Configuring Field Dependencies

Field dependencies enable you to tailor the selection values available for one field based on the value selected in another field.

For example, you can create a Single Selection field called "Product" that has a selection for each product your company develops and a Single Selection field called Version that has a selection for each product version. You can set up dependencies for the Products field that tailor the selections available in the Versions field. When a user selects a product from the Product field, only applicable versions are available in the Versions field. In this case, Products is the independent field, and Versions is the dependent field. Learn how to configure this dependency in Single Selection Field Dependency Tutorial.

You can set up a similar dependency using a Single Relational field. For example, create two auxiliary tables: Products and Versions. You can then establish a relationship between the two tables that allows specific version records in the Versions table to be available for each product in the Products table. For example, if Version 1 and Version 2 apply only to Product A, those are the only available selections when Product A is selected in the Product field. Learn how to configure this dependency in Relational Field Dependencies Tutorial.

You can also define a dependency that controls which users are available in one field depending on the user selected in a different field. For example, you can limit the selections available in an Employee field depending on the selection made in the Manager field. For example, if a user selects Kathy Manager from the Manager field, Chris Tester and Hans Tester are available selections for the Employee field; if the user selects Joe Manager from the Manager field, Laura Engineer and Newton Engineer are available as selections for the Employee field. Learn how to configure this dependency in User Field Dependency Tutorial.

The following table lists the available independent field types and the field types that allow dependencies.

Independent field type

Allowable dependent field types

Single Selection

Single Selection, Multi-Selection, Multi-Group, Multi-User, User

Single Relational

Single Relational, Multi-Relational

User

Single Selection, Multi-Selection, Multi-Group, Multi-User, User

Note: Multi-Selection, Multi-Group, Multi-User, and Multi-Relational fields can be used as dependent fields, but not as independent fields. Also, field dependencies do not work for Multi-Selection, Multi-Group, Multi-User, and Multi-Relational fields that are displayed as check boxes on forms.