Adding and working with dependent picklists

When you create a dependent picklist, you map one or more dependent field list values to one or more controlling field list values.

Before you begin

Log on with a user that has the Object Types application permission.

About this task

For more information about dependent picklists, see Configuring dependent picklists.

Dependent picklists can be enabled, disabled, modified, and deleted.

By default, dependent picklists are enabled when created. When a dependent picklist is disabled, the application does not enforce the conditions of the picklist.

After you create a dependent picklist, you can modify the values that are displayed in the dependent picklist.

When you delete a dependent picklist, it is permanently removed and cannot be restored. If you want to keep a dependent picklist but do not want to enforce it, you can disable it rather than deleting it.

If you create field dependencies and dependent picklists that create a loop, an error is displayed in the interface that states that The operation is not allowed because it would result in the following circular dependencies .... If you are upgrading and you had a loop in the previous version, if you change your configuration you will get an error in the interface that states that The operation is not allowed because it would result in the following circular dependencies ....

Attention: When using the bulk update feature, the dependent picklists do not change values when the controlling value changes. Instead, all values from both the controller and the dependent picklist are displayed. Validation of selected values is done before the objects are saved and conflicts are reported back to the user.

Procedure

  1. Click Open Administration menu Administration menu > Solution Configuration > Object Types.
  2. Click an object type.
  3. Expand the Dependent Picklists section.
  4. Click New Dependency.
  5. From the Dependent Field, select a field from the list.
  6. Click Add in Controlling Fields.
    1. Choose a field in Controlling Field.
    2. Under Controller values, expand a value.
    3. Click Add next to Dependent Values.
    4. Select the values that you want to map.
    5. Click Create.
    6. Map more values, as needed.
  7. Click Create.
    The newly created dependent list is listed on the Dependent Picklists section.

Example

The following example shows how Risk Category, the controlling field, and Risk Subcategory, the dependent field, are mapped on Risk object (SOXRisk) type.

Each controller value group contains values in the controlling picklist (Risk Category in this example) that are mapped to values in the dependent picklist (Risk Subcategory in this example).

The Risk Subcategory values Theft and Fraud and Unauthorized Activity are selected for Internal Fraud. Theft and Fraud and System Security are selected for External Fraud. If a user selects Internal Fraud as the Risk Category, only Theft and Fraud and Unauthorized Activity values will be displayed on the Risk Subcategory list. Similarly, if a user selects External Fraud as the Risk Category, only the Theft and Fraud and Systems Security values will be displayed in the Risk Subcategory list.

Figure 1. Sample picklist mapping
Dependent picklist shows Internal Fraud and External Fraud mapped to different values