Question

Enable read-only field

Forms Version 11 Forms Layout Designer How To

Updated September 6, 2024

asked on September 5, 2024

On my form I have a mailing address field that is filled by a lookup rule when a school is selected. The mailing address is set to read only so that changes are not made by mistake. I have a checkbox below the address that when selected would change the mailing address from read-only to not read-only.

Attached are the settings and rules for the mailing address.

Any ideas why the mailing address field remains read-only when the checkbox is selected?

Mailing address is a single line field not a collection.

Form.jpg (77.91 KB)

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MailingAddress-Basic.jpg (45.95 KB)

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MailingAddress-FieldRule.jpg (39.02 KB)

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MailingAddress-Lookup.jpg (57.38 KB)

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Answer

SELECTED ANSWER

replied on September 6, 2024

Using enable in the rule, would disable the field when the condition is not met. So it's the same as read only.

The enable doesn't override the Read only check box. The rules give you a more flexible way of getting read only fields.

With the Forms designer I rarely set the Read only checkbox on a field anymore.

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Replies

replied on September 5, 2024

It might be as simple as unchecking the Read only check box. With that unchecked, the field rule will apply and it should be disabled (read only) by default until you check the 'edit' selection.

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replied on September 5, 2024

Something else to watch out for if you're using a lookup rule is that the rule will be triggered again anytime the parameter fields are updated, and it will overwrite what the user entered.

For example, if you manually type in an address then go back and change the school/campus, the rule is going to return the new value even if you had typed something else.

This can be especially problematic if that lookup is still active on any subsequent user tasks.

If you want to alternate between a lookup or user input, my suggestion would be to use two separate fields and use a third to store the final value.

Use one as read-only for the lookup, the other for manual entry, then in the third use a calculation to pull from the appropriate one based on the checkboxes.

Calculation would be something like:

=IF(Checkbox.Option1,Lookup_Field,Manual_Field)

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replied on September 6, 2024

Great suggestions, thank you.

But isn't enable supposed to change a read-only field to an editable field?

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SELECTED ANSWER

replied on September 6, 2024

Using enable in the rule, would disable the field when the condition is not met. So it's the same as read only.

The enable doesn't override the Read only check box. The rules give you a more flexible way of getting read only fields.

With the Forms designer I rarely set the Read only checkbox on a field anymore.

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Enable read-only field

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