General

Re: The Incredible Shrinking Dropdown - in a repeating table

pmlanning1 — Mon, 07 Aug 2017 19:20:37 GMT

Hi Hilary, Let me see if I can explain this where it makes sense. We currently have a "training matrix" excel spreadsheet for every department in the company. Roughly 25 different matrixes as each department have specific required training for their group. We are a regulated organization and get audited on our training. So keeping up to date on training is very important. On each spreadsheet, the columns are the actual job titles, and the rows (column A) is the training course. As you scroll across if a job title is required to take that training, there is an x in the cell. It is very difficult to look at the current matrix and find your job and make sure you have taken all the training that is required and/or recommended. Required is the most important. So my thought was why not put it in a SP list, and instead of the admin keeping track of dates in a spreadsheet they can just go to the list and put the info there. So this is where I am, and keep in mind this will be small scale per department. Save a template and roll it out to each group since they maintain their own matrixes and employee information. I have a directory list, a matrix list and a now this required training list where the training will actually be tracked. I am trying to keep things as small as possible. So with this setup, the admin for the group/dept will go in and create the training records needed for each employee. I tried to do it using a multi selection field with checkboxes, so they could just go in and check all the boxes and save, AND each employee would only have one line item on the list, however, I have not figured out a way to attach a completion date to the training course that way, so the next best thing was to use this drop down in a repeating table. So a new employee starts, and the admin will go in add them to the directory then jump over to this required training list and select their name from the drop-down. The course list will populate only the courses that person particular job is supposed to take. Currently, with your awesome fix, it removes the class that was just selected. But once you save the information, if you go back in and select the employee name again, so you forgot to add a class or something, the list is then reset to all the courses for that job again. So I put a rule on the field to actually submit the data each time the next course is selected, thinking that in order for the list to be checked to see if something already exists it would have to actually be on the list. I was attempting to use the "is not present" in a rule, but that was not working. At the end of the day, I am going to drop a form on a page for the employee to view that will only show them the courses they have not taken yet (without a completion date). And then there will be the admin piece of it where they will go and add and update employees and actual completion dates. I hope this makes sense. I am attaching a screenshot of the crazy makeyougoblind matrix we currently use. Even filtering on your own job title... still makes everyone crazy.

Re: The Incredible Shrinking Dropdown - in a repeating table

Hilary Stoupa — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 23:48:16 GMT

Sorry, I don't really understand. What all data are you submitting to the list? It looks like you have a rule on the RequiredTraining field to submit the form when that changes?

Re: The Incredible Shrinking Dropdown - in a repeating table

pmlanning1 — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 17:16:27 GMT

So now to take it a step further, let's say the admin comes back and has to add a new required training class for an role/job title. They have already added the class to the Training Matrix (external data). Can I take the expression from above and have it check the list for the employee name, and training class name and then only show things that are not in already assigned? I see how this works once, but once you save the item it resets itself on the employee. Is there a way to do a check on the list, the ultimate goal here is for required training tracking. Eventually the employee will take the training, notify the admin who will then go in and enter a completion date. I hope that makes sense. The employee will have a page where they go and it will show them only the training they have left to do (no completion date). Thanks again

Re: The Incredible Shrinking Dropdown - in a repeating table

Hilary Stoupa — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 16:55:11 GMT

Well, I just leveraged the final answer in the question you referenced. I copied the XPath to your node in the data source task pane, and modified that "not" statement to be correct for your form. In the filter, I set the first dropdown to "the expression" and pasted my expression in. :) I'm glad it works!

Re: The Incredible Shrinking Dropdown - in a repeating table

pmlanning1 — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 16:44:10 GMT

OMG Thank you! it works!.... could you explain to me exactly how you did it? Did you create a filter first and then go back in and edit the expression and added in the not( statement stuff?? If so, what was the original filter? That is where I was getting so lost was how to build the expression.

thank you Hilary! You're awesome!! :)

Re: The Incredible Shrinking Dropdown - in a repeating table

Hilary Stoupa — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 16:24:02 GMT

Try this one. Download the linked file. Right click on the downloaded file, select design to open in design mode & preview.

Re: The Incredible Shrinking Dropdown - in a repeating table

pmlanning1 — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 16:04:02 GMT

Ok, let me know if this works.

Re: The Incredible Shrinking Dropdown - in a repeating table

Hilary Stoupa — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 15:56:10 GMT

No - I don't need to be able to preview the form to take a look. :) You can just attach the template and I can take a look and see I understand your question a bit better.

Re: The Incredible Shrinking Dropdown - in a repeating table

pmlanning1 — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 15:47:48 GMT

Yes I would love to attach the template. However, I have external data sources, is there something I need to do in order to get all tied together? First time doing this here, thanks for the patience.

Re: The Incredible Shrinking Dropdown - in a repeating table

Hilary Stoupa — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 15:10:48 GMT

Hi - your screenshots don't display. Can you attach them under the Options tab in a reply? Or, better yet, attach your template?

The Incredible Shrinking Dropdown - in a repeating table

pmlanning1 — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 14:16:19 GMT

Hi there, there is an original post on here from 2015, and I tried to follow it, and even downloaded the sample form, but lost. So if anyone can guide me through this it would be greatly appreciated. Here is the original post (I thought I would start a new post since that one is a couple of years old): http://www.infopathdev.com/forums/p/28565/98353.aspx#98353.

Here is my situation (this is a list form):

I have a list of training classes, that some are required by some employees, and some by others. When a new employee starts, an admin needs to go in and assign the required training to the new employee. So when they select the employee name in the dropdown I want the Required Training field, in a repeating table to display ONLY the classes required by that specific employee (that is based on their job title, not them as a person). I have that filter working fine. Now what I would like to do is remove the training classes that have already been assigned, so that the list will shrink, and the admin won't potentially add it in twice.

Here is my list that is filtering off the employee job title.

I tried to following the previous post, and it kind of makes sense, however, I do not know how to build the expression.

Here is my field structure:

and here is my dropdown:

Here is my current filter off the jobtitle_ID since it is a look up it is only feeding in the ID:

-----------------------------------------------------

Here is the simple list in the end:

I am also thinking, that there needs to be a filter for the employee name as well as the class. As if the class is already existing for another employee it wouldn't show if there is not a second check for the employee name (if that make sense). I really hope someone can assist me on this, I feel like I am so close to getting this, but oh yet so far away...

Thanks in advance for any help.

Paula