Dependencies & Display Settings

Dependencies and Display Settings provide powerful configuration options within forms and workflows. These features allow administrators to dynamically show, hide, or modify fields and tabs based on user input, permissions, or system rules.

By using these tools, you can create smarter, more intuitive forms that adapt to the needs of end users and ensure consistent workflow logic.

Dependencies

What Are Dependencies?

Dependencies define conditional rules between fields. They allow you to:

• Show or hide elements or tabs based on another field’s input.

• Make a field mandatory or optional depending on previous selections.

• Automatically apply tags or default values.

This ensures the form only displays what’s relevant to the user.

How to Create an Element with Dependencies

1. Open the Dependency Settings

   • Navigate to the element settings.

   • Click on the Dependency Settings tab.

2. Add a New Dependency

   • Click the Add Dependency button.

3. Configure Dependency Details:

   • Value – The input value the dependency is based on.

   • Dependent Element – The field or tab affected by this dependency.

   • Control – Choose whether the dependent element is shown or hidden based on the value.

   • Set Tag Value – Apply a tag automatically.

     • Example: If the user selects Region X, the tag regionapprovergroupX is applied to ensure the correct approver group is assigned.

   • Mandatory – Switch a field between mandatory and optional depending on the user’s input.

   • Set Control Value – Define a default value that is automatically displayed when the condition is met.

     • Note: A wildcard * can be used to apply rules broadly.

4. Add Multiple Controls

   • Click + New Control to apply multiple rules to the same value.

5. Manage Dependencies

   • Delete: Click the trash can icon to remove a dependency.

   • Duplicate: Clone an existing dependency to quickly set up similar rules.

6. Save

   • Click Save to apply the dependency rules.

Display Settings

What Are Display Settings?

Display Settings determine how an element behaves based on user roles or system conditions. Fields can be configured as:

• Shown – Visible and editable.
• Hidden – Not visible to users.
• Read-only – Visible but not editable.
• System Hidden – Invisible to users but still populated with values (often set by dependencies or system rules).

This ensures users only see what’s relevant to them while enabling administrators to control form behavior and reporting.

Adding Display Settings

1. Open the element settings.

2. Click Add Display Setting.

3. Define how the field should behave across different modes:

   • Create mode – When a form is being created.

   • Edit mode – When a form is being updated.

   • View mode – When a form is being viewed only.

Example:

• Show to everyone in Create mode.

• Hide from everyone in Edit mode.

• Read-only for everyone in View mode.

System Hidden Fields

System Hidden fields are not visible to users but are populated automatically by system logic or dependencies. They can be leveraged for calculations, workflow routing, or metadata storage.

Common Examples:

• Assigning workflow steps based on user group fields.
• Converting text-based answers into numeric values for calculations (e.g., selecting 50% stores a decimal value of 0.5).
• Storing attribute values for matrix picker fields.

Report Permissions

System administrators can also configure report permissions to determine which users or groups can see or export hidden fields in reports. This ensures sensitive information is only available to authorized users.

Block Dates (Special Configuration)

The Block Dates feature prevents users from selecting dates too close to the project submission date.

• For Date fields, select:

  • Limit dates before – Enter the number of days to block prior to the submission date.

  • Limit dates after – Enter the number of days to block following the submission date.

If a user selects a blocked date, an error message appears, preventing submission.

Element Display Overview

Once an element has been added, its high-level configuration is displayed, including:

• Field Type
• Field Width
• Mandatory setting
• GUID
• Dependencies
• Display Settings

This summary view makes it easy to confirm how each field is configured within your form.

By combining Dependencies, Display Settings, and Block Dates, administrators can design forms that are dynamic, permission-sensitive, and error-proof—ensuring end users only interact with the right fields at the right time.