SharePoint 2010 Tutorial Video: Drop-Down Filters
How to video: Create Optional Cascading Drop-Down Filters on SharePoint List Forms
I knew I was going to like the ability to customize list item forms in SharePoint 2010 using InfoPath. The ability to filter drop down list choices based on a previous selection in the form is something many people ask for.
I have created a SharePoint 2010 tutorial/training video that shows how to customize the new item form in InfoPath, wire up drop down choice lists to information in a SharePoint list and filter and have the choices in one drop down filter the choices in the next. And yes, the use of the filters is an option for the user.
The facilities department is responsible for equipment in offices, manufacturing and retail sales locations in thirty or more buildings located in about a dozen cities in three states. This solution gives users the choice of picking directly from the entire list of buildings or filtering first by state and city (see screenshot above).
The video below will walk you through the entire process from creating a custom list, adding a lookup column that pulls back multiple columns of meta data, customizing the list item form in InfoPath and wiring up the optional cascading filtered drop down choice fields.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Ricky Spears, Brian Gough. Brian Gough said: RT @rickyspears: Excellent video by @kevinpine on creating cascading dropdown lists in #SharePoint forms with #InfoPath http://bit.ly/bilFOu [...]
Great video but I have one question. My setup is that I have column called Activity that is filetered based on System. So if I select a System I only get the activities for that system. The problem comes when I change the system. My dropdown for Activity changes appropriately to reflect the activities for the other system but the first entry in my activity dropdown list is now a number followed by the expected values. Why is that happening and how can fix it?
Hi Lloyd (lab50),
Yes, I have seen the symptom you describe. The good news is there is a simple fix.
Create a rule for the ‘System’ field control that clears the ‘Activity’ field (sets it to blank). Now any time you change the value for System you will clear the Activity and can select from the new filtered choices.
Thank you very much. It worked fine. I’m brand new to Sharepoint (we’re using 2010) and your video as helped me understand other things about rules, conditional control boxes, background shading, etc. in addition to its intended purpose.
Glad it helped… I call that ‘bonus training’!
Thanks for this, it really helped me to create something our client was trying to get done, but hadn’t found anyone that could make it happen
[...] Link to excellent video on how to do it here [...]
Kevin, wonderful post. it gave me a way to solve many problems that i was facing in the project i am working on. Thanks Man
Do you have a similar solution for document lists? There is no hook to InfoPath when you are editting the document form.
Hi Kevin,
Thank you very much for the post. I’m new to SharePoint and this video helped me get exactly what i was looking for.
I do have a set back here… may be I did something wrong. not sure? Once I sumbit the form its getting saved in the SharePoin list, but i’m not able to view the value of the column i selected “in this case the Buiding ID”. In the edit form the value is available however in the list view its invisible?
Appreciate your help.
Regards
Rajesh S