Value lists are used when you want to create dropdown menus in forms.

There are two types of value lists in Process Automation. The regular value list and the more advanced Extended value list.


TABLE OF CONTENTS


How to create Value lists


1. Value lists are created and edited under Space setting. Navigate to the Space settings page and click Value lists in the left panel menu.


Note: You need to have administration rights to access the space settings.


2. To create a value list, select Create value list.


3. You can enter values manually or paste them from Excel for example.

 



Tip: If you want key values to every value in your list, you can add them after each value separated by a semi-colon like in the example below. Key values are used for example when configuring automatic gateways.


Monday;1

Tuesday;2

Wednesday;3


4. Value lists are exclusive to one space only. When you have one or more value lists in a space they will be presented like in the picture below. You are free to edit or remove lists using the buttons to the right. 


Note: If the list is used, a warning message will be issued and you will not be able to delete the value list unless you have freed up its connections. 



When to use Value lists

Value lists are mainly used in forms, where they show up as searchable single select drop-down lists or a multi-select boxes. Value lists help you steer what data input end users can submit and can be used for instance to steer gateways in your processes. Value lists are also a key component when creating role-mappers which allows you to steer what user(s) or group(s) of users should be able to perform different tasks in a process application based on data in the Instance. 


Note: Only the 100 first values will be displayed in the scroll list in a form. In order to access any other potential values a search will have to be performed according to the description above. An exact match will get highly scored. However, the last written word, even if it is only a couple of characters, will get the highest score in a search. 


How to maintain Value lists

When a value list is used in a form it is good to know what happens to the existing values in an instance if you add, remove or change a value in the value list.

Changes in a value list affect both active and inactive instances. There are three different types of fields commonly used to display values from a value list: 

  • Combotypefield (an older type of drop-down field), 
  • Combotypefield2 (the default for displaying value lists)
  • Superboxtypefield (multi-select fields)


There is also a fourth type, datasetfield,  that is used for Extended value lists. You can see which type of field you are using by clicking the field in the editor and checking the type attribute in the bottom right corner of the interface. Each of these form field types behaves differently if you remove a value or change the display value from the value list. 



Example

Below are some scenarios for deleting a value and changing the display value explained.


Initial setup

Two value lists have been created, one value list and one external value list.

NOTE: The value list has a specific display and key values for each value. The first row has e.g. display value set to “Value 01” and its key set to “01”. If no key value is entered, key value and display value will be the same.


External value list


From these two value lists, a form has been created including the various fields that use the value lists. Below is part of a test instance that we will use in the following examples.



Scenario - Delete a value list value

First up we will remove the value “Value 01;01” from both of the value lists.


NOTE: No changes will be shown in lists. The value that was entered into the instance will remain.


The instance will have some visual changes in it when opening the form.

  • The combotypefield type loses its display value and the key value is displayed instead
  • The superboxtypefield type loses its display value and the key value is displayed instead in red

Note: If any of the values are changed in the form from “01”/”Value 01” to something else it will not be possible to change the value back to “Value 01” since it has been removed.


Change display part in a value list value

Instead of removing a value let's change its display value. The value list now looks like this.

Lists still have the values introduced from start.

The instance however has changed in the same areas as when a value was deleted.

  • The combotypefield type shows the new display value
  • The superboxtypefield shows the new display value

Note: If the key part of the value is changed, from example “Value 02;02” to “Value 02;002”, that will be considered as a delete of the old value and a new value has been introduced.