This demonstration illustrates the ability to create dependent, data driven dropdown menus. This functionality allows the user to select a category from a dropdown menu, which when selected, populates another subcategory dropdown menu with the subcategories of the selected category. When the user selects a subcategory, this then populates a checkbox list with all the products associated with the selected subcategory.
In order to implement this functionality we will do the following:
Create the Questions
1) Create the "Category" question and set the following properties:
- Give it the name "Category"
- Give it the shortname "Category"
- Set the "Question Type" to "Combo Box"
- Select "SQL Driven Options" under "Question Options"
- Enter your SQL statement that will be used to fill the combo box
2) Create the "Subcategory" question and set the following properties:
- Give it the name "Subcategory"
- Give it the shortname "Subcat"
- Set the "Question Type" to "Combo Box"
- Select "SQL Driven Options" under "Question Options"
- Enter your SQL statement that will be used to fill the combo box, making sure the "WHERE" clause looks like this, "WHERE fieldName = $(Category)"
- Under "Advanced Field Options" check the "Hide until forced visible by question event" checkbox. This will ensure the "Subcategory" dropdown is hidden until the user selects a value from the "Category" dropdown.
3) Create the "Product" question and set the following properties:
- Give it the name "Products"
- Give it the shortname "Products"
- Set the "Question Type" to "Checkbox Group"
- Select "SQL Driven Options" under "Question Options"
- Enter your SQL statement that will be used to fill the combo box, making sure the "WHERE" clause looks like this, "WHERE fieldName = $(Subcat)"
- Under "Advanced Field Options" check the "Hide until forced visible by question event" checkbox. This will ensure the "Products" checkbox group is hidden until the user selects a value from the "Subcategory" dropdown.
Create the Question Events
1) Create a new question event that will execute when the user selects a "Category" and set the following properties:
- Call the event "SelectCategory"
- Select "Display hidden question based on another questions response" under the "Event Type"
- Select "Category" from the "initiation/postback question dropdown menu
- Check the "Execute event for any response" checkbox
- Check the "Subcategory" checkbox next to "Affected Question"
2) Create a new question event that will execute when the user selects the "Subcategory" and set the following properties:
- Call the event "SelectSubcategory"
- Select "Display hidden question based on another questions response" under the "Event Type"
- Select "Subcategory" from the "initiation/postback question dropdown menu
- Check the "Execute event for any response" checkbox
- Check the "Products" checkbox next to "Affected Question"
When it's all setup and working properly it should behave like the demonstration above.