Question

check box values in fill pdf Text field

Workflow

Updated February 11, 2021

asked on February 10, 2021

Hello,

I have a Fillable PD that has a section where staff enters pre-established text (technical standards).

To avoid having staff type it every time they need to generate this PDF, I created a form that has all the possible options as checkboxes (they can have more than one).

The problem is that if I use the general Variable name %(RetrieveBusinessProcessVariables_ContractTechnicalStandards), I get only the first option selected. And, I get the Values (with the underscores).

If do this instead:

I'll obtain the words True, False, False, True, False.

This made me think I could use the Token Calculator to create a new Token where based on the True/False results would return the text I want. So I wrote this:

IF(%(RetrieveBusinessProcessVariables_ContractTechnicalStandards_P_327_Conservation_Cover_Is Set),327 Conservation Cover, IF(%(RetrieveBusinessProcessVariables_ContractTechnicalStandards_P_342_Critical_Area_Seeding_Is Set), 342 Critical Area Seeding, IF(%(RetrieveBusinessProcessVariables_ContractTechnicalStandards_P_382_Fence_Is Set), 382 Fence,IF(%(RetrieveBusinessProcessVariables_ContractTechnicalStandards_P_512_Forage_and_Biomass_Is Set), 512 Forage and Biomass, IF(%(RetrieveBusinessProcessVariables_ContractTechnicalStandards_P_516_Watering_Facilities_Is Set), 516 Watering Facilities, "")))))

But no matter what I do the Test Formula says it's an invalid expression. I've tried to use just one condition to work on my syntax (I'm new to Laserfiche), but I still can't make it to work.

I've also tried: IF(%(RetrieveBusinessProcessVariables_ContractTechnicalStandards_P_327_Conservation_Cover_Is Set),TEXT(327 Conservation Cover),TEXT()) because I read the double quotes are a special character, but I can't seem to test the formula correctly.

I would like my result on the PDF to be:

327 Conservation Cover

512 Forage and Biomass

(If these were the options checked in the form be the planner)

Do I need to use the Token Calculator? Can I resolve this in the Fill Out PDF Form activity?

Here's my workflow (the Token calculator is not working)

Any ideas, suggestions, etc, are welcome. Thank you!

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Answer

SELECTED ANSWER

replied on February 10, 2021

Yeah, the way you had the nested IF statements initially would only return the first true value.

You could use Concatenation - which means to combine strings.

In the token calculator, concatenation is done with the & symbol.

IF(%(RetrieveBusinessProcessVariables_ContractTechnicalStandards_P_327_Conservation_Cover_Is Set),"327 Conservation Cover ","") & IF(%(RetrieveBusinessProcessVariables_ContractTechnicalStandards_P_342_Critical_Area_Seeding_Is Set), "342 Critical Area Seeding ","")

I added a space to the end of each of the strings, so that it always ends in a space, which results in multiple values being separated by a space.

"A " & "B " & "C " = "A B C "

2 0

Replies

replied on February 10, 2021

Can you try this?

IF(%(RetrieveBusinessProcessVariables_ContractTechnicalStandards_P_327_Conservation_Cover_Is Set),"327 Conservation Cover","")

When you are doing a string value in the formulas you need to surround them with quotes.

Like this: "327 Conservation Cover" instead of just 327 Conservation Cover

TEXT() is mostly for converting numbers and other values to text, thus TEXT(327.5) becomes the string: "327.5"

TEXT(327 Conservation Cover) won't work, because it has no idea that 327 Conservation Cover is supposed to be a string and doesn't know what it is. You could actually say TEXT("327 Conservation Cover"), but that would be functionaly identical to just saying "327 Conservation Cover".

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replied on February 10, 2021

Thank you, Matthew!

So, this worked! Funny, because that was how I started! I used quotes from the get go.

Now, I need to figure out my nested IFs because if the first one is true it will never get to the following ones because it has met the True condition.

Should I be using a multivalue token then? And then use it in the PDF fill option?

0 0

SELECTED ANSWER

replied on February 10, 2021

Yeah, the way you had the nested IF statements initially would only return the first true value.

You could use Concatenation - which means to combine strings.

In the token calculator, concatenation is done with the & symbol.

IF(%(RetrieveBusinessProcessVariables_ContractTechnicalStandards_P_327_Conservation_Cover_Is Set),"327 Conservation Cover ","") & IF(%(RetrieveBusinessProcessVariables_ContractTechnicalStandards_P_342_Critical_Area_Seeding_Is Set), "342 Critical Area Seeding ","")

I added a space to the end of each of the strings, so that it always ends in a space, which results in multiple values being separated by a space.

"A " & "B " & "C " = "A B C "

2 0

replied on February 11, 2021

Matthew, not sure how to thank you, but, Thank you!!!!!! Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best ones!

Have a great day!

1 0

replied on February 11, 2021

Saying "Thank you" and marking the question as answered is more than enough. I'm very happy to help, and very happy it worked for you.

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replied on February 11, 2021

Thank you for that too. This was my first time posting a question and I hadn't realized I had to mark it as answered. Always learning! :)

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check box values in fill pdf Text field

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