What is the best practice or preferred method of duplicating fields on the same record, when that additional field would be for information only?
In other words, we don't want to actually store data for that field. That would be a waste of resources. We want something like a label that copies content over from another field. Like an annotation sort of.
This form has multiple tabs. In this tab is a writable field "specific recommendations."
In the next tab, our customer wants to duplicate that same field. I managed to accomplish this by creating a new field, and setting the calculated value field to assign the contents of the original field to the second field.
The problem with this approach, is that data gets permanently saved in the field, taking up unnecessary storage space. If I run a report on that additional field, the data shows up in the report.
We don't want that. We want a label, or information only.
An annotation won't work because it is static. I couldn't figure out how to manipulate it with code.
Hmm, interesting...
For testing...I created a string field called "Test String" and placed it under two different form sections. I'll test 2 sets of 5 saves (one set per section). First set from just updating it from the first section. Another set from just updating it from the second section.
Here's the results from each save (section 1 edit only):
And now testing from section 2 update only:
Hit an issue. Upon saving "Test 6" in the second section, the changes were not saved and refreshed back to Test 5.
Checking history log doesn't even show I attempted that change.
I wonder if it's evaluating it differently since this is the 2nd section the field is on (so last section with it doesn't "count"). I'm going to remove the test string field from section 1, leap frog over section 2 and create a section 3, and place the field from section 1...there...and now see if the behavior repeats itself with this now last section trying to be the one to make an update.
Now with trying to make update from section 3 only:
Reverted back to Test 5 as well...
Now with trying to make an update from section 2, which previously didn't "count it":
Worked.
And one more time from section 3 only...just for last ditch effort...reverted back to Test 6 text.
Now let's add it back to section 1 and see if either an update to section 2 or 3 works (maybe it appearing 3 times does something, haha):
Updating from section 3: Nope
Updating from section 2: Nope
So yea...it appears while you can add this field multiple times, the earliest section (per layout/design) is the only one where the changes will actually save.
Guess I never noticed it before, so thanks for bringing it up.
But back to the overall use case for the author...you can add it multiple times without creating a new field, if you don't DOM Manip and make it read-only...the users could think they can make a change and save. If the section the field they are viewing in is NOT the first where it appears, the changes won't save.
