Pick Lists - Dependent

Pick lists are a powerful way to organize the organization’s standardized allowed metadata to be presented on a submission table. Users are able to select field values from a predetermined list which adds convenience in the submission process and provides consistent metadata values for accurate and cleaner reporting.

About Dependent Pick Lists

A Dependent pick list consists of two or more columns that reference a single line. When you select a value from the first column of a Dependent pick list, all subsequent columns' values are locked. Values in the second (and all other) columns will automatically populate into any designated fields.

Basic Example Use Case: In the basic example below, the first column is the user with a friendly name the user will see in the submission table, and the second column is used to pass the abbreviation into the tracking link or to other fields.

Advanced Example Use Case: In the advanced example below, the first column is a friendly name the user will see in the submission table, and the second column automatically populates the Region, the third column automatically populates the Global Region, and fourth column automatically populates the Country Code Abbreviation.

An Administrator will link each column to a field in a field set so if the user selects Japan, the Region, Global Region, and Country Code Abbreviation will populate automatically without the user having to manually enter those values.

Create the Dependent Pick List

1. Click Settings on the Navigation menu.
   
   
2. Click Pick Lists in the Elements Sub-Navigation menu.
                 The Pick Lists page displays.
   
   
3. Click the blue plus (+) button to create a new List.
        The Edit Pick List menu displays.
   
   
4. Enter the List Name and Description (optional) in the designated fields.
   We recommend entering a description to make it easier to determine the use of the list.
   
   
5. Select the List Type Dependent.
   
   
6. Input or copy the values.
   
   
   
   
7. It is recommended to rename each column for easy reference (e.g. Column 1=Social Platforms, Column 2=Social Platforms Abbreviation). Right-click the column header to rename column.
   
   
   
   
8. Click Save.

Associate a New or Existing Field to the Dependent List

You must have a field in a field set that references the friendly name column (column 1) and a field to reference each additional column of data in the pick list (column 2+).

1. Open the appropriate Field Set for the corresponding field.
   
   
2. If the field does not exist in the field set: Click Add New Field (blue plus +) icon at the top-right of the work area.
   Enter the Name (required).
   
   
3. If the field does exist in the field set: Click the Field Name in the work area to edit.
   
   
4. Description (optional). The Description shows as a tool tip in the Submission Table.  
   
   
5. Select Required Field (optional). The field will be mandatory for the user to fill in.
   
   
6. Select the Type as List.
   
   
7. Select the Pick List Name from the drop down menu or begin typing the pick list name.
   
   
8. Select the column to associate to this field. Naming columns is important for this step.
   
   
   
   
9. Click Done.
   
   
10. Repeat the steps above to edit or create a new field for the remaining columns of the pick list. For our Social Platform example, the new field Social Platform Abbreviation was created and the second column of the pick list was assigned.
    
    
    
    
11. Click Save.

Add the Fields to the Template

All fields associated with the pick list must be added as fields to the template schema to utilize them in the template schema.

1. Open the Template to which you want to add the field with the newly associated list.
   
   
2. Go to Step 2 - Define and Govern.
   
   
3. Click + Select Fields.
   
   
4. Click the menu expander arrow to view and select individual fields.
   Use the Search field to find a specific field name across all Field Sets.
   
   
5. Click Select Fields.
   
   
6. Arrange the field in the order of where you want it to appear on the Submission Table.
   
   
7. Click Save.

User Experience

Below is an example of the dependent pick list as the user will see it in the submission table:

The user will double click the cell to expand the pick list or begin typing the pick list value (e.g. "twi" to find Twitter). Typing the value will filter the available values to those that match what is written. The user can tab or arrow out of the cell to select it, the correct Social Platform abbreviation will populate into the Pattern.

Notice that the Social Pattern column is gray and locked. The user is unable to change this column and send incorrect metadata into analytics, create the wrong Pattern, or generate the wrong the URL. By locking this column, Claravine ensures accurate and consistent data.

Using Multiple Value Select with Dependent Pick List

An administrator must designate a field to allow multi-select from a pick list and insert the designated delimiter. Multiple Value Select allows users to select two or more allowed values from the pick list and populate the data consistently. No matter the order the user selects the data in, Claravine will always populate the concatenated value in alphabetical order with the designated delimiter in all columns where a Dependent pick list is used. 

Using the Platform list above, if the user selects Google, then Yandex, then Bing, Claravine will populate the string with Bing first, Google, then Yandex. This removes any possible fragmented metadata in analytics by always concatenating alphabetically/numerically.

Note that if you use the same delimiter in the list values as one between multi-select list values, it will cause an error. For instance, If you set a Select Multiple Values to use a dash (-) as a delimiter, and have a list value containing a dash, such as "Kick-Off," you will see an error saying "Value not in list."

Apply Multiple Value Select to a Field

1. Open the Field Set.
   
   
2. Click the Field Name in the work area associated with the first column of the Dependent pick list to edit.
   
   
3. Check the box to Select Multiple Values.
   
   
4. Enter the Delimiter. It is not recommended to use a space delimiter.
   
   
   
   
5. Click Done.
   
   
6. Click Save.

User Experience

Below is an example of the multiple select dependent list as the user will see it in the submission table:

The user will double-click in the cell to expand the pick list and click on all values that apply. The user can click the X next to each value to remove them individually, or uncheck the box next to the value to deselect.

As the user makes selections, Claravine will alphabetize the selections in that cell and when the user moves out of the cell, the appropriate delimiter will automatically appear.

Learn More

• Training in Claravine Academy: About Pick Lists
• Training in Claravine Academy: Drop-Down Pick Lists
• Training in Claravine Academy: Dependent Pick Lists
• Training in Claravine Academy: Drill-Down Pick Lists
• Knowledge Base Articles: Pick Lists - Drop Down, Pick Lists - Drill Down