InfoPath Dev

Hello,

I would like to automatically populate an expression box based on a dropdown list selection.

I have:

1. An ID column
2. Facility Column
3. Cost Column

What I would like to do is have the Facility column as the contents for the dropdown. I would like the expression box to be the 'cost column'. I am just unsure how to make this happen??

 

Thanks

Where is your data source located? I'm not sure where you'll be pulling those three items from.

Coming from SQL

You should use Facility as the Display field in your dropdown and ID as the Value field, then create an expression box with an XPath formula like this, replacing the bold underlined parts:

 xdXDocument:GetDOM("TestTable1")/dfs:myFields/dfs:dataFields/d:TestTable1[@ID = xdXDocument:get-DOM()/my:myFields/my:field1]/@Cost

The first TestTable1 is the name of the data source.
The second is the name of the repeating field in the secondary data source.
ID is the ID field in the secondary data source.
/my:myFields/my:field1 is the path to the field to which the dropdown is bound.
Cost is the cost field in the secondary data source.

Thanks for your response. Now I am really confused.

Hi mbrady1973,

To implement the formula defined by Jimmy please do the following:

Configure the drop down list:

[1] Right mouse click on your dropdownlist and choose Drop-Down List Box Properties
[2] In the Drop-Down Properties dialog box, under List box entries select Look up values from an external data source.
[3] In the Drop-Down Properties dialog box, select your sql data source
[4] In the Drop-Down Properties dialog box, click on the button next to Entries, and select the folder where your data is stored
[5] In the Drop-Down Properties dialog box, click on the button next to Value, and select the ID column
[6] In the Drop-Down Properties dialog box, click on the button next to Display name, and select the Facility column
[7] Click OK on all dialog boxes.

Configure the expression box:

[8] Add an expression box to the design area
[9] You will notice that the Insert Expression Box dialog box appears
[10] In the Insert Expression Box dialog box, click on the fx button.
[11] In the Insert Formula dialog box, enter the formula as defined by jimmy*
[12] Click OK on all dialog boxes
[13] Test your form

* In the formula:

- Replace the first occurance of TestTable1 with the name of your sql data source, this name can be found in the DataSource Task Pane
- Replace the second occurance of TestTable1 with the name of the reapiting field in the sql datasource, this is the same as what you selected in the Entries field, in the drop down properties
- Replace the @ID with the ID Column in your sql data source this can be done by clicking on the Insert Field or Group button in the Insert fomula dialog box
- Replace the field1 in /my:myFields/my:field1 with the name of the drop down list field.
- Replace the @Cost with the Cost Column in your sql data source this can be done by clicking on the Insert Field or Group button in the Insert fomula dialog box 

Hope this helps

Wow....Thanks!

Sorry to be such a pain, but this is slowly coming together. I have tried my best, only to still receive an error when verifying. Does anything stand out?

1. (Here is my "stab-at-it")         xdXDocument:GetDOM("disposal matrix")/dfs:myFields/dfs:dataFields/d:Disposal_Matrix[@Disposal_ID = xdXDocument:get-DOM()/my:myFields/@Disposal_Site]/@Disposal_Cost

2. Error on Verification-              Function 'GetDOM' did not return a value, or it returned a value that cannot be converted to an XSL data type.

 

Thanks again for your help!!!!

Could you post screenshots of both your Main Data Source and Secondary Data Source, so I can verify the formula?

Please Expand all nodes when taking the screenshot

I cannot figure out how to post a screenshot in this forum....Boy, am I helpless!!!

Hi Mark,

After having a look at your screenshots, the formula should be:

xdXDocument:GetDOM("Disposal_Matrix")/dfs:myFields/dfs:dataFields/d:Disposal_Matrix[@Disposal_ID = xdXDocument:get-DOM()/dfs:myFields/dfs:dataFields/d:Roll_off_Zones/@Disposal_Site]/@Disposal_Cost

Hope it helps

Cant find how to delete my initial post, I managed to figure out the formula on my own. 

thanks,

bella

Thanks Jimmy.

I've been stuck on this for hours ! I have a repeating table with 3 columns like this:

Job ID	Job Description	Apply
00010002
00010002
Apply to more positions

The jobs are stored in a secondary data source. The desired functionality is when the user selects a Job ID in the first column, the textarea in the second column shows the description of the job.

Using Jimmy's post, I was able to bind an expression field to the Job Description by way of adding an extra field to the main data source, etc.... etc.... but I know there has to be an easier way than my implementation. How to tie the description box to the description field of the element selected by the ID field of that row ?

 This isn't to hijack the thread but any advice on how this works will be greatly appreciated !

The secondary data source looks like this:

 <Positions>

 <Position JobId="0001" JobDescription="Do some work"/>

<Position JobId="0002" JobDescription="Do some other work"/> 

</Positions>

It sounds like you should be using an Expression Box to show the description instead of a Text Box. This will save you from adding a field to your main data source to hold the value. Since your data is repeating, you'll also need to use the current() function when setting up your expression, but it sounds like you may have figured that out already.  If you get stuck on that part, attach screenshots of your main and secondary data source, and I can show you how to construct the function.

In a repeating table, if I used an Expression field in the 2nd column, how would I reference the ID selected in the 1st column ?

You should be able to use current()/my:ID (or whatever the field is called) to reference the ID in the same row as the expression box.