The Conditional container holds other form components and shows them only when a rule is met. Use it for questions that only apply sometimes, for example an allergen clean-down check that only matters for one product, or follow-up questions that only apply when an earlier answer is Yes. Operators see only the questions that apply to them, and hidden questions never block the form from being completed.
Where to find it
Open a form template, go to Versions, and choose Edit Version on a draft version. In the Form Builder, drag the Conditional component onto the form, then drag the components you want to show or hide into it.
Concepts
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Conditional container | A section of the form with no heading or styling of its own. It simply shows its contents when its rule is met, and hides them when it is not. |
| Rule | One or more conditions joined by AND or OR, for example “Batch Product Code is CUSTARD OR Contains allergens is Yes”. A container with no conditions always shows. |
| Form field condition | A condition on another answer on the same form, such as a select list, radio group, number or text field. |
| Batch product condition | A condition on the product of the batch the form belongs to: Batch Product Code, Batch Product Description or Batch Product Type. These only apply to forms opened from a batch. |
Quick start
- Edit a draft version of the form template.
- Drag Conditional onto the form.
- Drag the questions that should only sometimes appear into the container.
- Click the container's heading. The settings panel opens on the right with Show contents when.
- Add one or more conditions, choose AND or OR, and click Save changes.
- Save the form version, then use Preview Version to try it.
On the builder canvas, the container's heading spells out its rule, so you can check it at a glance:
Writing the rule
Click the container's heading to open its settings. Show contents when holds the rule:
- AND shows the contents only when every condition is met. OR shows them when any one is met. Use the + button to add conditions or groups of conditions, and REMOVE to delete one.
- For a text, product code or product description you can test whether it equals, starts with, ends with or contains a value, for example Batch Product Code starts with 35. Comparisons ignore upper and lower case, and spaces at either end.
- Batch Product Description suits products whose codes are only numbers, because one condition can cover a whole range, for example Batch Product Description contains custard. If a product is renamed, new forms follow the new description; forms already completed keep what was saved.
- For a select list or radio group you pick the answer from the list.
- Batch Product Type offers Finished Good, Work in Progress, Raw Material, Packaging, Kit and Misc.
- The rule can only use fields outside the container. A section cannot depend on its own contents.
- Table and checklist columns are not offered. They hold a value on every row, so there is no single answer for a rule to test.
The text under the rule repeats the main points: “Add as many rules as you need and choose AND or OR to join them. With no rules the contents always show. Batch Product rules only apply to forms opened from a batch.”
What operators see
The contents appear and disappear as the operator answers. With Contains allergens set to No (and a product other than CUSTARD), the clean-down questions are not shown:
Changing the answer to Yes shows them straight away:
- Hidden questions are not required. A required field inside a hidden container does not stop the form being completed.
- Hiding clears the answers. If the operator changes an answer so the container hides, anything already entered inside it is cleared, so the form never saves an answer to a question that did not apply.
- Batch product rules wait for the batch. On a form opened from a batch, the container stays hidden until the batch's product has loaded, then shows if the rule is met.
- On a form not linked to a batch, a batch product condition is never met. With OR, the other conditions can still show the contents. With AND, the contents stay hidden.
Saving, printing and completed forms
- The form records whether each container was shown when it was saved. Questions in a hidden container are saved empty.
- Completed forms and forms waiting for approval keep what was saved. They do not re-check the rule, so a later change to the batch or template does not change a completed record.
- Printing and PDF leave out a container that was hidden, so the printout shows only the questions that applied.
- Scores, reports and checklist summaries only count questions from containers that were shown.
Availability and permissions
- Available in the Form Builder for form templates. Anyone who can edit form templates can add one.
- Batch product conditions are offered on form templates, not on training forms.
Things to know
- Top level of normal forms only. A Conditional container can be placed directly on the form, but not inside columns, accordions, tables, questions or pages, and not on paged forms. Anything can go inside it, except another Conditional container.
- Batch steps and receipts do not supply a product, so batch product conditions are not met there. Use form field conditions instead.
- Changing the rule only affects forms filled in afterwards. Forms already completed keep the sections they showed when they were saved.
- Check the rule with Preview Version before activating the version. Preview shows and hides the contents exactly as a real form does. Batch product conditions cannot be tried there, because a preview has no batch.