Dependent Dropdown List

· A dropdown list that displays choices that depend on the value selected in a previous dropdown list.

In the following example, the value selected in the Wine Type list affect the values displayed in the Wine Name list. If the user chooses Red under Wine Type, the wine names will be filtered display red wines only.

· A list that displays values filtered according to a fixed criterion. For example, the following list is filtered to display red wines only.

This topic explains how to create dependency dials. It is also possible to create this dependency for properties.

Example of filtering by a dial

The settings for Dependent Dropdown lists are similar to those of regular Dropdown Lists, however the Dependent Dropdown list includes an additional option of filtering.

This following procedure explains how to define a dependent dial filter using the Wine Type and Wine Name example.

This option allows you to retrieve a value for single option controls, such as text boxes, and options and selected values for multiple option controls, such as dropdown lists, from a database, rather than defining them manually.

For example, you can define an input control of type dropdown list that is populated with the customers’ addresses as registered in the uStore database instead of manually defining each entry of the list. This way, you can present each store shopper a personalized list. You can use the predefined uStore databases or you can define a custom database that conforms to the uStore database structure.

Note that you can only use either a global data source (available for all stores) or a data source that was defined for the specific store you are configuring. For more information on how to define a data source, refer to Defining Data Sources.

The Override existing value option instructs uStore to override the existing value of a control, set by the shopper in the storefront, to always reflect the latest database value. This can occur in any page in the store where the property/dial appears, e.g. customization step, finalize step.

Also, when reordering, before the order is placed in the cart, uStore will retrieve the most up-to-date dial/property value from the database.

If left unselected, the value will be retrieved only once, when the dial/property does not have a value.

After you select a data source from the data source list available for the store, use the Wizard option to populate personalized values from the data source, or set the personalized values manually by entering an SQL query in the Custom option.

Wizard

Provide the following information:

– Table or View: select the table or view from which data is pulled.

– Display Text Field (Multiple Options Input Controls): the text that is displayed in the input control and is associated with a Value field. For example, the presented text may be an address while the associated value field that is passed on to uProduce is a ZIP code. This selection is available only in multiple input controls.

– Value Field: select the field (column) in the table or view that will be used to populate the input control. For example, you may have a field in your table or view that stores a recipient names; select that field to populate the input control with names from the Recipient column.

– Conditions: The wizard enables you to define filters by which the specific value in the Value Field is pulled. You can use the following ID filters:

§ User ID Field - available in the Users table

§ External User ID Field - available in the External Users table

§ User Email Field- available in the User Email table

§ Store ID Field - available in the Stores table

§ Product ID Field - available in the Products table

§ Language ID Field - available in the Culture table

You can also use any desired ID filters provided they are mapped to the above uStore ID filters. If you are defining a single option input control and the filter you are defining returns several records, only the first one will be displayed to the user.

§ Filter (for Dependent Dropdown List only): A column in the database ("Display Text Field") is filtered according to certain criteria. There are three criteria:

Fixed: the column data is filtered by a fixed value. For example, the wine list can be filtered by its color.

Dial: the column data is filtered by the dial selected in the previous dropdown list. Both dials should be of the Dependent Dropdown List type (Dial settings only).

Property: the column data is filtered by the property selected in the previous dropdown list. Both dials should be of the Dependent Dropdown List type (Property settings only).

– Default Field (multiple options input Controls): select the field (column) in the table or view that will be used to set the default value of the input control. Then, enter the specific value in that field that actually sets the default value. For example, the default value field can be 'IsDefault' and the actual values that set the default value can be '1' for 'is default' and '0' for 'not default'. In this case, you should select 'IsDefault' in the Default Field list and enter '1' as its value.

– Override Default Sorting Field (Multiple Options Input Controls): allows you to sort the input control entries by the order in a specified table field (or view). The sorting order is determined by the data type in the selected field, as follows:

§ lexicographic order for text

§ alphanumeric order for numbers

§ chronological order for dates

– Hide when there are no options to select (for Dependent Dropdown List only): the second dropdown list will appear only if there are values to select.

For example, if you choose USA from the Country dropdown list, the State dropdown list will appear; but if you choose England from the Country list, the State list will not be shown.

For this option to work, the data for the first dropdown list and the data for the second dropdown list must be in separate tables. For example, you should have one table for the list of countries that contains a field for CountryID and another field for CountryName. You will then need a separate table for the list of states with a field for StateID, Country and Name.

Custom

To manually define the Data Source for personalized values, select Custom and enter an SQL query in the Query field.

– If you are using a single option Input Control such as a Text Box, you should enter a query that returns a single value. You should use one or more of the following parameters: @UserID, @StoreID, @ProductID, @CultureID, @OrderProductID (which is @OrderItemID), @ExternalUserID, @UserEmail.

– If you are using a multiple options input control such as a Dropdown list, you should enter a query that can return several values. You should use one or more of the following parameters: @UserID, @StoreID, @ProductID, @CultureID, @OrderProductID (which is @OrderItemID), @ExternalUserID, @UserEmail.

– For Display Text Field, select the value displayed to the viewer. For example, Color.

5. Repeat steps 1-3 for the second dropdown list, Wine Name, and select settings as follows:

6. Select the Filter checkbox, and define a filter by which the Wine Name list will display values that depend on the value selected in the Wine Type list.

Example of filtering by a fixed value

Let's say you want to create two separate dropdown lists, one for Red Wine and one for White Wine.

You can define a filter to filter each list by a fixed value. This means that the first list will display red wine names only, and the second will display white wine names only.