Lists enable the deployment of metadata fields that have a suggested or required set of possible values. Lists also enable a field to use a user friendly display name for a value, while assigning the actual value to the metadata field.
Consider a scenario where index operators wish to pick a customer account from a list, using the customer name, but external systems expect the customer account number. Using a database backed list users could display the customer name to the index operator and provide the customer account number to the external system, all while leveraging the user's existing business data systems.
Adding or Editing a List
To add a new list click the Add button at the top right corner of the lists table. To edit an existing list, select the list to edit and click the pencil icon. Both adding and editing a list share the same dialog, as seen in the screenshot below.
- List Name - Enter a unique list name to identify this list. The list name must be unique across the organization, as lists can be shared across multiple document profiles.
- Data Type - Select the data type to use for the list. In order to map a field to a list, the data type of the list and the data type of the field must match.
- List Type - The list type setting determines how the list locates and maintains it's list entries.
- Define the list items manually - Items for the list will be created manually.
- Load the list items using a data connection and query - Items for the list will be loaded from an external data source using a connection and query. Maintenance of the list entries is delegated to the external data source.
- Sort entries alphabetically - Selecting this option will sort the list alphabetically in ascending order by the Name (display) value. The data in any external data source will not be affected.
List Entries
When the List Type is configured for manual list items, the administrator must define all items they wish to appear in the list.
- Adding a List Entry - To add a new list entry, click the add button and provide an appropriate display name and value for the entry in entries grid. To make adding list entries easier, whenever users enter a new entry name and the corresponding entry value is blank, the entry value will be set to match the entry name.
- Removing a List Entry - To remove an entry from the list, select the entry to remove from the entries grid and click the "x" icon.
Connection, Query and Fields
When the List Type is configured to load the list entries from an external data source you must select configure the external data source to use, as well as the fields within the data source that should map to the name and value portions of the list entries, as shown in the screenshot below.
- Connection - Select the connection to use which corresponds to the external data source that contains your list data.
- Query - Select a query from the list of available queries which corresponds to the table or view that contains the list data.
- Display and Value Fields - Select the fields from the data source to use to populate the display name and value for each list entry in the list. Users may use the same field for both mappings, or a different field for each. NOTE: You must select a valid connection and query and hit the Connect button before the display and value field controls will be made visible.
Select the fields from the data source that you wish to use to populate the display name and value for each list entry in your list. You may use the same field for both mappings, or a different field for each.
Copy a List
Copying a list allows users to take a completed list, make modifications to it and save the modified list using a new distinct name. To copy a list:
- Select the list to copy
- Click the Copy icon.
- Edit the name of the list to be a new, unique name
- Make any additional changes to the new list
- Save the completed list
Removing a List
To remove a list from the organization, select the list the list to delete from the lists table and click the "x" icon.
Removing a list is a permanent and unrecoverable operation, if a user wishes to restore the list it will have to be recreated. NOTE: The connection and query specified while creating the removed list will not be deleted, and can be reused.
Lists that are mapped to fields in one or more document profiles cannot be removed. First remove the field mapping for the list from all document profiles where the list is used, then retry the remove operation.
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