be converted to a
Selection point
which can be useful for displaying a smaller list of items on screen at the same time. This can be done
by right-clicking the Drop List point in the Mobile Data Anywhere
Designer and selecting
Convert to Selection Point
. Similarly a
Selection point
can be converted to a Drop List point.
Allowing Custom Entries
A powerful feature of the Drop List point is that it can provide the user with the ability to add a custom
item to the list while creating a session. When this point is configured with either of the style options;
Single selection, editable
or
Single selection, edit & save
, the user will be able to tap on the point and type a custom value which will be saved to the session's data
when the session is finished. Additionally, when the point is configured to use the
edit & save
style, the custom entry will be saved to the point's list of items. The item can then be re-used
on any new sessions created in the same project, on the same mobile device. Custom entries that are created
this way can also be removed from the point's item list by doing the following:
Removing custom entries
| Apple iOS Devices | When the point is displaying the list of options, swipe the custom item from right to left to reveal the delete button. Tap the delete button to remove this item from the list. |
| Google Android Devices | When the point is displaying the list of options, tap and hold on the custom item to bring up the prompt to delete the item. |
Configuration and Settings
The Drop List point can be configured in the Mobile Data Anywhere Designer to set the data for the list of items and to choose how the point functions within a session on the mobile application. Below is an example of the properties window for a Drop List point, opened in the Mobile Data Anywhere Designer.
Items
The items section allows you to create the list of options that will be presented to the user when a session is being created on the mobile application. You can manually add, edit, remove and re-order the items using the buttons on the right or the items can be imported from a text file.
Style
These options control how the point will function on the mobile application and includes the following options, explained below:
Single Selection, code-based
Similar to the
Single Selection
option except that the list of items can contain
code-based items
.
Multiple Selection, code-based
Similar to the
Multiple Selection
option except that the list of items can contain
code-based items
.
Setting a default value
A list item can be set as the default value from the point's page preview, in the Mobile Data Anywhere Designer.
This can be done be selecting the item in the page preview for the point and then right clicking on the point's
caption and selecting
Save Default Value
.
Looking for a more powerful list point?
Sample Projects
The
Basic Points Sample
project contains examples of how to use many of the various points that are available. This project also contains a
page that demonstrates some of the ways that this point can be used in your projects.
Sample Projects
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