Guide Section: GUI of EASAPs | EASAP Tree: User Interface Branch

CHOICE LIST is used to provide a list of choices to a User. There are four types of CHOICE LIST:

1. STANDARD
2. SINGLE SELECT
3. DISTRIBUTED LIST
4. SINGLE SELECT RADIO BUTTON.

The type of CHOICE LIST is controlled by the Select Mode: parameter.

The STANDARD type is the default. It appears like a pull-down menu with only the selected item shown in the input box. With a STANDARD CHOICE LIST a User may select only one of the available choices. An example of a STANDARD CHOICE LIST is shown below.

A SINGLE SELECT CHOICE LIST appears differently from the STANDARD type in that more than one of the available choices can be visible inside the input box. However, like STANDARD a User may select only one of the available choices. The figure below shows an example of a SINGLE SELECT CHOICE LIST.

A DISTRIBUTED LIST CHOICE LIST looks just like SINGLE SELECT. However, users can now select multiple non-consecutive choices by holding down either the ‘Shift’ or ‘Ctrl’ key when clicking on their choices.

A SINGLE SELECT RADIO BUTTON CHOICE LIST appears differently from the previous types in that each individual choice is positioned next to a circular radio button. Like the STANDARD and SINGLE SELECT types, a User may select only one of the available choices. The figure below shows an example of a SINGLE SELECT RADIO BUTTON CHOICE LIST using the default orientation of 'Vertical'. The Orientation: parameter can be used to change this orientation to 'Horizontal'.

There are two methods for specifying the choices to be displayed to users in a CHOICE LIST.

1. Fixed list typed into Choices: parameter as a comma separated list of items.
2. Dynamic list of data extracted from, for example, a database file specified in Choices: parameter as Delimited Object References.

Note: Leading and trailing spaces around an item in the comma-separated list in the Choices: parameter are ignored.

Tip: If you link a CHOICE LIST value to an Excel spreadsheet cell using the Range Reference: parameter, you may want to populated the Choices: parameter using a Delimited Object References read from the spreadsheet via a READ EXCEL ACTION.

CHOICE LIST
Essential Parameters:
Choices:	Comma-separated list of items or a DOR containing a list of items to be shown in CHOICE LIST
Default:	Select default choice from list provided in Choices: above
Optional Parameters:
Range Reference:	Select NAMED RANGE or existing RANGE REFERENCE to link value to cell in an Excel spreadsheet, only references to a single cell are accepted!
Visible Choices:	Comma separated list of items or DOR containing a list of items visible to user. Actual selected value of CHOICE LIST will evaluate to the value in Choices: at the corresponding location in list.
Label:	Text displayed to the left of CHOICE LIST
Select Mode:	Select type (default→STANDARD, SINGLE SELECT, DISTRIBUTED LIST, SINGLE SELECT RADIO BUTTON)
Orientation:	Specify orientation of Choices: in Radio Button mode (default→Vertical, Horizontal)
Number of Lines:	Sets number of visible lines in CHOICE LIST
Delimiter:	Character to act as delimiter in DORs in Choices: or Label: above. default→%
Tool Tip:	Text to be displayed as a tool tip
Show if:	Logical expression, if TRUE then list shown, if FALSE then list NOT shown
Enable if:	Logical expression, if TRUE then list enabled, if FALSE then list NOT enabled
Label Width:	Width in pixels of Label:
Style:	A reference to a USER INTERFACE STYLE that controls the visual appearance of this objects background
Input Style:	A reference to a USER INTERFACE STYLE that controls the visual appearance of this objects input area
Tab Index:	Establish an order of preference for <TAB> key navigation. Highest priority is the lowest number (default→1) and continues in ascending numerical order. Use -1 to disable.
List Separator:	A string to replace the comma character’s role as separator in the Choices: parameter. Only available if Select Mode: is set to DISTRIBUTED LIST.