Multiple Select Formula for Page Designer Problem

[Expert_Credit_S]

I’ve created a very simple credit repair dispute processor (basically credit repair software) and I mostly have everything down to a “t” except for trying to figure out how to get a field that has a multiple selector with 3 options only show up on the page designer with 1 option instead of all 3. I’ve attempted to use a filter and am trying to figure out how to use conditional formulas.

example:
Capital One Account 517805 is on all 3 credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion).
On my form, the multiple selector has an option for all 3
page designer template should only show 1/3 (Experian OR Equifax OR TransUnion)

add account = capital one account 517805
credit bureau = Experian, Equifax, TransUnion
BUT page designer needs to show 1 letter for Experian, 1 letter for Equifax and 1 letter for TransUnion when it prints

I don’t want to have to process 3 different dispute letters for the same account instead of entering it 1 time and then having some sort of conditional formula make it so that it will print out 3 letters with 1 credit bureau each for that 1 account

images:

[W_Vann_Hall]

I’m not sure you can. At present, you can’t build Boolean logic into Page Designer, so there’s no real way for it to know whether to generate 1, 2, or 3 letters.

What you’re probably left with is one of two approaches: Either use Airtable to generate a CSV (or similar) export to feed a separate mail-merge process in Word (or similar), or to convert your multi-select structure into one based on linked records. I’d envision the linked-to record to be something as simple as three fields:

1. Primary field: Formula field with formula
   {Account}&' - '&{Bureau}&' - '&DATETIME_FORMAT(TODAY(),'MM-DD-YYYY')
2. {Account}: Lookup field that follows the link back to your main table to retrieve the account ID.
3. {Bureau}: Single-select field with options ‘Experian’,‘Equifax’,‘TransUnion’.

For each applicable bureau, you’d click the + in the field, select ‘Add new record’, select the bureau, and close the linked record — a few more keystrokes than simply choosing from a multi-select, but not onerously so. You’d then define your Page Designer template based on the linked record table rather than your main table. (If you need other data values from the main table, they can be pulled seamlessly into the linked record the same way as {Account}.)

I realize it’s not the answer you were hoping for, but it’s the only way that immediately occurs to me to achieve your desired result.

—which doesn’t mean there isn’t a better option; with luck, someone a little more conversant with Page Designer will have a better idea. But if not, you can at least be assured it doesn’t get any worse than this. :winking_face:

[Expert_Credit_S]

thank you very much! However, can you please help me out with “1.” (formula) as if I am a 4th grader? I am trying to understand that part. Everything else I completely understand. Thank you in advance again!

[W_Vann_Hall]

Oh, the formula for the primary field is simply a way to ensure each linked record has a unique[ish] name. Strictly speaking, the linked record doesn’t even have to have a name — Airtable will let you link to as many unnamed records as you desire — but doing so makes maintenance a nightmare. Accordingly, the exact structure of the formula isn’t important; I just greeked* in one possible solution. That formula, when used with your example credit account, would result in the three linked records being called

Capital One 517805 - Experian - 12-23-2018
Capital One 517805 - Equifax - 12-23-2018
Capital One 517805 - TransUnion - 12-23-2018

Assuming you attempted to repair credit for that account only once today, these would be unique values.

---

* Edit: Not an obscure ethnic slur, but a reference to the old copywriter term ‘to greek,’ meaning to enter placeholder text until approved copy is available. That the expression is likely derived from the commonly used block of text known as lorem ipsum, which is actually faux Latin gibberish, helps make it even more obtuse a reference.

[Expert_Credit_S]

thank you! ok, going to try that now and see how it goes :slightly_smiling_face:

[Expert_Credit_S]

OK so many be complicated things for myself, but I think that I still need help with this and I’m sorry to bother you again.

I tried doing what you’ve mentioned but what complicates things is that each record is a client’s disputes (record 1 is client 1, record 2 is client 2, etc.):

This is the form the info is submitted on:

So even when I’ve added in a single select for each account and then created the new page designer to have the credit bureau options sitting on top of each other (because only 1 would be printed at a time), it still doesn’t show up correctly and I am really trying to understand formulas. I don’t mean to bother you again.

I don’t care if a dispute letter must be printed twice or 3 times based upon the credit bureau, but even when I choose a credit bureau per each account and then filter by credit bureaus or by client, it still only shows up with ONE record because the client only has 1 record…

I’ve tried duplicating to equal 3 records - bureau 1, bureau 2, bureau 3, but that means the accounts would need to be entered like 3 times…

[W_Vann_Hall]

No problem. Probably the best thing to do would be to create a read-only link to the base (select Share > Create a shared link to the whole base > Private read-only link and make sure the first two options [‘Allow copying’ and ‘Show Blocks’] are toggled on; select and copy the link) and send it to me either as a private message here (click my name and select ‘Message’) or as an email to wvannhall @ paladesigns.com. I’ll take a look tomorrow and see if I can cobble together a solution for you.

(You can purge it of sensitive data, if you wish, but over the years I’ve handled confidential information from literally thousands of businesses and hundreds of agencies from dozens of governments without, to the best of my knowledge, compromising any of it, so you’re probably safe leaving it as is. :winking_face: )

[Damon_Talbot]

Just a side note… In filmmaking when we need to cover logos, licence plates, or things that give away the wrong time or place we also call it greeking the set.

[Expert_Credit_S]

W_Vann_Hall:

wvannhall

thanks I just emailed you the 2 versions. Happy Holidays!

[Expert_Credit_S]

hi, hope your holiday went well. did you receive my email on the 24th?