To help control how the Data Source filters and rows display across your apps, our platform provides advanced column configuration functionality. This functionality is accessed via the Data Sources -> Rows page in the secure website; simply click on the “cog” icon seen next to each column heading to open the Advanced Column Settings dialog.
The dialog contains powerful options such as:
Referring Data Source
This property lets you specify another Data Source containing a set of possible values that can appear in this column when filtering based on the column on a Listing Screen (List of Data) or Mapping Screen. When you define a Referring source, all Listing and Mapping Screens in the app based on the data source will filter based on the referring Data Source's values in column 0 as a drop-down list of options, instead of a text entry field, when the user is filtering based on this column.
For this functionality to work on the data visualization screens, the screen in question must have the property enabled to Allow User to Filter by Column:
When the app user then filters based on the column with the Referring Source defined, they will see the values in that data source's column 0 as possible choices, without having to type in any text:
Note that while filtering will be done on column 0 of the referring data source, the values seen by the user on the app will be based on the choice made in the data source's Display Row Value in the settings page (see highlighted dropdown in the image below). Whatever values in the column chosen here will show up to the user for selection. For ease of use, it is highly recommended to set this to the column 0 value when using the data source as a referring data source in this way so that the user sees exactly what is being used as a filter.
This provides a more cohesive user experience and is a faster, more error-free way for users to define their own filters on both Listing and Mapping screens.
See also:
Showing Data Source Rows on a Map (Mapping Screens)
Conditional Display Rules
This opens up a new level of display customization for Data Source row values. You can define rules that make column values appear in different colors and text styles based on a formula result. For example, you might have a Status column that has three possible values – Good, Bad and Ugly. Defining rules for these will let you display those Status values in different colors to emphasize their meanings. These rules can be leveraged on your app in the following areas:
- Mapping screens
Colors the map pins displayed, provided you have set your rules column as the Conditional Pin Color property in the Mapping screen designer. - Listing screens
Colors the column text displayed, assuming you have the rules column set as one of the row display positions in the Listing screen designer. - Forms screen
Specifically within Choices fields that are set to display vertically and using the List of Choices display style property in the Form designer. The rules target column must also be set as one of the default display positions, which is configured via the Settings page of your Data Source.