Use Data Sources in Forms

When you set up a Dropdown, Multiselect, or Radio Button question, you can choose to “look up” the options from a Data Source Data sources, also known as "Lookups", are external sources of data that you upload or connect to TrueContext. You can reference this data in a form to populate answers or answer options. Data sources save typing, reduce errors, and make it easy to provide mobile users with only the relevant, most current data.. This lets you push information to other questions based on the field user’s selection. This topic describes how to set up a lookup question to reference a Data Source.

Available on all tiers with more options on the Intelligent and Elite tiers:

Contents

• Use Data Sources in Forms
  • About
  • Steps to reference a Data Source in a Form

---

About

In order for a form to use existing information, the data must be uploaded as a data source and referenced in a lookup question (Dropdown, Multiselect, or Radio Button question) in the form. We store Data Sources Data sources, also known as "Lookups", are external sources of data that you upload or connect to TrueContext. You can reference this data in a form to populate answers or answer options. Data sources save typing, reduce errors, and make it easy to provide mobile users with only the relevant, most current data. as tables (rows and columns) in the TrueContext system.

---

Steps to reference a Data Source in a Form

Select or add a Data Source

1. Navigate to the form that you want to set up.

   From the Forms & Integrations menu, create or edit a Mobile App form.

   • To create a new form:

     Forms & Integrations > Create New Form > Build a Mobile Form

     Enter a name and description, and then save the form.

   • To edit a form:

     Forms & Integrations > List Forms > FormName > Edit Form

     where FormName is the form that you want to edit.

2. Select or create the Dropdown, Multiselect, or Radio Button question that you want the Data Source to populate.

3. Select the OPTIONS tab. In the Option Type section, select Use Data Source for Options.
   

4. Select an existing Data Source or ADD A NEW DATA SOURCE.

   Info:The topic Create and Manage Data Sources describes how to add a new Data Source.

5. Select the column value to display in the Mobile App and the column value to submit to the server. Select whether to hide duplicate options.

    

   Option	Description
   Column value displayed on device	The information to display to your field users. For example, field users can select a Part Name, rather than a Part ID. This makes it easier for them to choose the correct answer.
   Column value submitted to server	The information that the server stores as the answer and sends to your Data Destinations A Data Destination specifies where to send data from a submitted form. You can use Data Destinations to automate data sharing and storage, routing data to a specific service (such as email or cloud storage) in several different formats. and Documents. The value doesn’t have to match the Column value displayed on device. For example, you can display the Part Name for the user to select and send the Part ID to the server.
   Hide duplicate options	Hides duplicated data from the list of options.

---