Do updating the options of the Dynamic Drop-down widget affect previously submitted data when editing submissions?

  • BAstrove
    Asked on January 21, 2017 at 3:09 PM
    I am updating the contents of the available options in the dynamic dropdowns. Would that impact the ability of a previously displayed submission to show its response, even if the previously selected response is still an available option (but could be in a different place in the list, for example it could have moved higher or lower on the list of options although an exact match character for character).
    Link to the form:
    https://form.jotform.com/63325741204953
    Link to the grid report, from where you can select the Edit link
    https://www.jotform.com/grid/63334176756058
    As you can see in the form we use the dynamic to allow people to select their supervisor, and then a series of codes that describe our active jobs (like 1500 of them). I plan to change the list of available options each week. If that would wipe out entries of prior submittals than perhaps I am better off with a new form for each week? Or perhaps you can suggest another alternative?
    Again thank you for your help.
    Bob Astrove
    ...
  • Mike_G JotForm Support
    Replied on January 21, 2017 at 3:32 PM

    To better explain this, I will be using rooms and cabinets that will be inside a room as an example.

    Let's say you have Room 1 (parent) and inside Room 1 we have Cabinet 1.1, Cabinet 1.2, and Cabinet 1.3 and are arranged in that manner.

    If you rearrange what's inside Room 1 and do Cabinet 1.3, Cabinet 1.1, then Cabinet 1.2, that is fine.

    If you edit the submission, and the first drop-down selection (parent) is Room 1, although the content of the child drop-down is rearranged but still remains in Room 1, it will still be available for selection.

    However, if you, for example, move any of the Cabinets from Room 1 to Room 2, if you edit the submission that had previously selected Room 1 (as parent) and the cabinet that was moved (as child), the second dropdown will be empty since the cabinet that was previously selected is no longer there in Room 1 even if it still existing in Room 2.

    You can try to make a copy of the cabinet to another room but not move it entirely. Which means to say that Room 1 and Room 2 will have the same cabinet, for example.

    I hope that clarifies your concern. If, in any case, I have misunderstood your concern, please feel free to contact us again anytime.

    Thank you.