Using External Data Sets

The External Data Sets feature enables the user to connect a data set to a form and use the data to populate controls on the form. Connected data sets must be represented as tabular data structures with each column treated as a field and each row as a record. Connected data sources must be present in BarTender Cloud's Librarian.

This release supports importing a single data set per form.

To explore this feature further, refer to Importing External Data.

Connect a Data Set

ClosedTo import an external data set

  1. On the Intelligent Forms Builder page, click beside External Data Sets.

  2. In the connection setup assistant, select the data source type, then click Next.

    Excel, JSON, text, or .csv data sources can be used.9/

  3. Select the file to use as a data source, then click Next.

ClosedExcel

  1. Select the worksheet within the Excel file to use as a data source.

    To preview the contents of the worksheet, click .

  2. Indicate whether the first row in the sheet contains field names, then click Next.

  3. Create a filter to limit the records available to print. This step is optional.

    1. Click and select Add Condition.

    2. When the form displays, select the field to use, an operator, and a value.

    3. If you are finished, continue with the assistant. If not, repeat from step i.

      If you are creating a group, you must click Add Group to add the new group before repeating from step i.

  4. Click Finish the exit the assistant or Next to continue.

  5. Specify a sort order for the data set by dragging any fields you want to sort by into the Sort by Fields list. This step is optional.

  6. To preview the data set in the new sort order, click Preview.

ClosedJSON

The Preview Data section at the bottom of most of these pages displays either the contents of the JSON file or a list of fields and their values in the file.

  1. Select the element within the JSON file to use as the master record node, then click Next.

  2. Specify the node to use as the master record node, then click Next.

  3. Select the nodes to include in the data set.

    When you select an item in the Available Nodes list, the selected item's details display in the Selected Node Details field. Change the data type if needed, and click Next.

  4. Create a query to filter the records available to print. This step is optional.

    1. Click and select Add Condition.

    2. When the form displays, select the field to use, an operator, and a value.

      In the Preview Data section, click to preview the filtered data. Click to re-display the file's entire contents.

    3. If you are finished, continue with the assistant. Click Finish the exit the assistant or Next to continue.

      If not, repeat from step i.

      If you are creating a group, you must click Add Group to add the new group before repeating from step i.

  5. Specify a sort order for the data set by dragging any fields you want to sort by into the Sort by Fields list. This step is optional.

  6. To preview the data set in the new sort order, click Preview.

ClosedText

The Preview Data section at the bottom of most of these pages displays either the contents of the selected file or a list of fields and their values in the file.

  1. Accept or specify the encoding scheme and format of the text file, then click Next.

    • Encoding: Select the character encoding scheme the file uses.

    • Format: Select the data format used in the file.

    • First row has field names: Select this option if the first row of the text file contain the field names.

    • Assign sequential field names: Select this option if the first row does not contain field names, then specify the maximum number of fields in the file.

  2. For each field in the file, accept the default value or select a new value from the Data Type field, then click Next. This step is optional.

  3. Create a query to limit the records available to print. This step is optional.

    1. Click and select Add Condition.

    2. When the form displays, select the field to use, an operator, and a value.

    3. If you are finished, continue with the assistant. If not, repeat from step i.

      If you are creating a group, you must click Add Group to add the new group before repeating from step i.

    4. To filter the preview data using the filter just created, click in the Preview Data section. To return to unfiltered data, click .

  4. Click Finish the exit the assistant or Next to continue.

  5. Specify a sort order for the data set by dragging any fields you want to sort by into the Sort by Fields list. This step is optional.

  6. To preview the data set in the new sort order, click Preview.

  1. Click Finish.

ClosedTo refresh the data

  • In the External Data Sets panel, click and select Refresh Data.

ClosedTo remove a connected data set

  1. In the External Data Sets panel, click and select Remove Connection.

  2. Confirm that you want to remove the data set.

Filtering External Data in a Control

Use the external data connected to a form to populate the values of a dropdown list or radio button group. Each control can only have one data source and one filter defined for it. However, a page may have more than one control with data and filters attached.

Filters cannot be reciprocal. Two controls may not use each other as sources for their filters. When the first control defines the second as its source and the second control attempts to select the first as its source, the first control is missing from the When dropdown in the Filter Source dialog for the second control and cannot be selected.

To explore this feature further, refer to Filters.

ClosedTo assign an external data set to a control

  1. On the Intelligent Form Builder page, select a control on the form or drag a new control onto the form.

    This is the data set to which the filter will apply. Currently, only dropdown lists and radio button groups can use external data.

  2. In the control's Properties panel, click Options, then Source.

  3. In the Source field, select a data set to use.

  4. In the Value Field, select the field whose value determines when the target control's displayed options are filtered.

  5. Click beside the Source field.

  6. In the When field on the Filter Source dialog, select the control whose value determines how the target list or group displays. For example, Contractors.

    If a component is marked as Required, it is not possible to use that component in a filter.

  7. In the dropdown below that, specify the operator that will determine if the filter is triggered. For example, equals.

  8. Beside the operator dropdown, select the value that determines how the target list or group displays. For example, Sophia Taylor.

    Click to use the option values defined manually for the control rather than the imported values.

  9. In the Then dropdown, select the field in the data set from which the filtered value will be drawn. For example, Occupation.

  10. In the Filter By field, specify the record that determines when the filtered values are displayed in the target control. For example, UX Researchers.

  11. Click Save.

    The Intelligent Form Builder displays a message below the Source field describing the filter.

ClosedTo modify a filter

  1. On the Intelligent Form Builder page, select the control that contains the filter rule to modify.

  2. In the control's Properties panel, click Options, then Source.

  3. Click beside the Source field.

  4. On the Filter Source dialog, modify the When, operator, value, Then, and/or Filter By fields.

  5. Click Save.

ClosedTo remove a filter

Since a control can only have one filter rule, remove a filter from the control to add a different filter in its place, or to remove the filter entirely from the form.

  1. On the Intelligent Form Builder page, select the control that contains the filter rule to remove.

  2. In the control's Properties panel, click Options, then Source.

  3. Click beside the Source field.

  4. On the Filter Source dialog, click Remove.

  5. Confirm the removal.

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