Updating multiple drop down list fields based on selection from single drop down list field

[ryanc87715291]

I'm using Acrobat Pro DC 2020 and am having trouble working with dependent drop-down fields.  I have a drop-down field called "Department" and have several departments to choose from in that list.  I then have 13 different drop-down fields called "Account1, Account2, etc."  When choosing Department A on the first drop-down list, I'd like the 13 dependent drop-downs to have a specific list of choices.  If I choose Department B on the first drop-down list, I'd like the 13 dependent drop-downs to have a different specific list of choices.

I have working code that causes the drop-down list for Account1 to change based on the selection from the Department drop-down list.  I can't figure out how to make the selection from the Department drop-down list affect Account1, Account2... all the way to Account13.

Here is what I have now (that isn't working). The code is placed on the Format tab - Custom Format Script in the Properties of the Department field:

if(event.value == "Technology")
{
this.getField("Account1").setItems(["--","Computers","Printers","Scanners"]);
this.getField("Account2").setItems(["--","Computers","Printers","Scanners"]);
}
else if(event.value == "Marketing")
{
this.getField("Account1").setItems(["--","Mail","Television","Posters"]);
this.getfield("Account2").setItems(["--","Mail","Television","Posters"]);
}
else
{
this.getField("Account1").clearItems();
this.getField("Account2").clearItems();
}

I'm hoping that someone can tell me what I'm missing.  Thanks for any help you can provide.

[Nesa Nurani · Accepted solution]

You also have error in your script, for 'Marketing' in field "Account2" change:

this.getfield

to:

this.getField

[Bernd Alheit]

Put the script at the Validate tab.

[ryanc87715291]

Nesa's answer fixed the issue I was having, but I'm curious to know what the difference is between putting the script where I have it and the Validate tab.  I don't understand what makes that different.

[Nesa Nurani · Accepted solution]

You also have error in your script, for 'Marketing' in field "Account2" change:

this.getfield

to:

this.getField

[ryanc87715291]

That's all it was.  I didn't know that caps really mattered, so I would never have caught that.  Thank you.  So simple.

[try67]

If you want to apply the same values to all fields you can use something like this:

var newValues = ["--","Computers","Printers","Scanners"];
for (var i=1; i<=13; i++) this.getField("Account"+i).setItems(newValues);

[Edited: Code fixed]

[ryanc87715291]

Where would you apply that script?  It seems like it would save a ton of space in the script to make it less complicated.

[try67]

Instead of these lines:

this.getField("Account1").setItems(["--","Computers","Printers","Scanners"]);
this.getField("Account2").setItems(["--","Computers","Printers","Scanners"]);

Going up to Account13.

[ryanc87715291]

That worked perfectly.  Thank you both for your help.  This will be much better than what I was trying.

[Nesa Nurani]

Missing + sign: ("Account"i)

[try67]

True. Thanks for the correction, Nesa!

[ryanc87715291]

I'm hoping that you can provide a little more assistance with this one.  Using the code suggested by try67 works and does exactly what I was hoping for.  However, one strange thing happens.  I choose the Department I want and can then choose the specific accounts for that Department.  If I save the form, close it, and re-open it, the Account fields all go back to showing --.  The Department is still what I set it to, but it changes the Accounts I chose back to nothing.  Is there a way to actually save that information when you save the form?  In most cases the user will want o use the same Department and likely the same Accounts each time they use it.  Does that make sense?

[Bernd Alheit]

Where does you use the script? 

[ryanc87715291]

It's on the Format tab of the Department field.

[Bernd Alheit]

The method setItems resets the list to the first entry. 

[ryanc87715291]

You're saying that there's no getting around that then?  Because setItems is in the script, it will always reset to the first value when opening the form?

[Bernd Alheit · Accepted solution]

When you open the form it kicks the format script.

Use the script at validation. 

[ryanc87715291]

That's working!  Thanks very much for your help.

[Joe-PMC]

Hello, I am attempting to do something similar to @ryanc87715291 in Acrobat Pro 23.006.20320 , but populating 3 or more fields, instead of just two.  I am using the following script in the Validation tab of a drop-down field, which contains time zones and specific location options:

if(event.value == "EST")
{
this.getField("Pharmacy Fax Number").setItems(["8443314179"]);
this.getField("M-F Hours of Operation").setItems(["9:00 am - 11:00 pm"]);
this.getField("Sat-Sun Hours of Operation").setItems(["9:00 am - 9:00 pm"]);
}
else if(event.value == "CST")
{
this.getField("Pharmacy Fax Number").setItems(["8445753361"]);
this.getField("M-F Hours of Operation").setItems(["8:00 am - 10:00 pm"]);
this.getField("Sat-Sun Hours of Operation").setItems(["8:00 am - 8:00 pm"]);
}
else if(event.value == "Lubbock")
{
this.getField("Pharmacy Fax Number").setItems(["8446020229"]);
this.getField("M-F Hours of Operation").setItems(["8:00 am - 10:00 pm"]);
this.getField("Sat-Sun Hours of Operation").setItems(["8:00 am - 8:00 pm"]);
}
else if(event.value == "Houston")
{
this.getField("Pharmacy Fax Number").setItems(["8669361865"]);
this.getField("M-F Hours of Operation").setItems(["8:00 am - 10:00 pm"]);
this.getField("Sat-Sun Hours of Operation").setItems(["8:00 am - 8:00 pm"]);
}
else if(event.value == "San Antonio")
{
this.getField("Pharmacy Fax Number").setItems(["8669361864"]);
this.getField("M-F Hours of Operation").setItems(["8:00 am - 10:00 pm"]);
this.getField("Sat-Sun Hours of Operation").setItems(["8:00 am - 8:00 pm"]);
}
else if(event.value == "MST")
{
this.getField("Pharmacy Fax Number").setItems(["8443314159"]);
this.getField("M-F Hours of Operation").setItems(["7:00 am - 9:00 pm"]);
this.getField("Sat-Sun Hours of Operation").setItems(["7:00 am - 7:00 pm"]);
}
else if(event.value == "PST")
{
this.getField("Pharmacy Fax Number").setItems(["8558792669"]);
this.getField("M-F Hours of Operation").setItems(["6:00 am - 8:00 pm"]);
this.getField("Sat-Sun Hours of Operation").setItems(["6:00 am - 6:00 pm"]);
}
else
{
this.getField("Pharmacy Fax Number").clearItems();
this.getField("M-F Hours of Operation").clearItems();
this.getField("Sat-Sun Hours of Operation").clearItems();
} 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first field in the script for each location/time zone (Pharmacy Fax) populates fine in that field (a drop down field, formatted for phone number, with the fax numbers included), but I can't get the other 2 fields to populate (M-F Hours of Operation and Sat-Sun Hours of Operation) for any of the locations/time zones. Those 2 are basic text fields, with no formatting. Do I need to make those 2 fields drop-downs with the options included to get this to work? 

Am I doing something else wrong?

Thanks for any assistance!

[Nesa Nurani]

Actually, all 3 fields should be text fields, just instead of 'setItems()' use 'value', like this:

if(event.value == "EST"){
this.getField("Pharmacy Fax Number").value = "8443314179";
this.getField("M-F Hours of Operation").value = "9:00 am - 11:00 pm";
this.getField("Sat-Sun Hours of Operation").value = "9:00 am - 9:00 pm";}

[Joe-PMC]

@Nesa Nurani, that worked!!  Thank you so much!