Using the same custom field on two different custom forms

[AmyTh2]

We have a custom field, Quantity, that is on a custom form associated with Task 1. I need this same information on a second custom form associated with a different task, Task 2 on the same project. It doesn't appear that WF will allow me to point to the same field on form 2 as I used on form 1. As a work arround, I've created a second custom field on form 2 that is a calculated field = to the Quantity field. This kind of sort of works. The only trick is that we have to open form 2 and select Save in order to force WF to recalculate the value of the calculated field. If the quantity on form 1 is changed, it is not updated on form 2 until you've opened form 2 and saved it. While it technically works, it is definitely not elegant. Anyone have suggestions on a better solution/workaround? I've even tried pulling the fields into a project list view. I can inline edit the Quantity field, but I'm not able to add a calculate field to the view.

[EricLu2]

Hmmmm, we have custom attributes that appear on multiple forms. Yes, we have to recalculate expressions to update that value everywhere it appears. I’m curious, what error do you get that leads you to conclude that you can’t have the same attribute on multiple forms? Thanks, Eric

[GregBe1]

Clarification - is the Quantity field a calculated field on Task 1 or is it a field where a User enters a quantity? I don't see why the same custom field can't be used in 2 different forms and have the different forms added to 2 different tasks. Why/how doesn't WF allow you to point to the same field?

[AmyTh2]

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I can add the custom field, Quantity, to both custom forms but it's not pointing to the same data. If I populate it on custom form 1, I would like it to automatically carry over to custom form 2 as well. Then if it is updated on custom form 2, I'd like custom form 1 to reflect that change. WF will allow me to have the Quantity field on both forms. However, if I populate it on form 1 and then navigate to form 2, the Quantity field on form 2 is still blank. Even after I save custom form 2. It's as if WF is treating it as two separate pieces of data rather than one.

[AmyTh2]

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I can add the custom field, Quantity, to both custom forms but it's not pointing to the same data. If I populate it on custom form 1, I would like it to automatically carry over to custom form 2 as well. Then if it is updated on custom form 2, I'd like custom form 1 to reflect that change. WF will allow me to have the Quantity field on both forms. However, if I populate it on form 1 and then navigate to form 2, the Quantity field on form 2 is still blank. Even after I save custom form 2. It's as if WF is treating it as two separate pieces of data rather than one.

[GregBe1]

Oh, well the way it's working is exactly the way it's supposed to work. The field (quantity) is applied to each task you assigning the form to, therefore you can assign a different quantity to each task. It seems you're wanting to have a value that is the same for each task. What does this qty represent? Is this something that should be on the Project level instead fo the task level?

[AmyTh2]

The quantity is a project level piece of data. The first custom form does live at the project level but the second is on a task level. I've considered moving the second form to the project level, now that we can do that. But, in talking with one of the WF consultants, they advised against it. Maybe I just need to do some more testing to weigh the pros and cons of moving the second form to the project level.

[AmyTh2]

The down side to this is that Custom Form 2 was created as a Task custom form so it would have to be recreated as a project custom form in order to be able to add it to the project level. Then it lives at the task level on old projects and the project level on new projects. UGH!

[EricLu2]

Hmmm, that is curious. I could have sworn that if I have two forms on one object, let’s say two forms on a task, on the same task, and I use the same attribute in both forms, the value last updated is reflected in the other form. The values are tied to the specific object - that specific task reference number. It isn’t tied to the object in general. If I have a custom form A on task 1, and it shares a value with Custom Form B, and custom form B is on task 2, the value from 1 will never appear on form B on task 2. I’m going to go play with this… Thanks! Eric

[EricLu2]

{{Amy}} I’m sympathetic. We’ve had to move some forms between objects and had to recreate them entirely. Sad but true. Nothing left to do but grind through it. ☺

[AmyTh2]

When doing this migration, did you loose any historic data or run into any reporting challenges?

[EricLu2]

When we moved the form, none of the data in the old form could be migrated to the new form. That is because the data is stored, if you’ll excuse the simplification, with a concatenated key. The key is object-attribute, presented through one form or another. That means if we have a custom attribute on a task, the logical key would be task reference number and the custom attribute value. You can’t change the values of a custom attribute from one WorkFront object to another. You can’t move a data value on a task up to the project. We recreated the forms, and manually repopulated. Fortunately, WorkFront reports make it easy to display the data and we manually rekeyed it. We only had thirty or so (I forget exactly, it wasn’t in the hundreds), so it was tolerable. No easy path from my limited view… Eric

[SkyeHa]

We have a bunch of fields that all our task holders need, so we put these all at the project level, and then I run a report on that field at the task level and put it on a tab (dashboard). Not sure that that's any more elegant or useful, but it does mean that nobody has to re-save anything.

[Doug_Den_Hoed__AtAppStore]

...or, as we might discuss in person during our meeting tomorrow, Eric, use the Excel Updater to move your custom data from one object to another. Regards, Doug

[BarryBu2]

I think I must be missing something here - why can't you use the same field (same backend data) on two different forms? We do. We can't add two different fields that happen to have identical names, but by selecting 'Field Library' when you add the field, you should be able to browse for it. You can even add a project field to a task form. Now if you want the task field to default to the project field (rather than manually enter them), that can get trickier. But having the same field on different forms is out of the box.

[AmyTh2]

I'm trying to add a project level custom field to a custom form that is associated at the task level. That's where I'm running into problems. It sounds like my only work around is to 1.) continue using the calculated field, or 2.) go through the process of moving the form and all of the historical data to the project level.