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List Box Form Element

The List Box form element allows the user to select one or more items from a list.

To use a list box, the user selects one or more items in the list (). To select items that are next to each other, the user holds the Shift key down and selects the first and last items. To select items that are not next to each other, the user holds the Ctrl key down while selecting items.

Example of the List Box form element, shown in a Geocortex viewer

See also...

Drop Down List Form Element

List Box Properties

The following table describes the properties of the List box form element. Some properties can be configured in the Properties panel in Workflow Designer. These properties have configuration information in the table. Similarly, some properties can be accessed in expressions. These properties have information about how to access the property in an expression.

If a property can be configured in the Properties panel and accessed in expressions, the property has two names: the name that appears in the Properties panel and the name that is used in expressions. Both names are given in the table. Sometimes the names only differ in capitalization, for example, Visible (in the Properties panel) or visible (in expressions).

Properties of the List Box Form Element

List Box Events

The following table describes the events associated with the List box form element. As in Workflow Designer, the events are listed in the order that they fire.

Events for the List Box Form Element

Configure the Options in a List Box

As part of the configuration of a list box, you must configure the options in the list box. There are two ways to do this:

• Manually: If you know exactly how many options you want and the text for each option, you can define the options manually when you configure the list box.

• Using a Subworkflow: If you want to base the options on dynamic information like query results, you can add a subworkflow that creates the options when the workflow runs. If the list box depends on another form element, you will use this method of configuring the options. Workflow Designer provides two templates to use as the starting point for the subworkflow: the ArcGIS Query template and a Blank template.

Configure List Box Options Manually

If you know exactly how many options you want and the text for each option, you can define the options manually when you configure the list box.

To manually configure options in a list box:

1. In the Options area of the list box's properties, make sure Configure them manually is selected.

2. Configure an option:

   1. Click the arrow to show the option's properties.

   2. Label: In the Label box, type the text that you want to use for the option.

   3. Value: If you want to associate a value with the option, enter the value in the Value box.

      You can use any text for the value, for example, New Zealand and 9630 are valid values. The value will be available in the option's value property.

      If you enter digits for the value (for example, 9630), remember that the value is stored as text ("9630"), not as a number (9630).

   4. Selected: If you want the option to be selected initially, select the Selected checkbox.

3. Repeat the previous step for each option in the list box. Click Add if you need to add an option.

   You can reorder the options in a list box by dragging each option to its new position in the list.

4. Remove any unconfigured options that are left over when you finish the configuration.

   To remove an option, click the arrow to show the option's properties and then click Delete.

Use a Subworkflow to Create List Box Options

If you want to base the list box options on dynamic information like query results, you can add a subworkflow that creates the options when the workflow runs. If the list box depends on another form element, you will use this method of configuring the options.

Workflow Designer provides templates that you use as the starting point for the subworkflow:

• ArcGIS Query: The ArcGIS Query template provides a subworkflow that queries ArcGIS Server for items to use as the list box options.

• Blank: The Blank template provides a blank subworkflow to use as the starting point for the subworkflow.

Use the ArcGIS Query Template to Create List Box Options

The ArcGIS Query template provides a subworkflow that queries ArcGIS Server for list box options. You will need to adapt the subworkflow to work within your workflow.

Subworkflow for the ArcGIS Query template

The subworkflow has the following activities:

1. Query Layer: This activity queries an ArcGIS Server map service for features on a particular layer. The query also gets the specified feature attributes that you want to use later in the workflow.

2. Get Form Element Items From Features: This activity converts the features returned by the query to items that can be used by the list box. Form elements cannot use features directly—the features must be converted first.

3. Set Form Element Items: This activity associates the converted features with the list box.

The ArcGIS Query template is based on a query for US state names. When the list box loads, the subworkflow queries the States layer for US states. The subworkflow then converts the features and assigns them to the list box. The list box presents the state names as options that the user can select.

To use the ArcGIS Query template:

This procedure presents one possible adaptation of the template which you can build on in many ways. To explore additional capabilities of an activity, refer to the activity's documentation.

1. In the Options area of the list box's properties, select Use a subworkflow and click ArcGIS Query.

   The subworkflow opens.

2. Query Layer: Adapt the Query Layer activity to work in your workflow:

   1. Update the Description property to describe what you are querying for.

   2. Set the Url input to the URL of the layer that you want to query.

      Click the Expand icon to open a larger input area.

   3. In the Where box, enter a SQL WHERE clause to filter the features that the query returns.

      For example, if you only want to show sparsely populated states, you could use a Where input similar to this:

      POP2007 < 1000000

      Setting the Where input to 1=1 gets all the features.

      To do a literal text search on the display field, configure the Text input instead of the Where input.

      To perform a spatial query, configure the Geometry input. You can filter on both attribute values and location by configuring the Geometry input and the Where or Text input.

   4. Change the Output Fields input to specify the fields that you want the query to return. Use commas to separate the field names.

      If you want to get all the fields, enter an asterisk (*) in the Output Fields input.

   5. If you plan to use the feature geometries later in the workflow, set Return Geometry to true and set Output Spatial Reference to the spatial reference of the map.

      This ensures that the geometries can be drawn in their correct locations on the map.

      If you leave Output Spatial Reference blank, the spatial reference of the map service is used.

   6. Configure any other properties and inputs that you want to customize. See Query Layer Activity for information.

3. Get Form Element Items From Features: Adapt the Get Form Element Items From Features activity to work in your workflow:

   You should not need to change the Features input. The Features input specifies the features returned by the query.

   1. Configure the Label input:

      • If you want the options to consist of a single field, set the Label input to the name of the field.

        For example, to use the value of the STATE_NAME field as the options, set Label to STATE_NAME.

        or

      • If you want the options to contain multiple fields, surround each field name with curly brackets in the Label input.

        For example, suppose you set Label to the following:

        {STATE_NAME} ({STATE_ABBR})

        The options will have the state's name, followed by the state's abbreviation. For example:

        • Maryland (MD)

        If a field placeholder such as {STATE_NAME} appears in the items at run time instead of being replaced by the field's value, the workflow could not find the field. This can be caused by a spelling or capitalization error in the placeholder or by forgetting to include the field as an output field in the Query Layer activity.

      You will be able to access the value of Label using an expression similar to this:

      =$form1.state.listBox1.label

   2. If you want the value of one of the query's output fields to be available in each option's value property, set the Value Field Name input to the name of the field.

      For example, if you specify AREA in Value Field Name, then you will be able to access the area using an expression similar to this:

      =$form1.state.listBox1.value

      If you leave the Value Field Name blank, value will be an object that contains the feature.

   3. Configure any other properties that you want to customize. See Get Form Element Items from Features Activity for information.

4. Set Form Element Items:  You should not need to change the inputs. The Items input specifies the items created by the Get Form Element Items From Features activity. Leaving the Element input blank assigns the items to the form element that the subworkflow belongs to.

5. To return to the form designer, click Display Form in the breadcrumbs.

   If you need to re-open the subworkflow, click Edit in the Properties panel or double-click the list box in the form preview.

Use the List Box's Blank template

The Blank template provides a subworkflow with an Event block and nothing else in it. You will have to create the subworkflow from scratch.

Subworkflow for the Blank template

By its very nature, the Blank template can be used to create a wide variety of subworkflows that get options for a list box. The two most common scenarios are:

• Collection: You have a collection (array) that contains the items you want to use for the options.

• Feature Set: You have a feature set that contains the items you want to use for the options.

  If the feature set doesn't exist in the workflow yet, you may want to use the ArcGIS Query template.

You can create the subworkflow using the following activities:

1. Get Form Element Items From Collection: This activity converts the collection to items that can be used by the list box.

   or

   Get Form Element Items From Features: This activity converts the features to items that can be used by the list box.

   Form elements cannot use collections or feature sets directly—the collection or feature set must be converted first.

2. Set Form Element Items: This activity associates the converted items with the list box.

Subworkflow that creates list box options based on the items in a collection

To use the Blank template:

This procedure assumes that the collection or feature set already exists in the workflow.

This procedure presents one possible adaptation of the template which you can build on in many ways. To explore additional capabilities of an activity, refer to the activity's documentation.

1. In the Options area of the list box's properties, click Blank.

   The blank subworkflow opens.

2. Collection:

   1. Add a Get Form Element Items From Collection activity.

   2. Set the Collection input to the collection whose items you want to use as options.

      For example, if you created the collection using a Create Value activity, enter an expression similar to this:

      =$value1.result

   3. If the collection contains objects, set the Label Field Name input to the name of the field used for the options.

      You will be able to access the value of Label Field Name by entering an expression similar to this:

      =$form1.state.listBox1.label

   4. If the collection contains objects, set the Value Field Name input to the field that you want to be available in each option's value property.

      For example, if you specify the AREA field, then you will be able to access the area by entering an expression similar to this:

      =$form1.state.listBox1.value

      If you leave Value Field Name blank, the workflow uses the field that you specified in Label Field Name.

   5. Configure any other properties that you want to customize. See Get Form Element Items From Collection Activity for information.

   or

   Feature Set:

   1. Add a Get Form Element Items From Features activity.

   2. Set the Features input to the feature set that will provide the options.

      For example, if you created the features using a Create Value activity, by entering an expression similar to this:

      =$value1.result

   3. Set the Label input to the name of the field used for the options.

      You will be able to access the value of Label by entering an expression similar to this:

      =$form1.state.listBox1.label

   4. Set the Value Field Name input to the field that you want to be available in each option's value property.

      For example, if you specify the AREA field, then you will be able to access the area by entering an expression similar to this:

      =$form1.state.listBox1.value

      If you leave Value Field Name blank, value will be an object that contains the feature.

   5. Configure any other properties that you want to customize. See Get Form Element Items from Features Activity for information.

3. Set Form Element Items:

   1. Add a Set Form Element Items activity to the bottom of the flowchart and connect the previous activity to it.

   2. Leave the Element input blank.
      This assigns the items to the form element that the subworkflow belongs to.

   3. Set the Items input to the items created by the Get Form Element Items From Collection or Get Form Element Items From Features activity. For example:

      =$formElementItems1.items

   4. Configure any other properties and inputs that you want to customize. See Set Form Element Items Activity for information.

4. To return to the form designer, click Display Form in the breadcrumbs.

   If you need to re-open the subworkflow, click Edit in the Properties panel or double-click the list box in the form preview.