Default Option for Dropdown Field

[_Manish_Singh]

I have a dropdown field with four options: Risk, Assumption, Issue, and Dependency.

I want to use this field on 4 different custom forms, each requiring a different default value:

Form 1 - Default = Risk
Form 2 - Default = Issue
and so on...

Currently, it seems I can't set different default values for the same dropdown field across various forms. I understand this is not possible. Could you suggest any possible workarounds (if any)?

Thank you.

[lgaertner]

Hi,

At first glance, I thought that I would simply create the field 4 times with the respective parameters. But you certainly don't mean that. I have been at a similar point several times and have questioned the sense of the chosen implementation of one and the same field on different forms.
Therefore, I have decided to create a new field for each purpose and to name it according to a certain naming pattern. This also makes it easier for me to work with it via Fusion or direct API access.

I would be happy if Adobe would reconsider the whole issue. As far as I remember, the entries of a dropdown field are saved separately in the background anyway, at least that's how it seemed to me when I worked more intensively with direct API access.

Regards

Lars

[Doug_Den_Hoed__AtAppStore]

Hi @_Manish_Singh,

Since you have chosen to use a dropdown to distinguish between Risk, Assumption, Issue, and Dependency, I assume you might later then wish to filter, sort, group, chart, etc. by that value, and that in some cases, changing from one dropdown value to another could be important and necessary (all of which is Just Fine).

Accordingly, as a best practice, I suggest you remove the default value so users think before they choose, and (where it is reasonable to expect them to know the correct dropdown value at time of entry) consider making the dropdown required (which you can decide independently on each of the four forms upon which the dropdown will be placed), so that only a single dropdown is then necessary.

Regards,

Doug

[_Manish_Singh]

Thanks @Doug_Den_Hoed__AtAppStore - As per your suggestion, I will not set a default value for now and use single field 

[skyehansen]

Depends on how you are using it. For a workaround, I would probably put in some instructions to the user that says "for Form 1, we're assuming Risk, but if you have a different opinion, please use this dropdown to indicate what the value should be". In other words, use the dropdown only to override what the value really should be. 

You could probably add onto this initial idea by putting a fifth default value on the field, and call it "No Change".

Then, a calculated field on each form which basically says:

* on Form 1, if the value is No Change, then Calculated Field Value = Risk. Otherwise the value is whatever the dropdown says.

* on Form 2, if the value is No Change, then Calculated Field Value = Issue. Otherwise the value is whatever the dropdown says.

* and so on.

But ultimately, just having the initial instruction should be enough -- the rest is just fluff.

[_Manish_Singh]

@skyehansen - Thanks for your suggestion.

I initially thought of using calculated fields, but I realized that they don't offer effective filtering and prompt filtering.

For example: If I go with calculated fields, I'll have to use "contains" logic multiple times sometimes in filters area, and they are not effective for prompt filters as well because it does not offer multiple selection.

For now, I will not set anything to default