[SOLVED] Limit linked record selection to a view

[Katherine_Duh]

This feature is now live! More info: https://support.airtable.com/hc/en-us/articles/360042806733#limit-selection

[Matthew_Billiod]

Hello Tuur,

Thanks for answering this:

Right now you can’t link to views or subtypes (selected candidates).

It is a shame that is the state of affairs.

Regarding this point:

You could create a second table for your selected candidates…

(Lets call that table “A”)

…filter + copy & paste those people (that’s only 1 action)…

(Lets call this table “B”)

and create a link to the new table…

(Lets call this the “filtered prompt”)

What happens when the user updates table “A”? Wouldn’t the user now have two tables to maintain? Maybe that will help in the OP’s situation. But for most users, wont that create double the amount of work in terms of maintenance? The “filtered prompt” will be obsolete as soon as a row gets added to table A without adding it to table B.

Your suggestion might work better if there were a way to create a query type of table… (going do research to see if that is available in airtable)…

[Matthew_Billiod]

A temporary fix would be expanding the search capabilities of the pop-up dialog for linking records.

At the moment it is difficult to link records (even with the current search tool) because the search tool only looks at the key column (see picture from @Jason_Woltz post)
https://community.airtable.com/uploads/short-url/yJ86i0fUTKEXl0EaeFGqjlnwfVo.png

The Search Expansion feature request (posed by @Jason_Woltz) can be found here: Find a Record to Link - Search Expansion

[Tuur]

Matthew_Billiodeaux:

Wouldn’t the user now have two tables to maintain?

Sure. But in this case the selection has already been made so I figured it wouldn’t be a big deal.

In more dynamic scenarios I agree it’s not an option. :slightly_smiling_face:

The query solution is not available either, which is why I’m working on a custom Airtable scripting web service.

[Matthew_Billiod]

Nice![quote=“Tuur, post:4, topic:1408”]
The query solution is not available either, which is why I’m working on a custom Airtable scripting web service.

Looking forward to that…Would be nice if the “link to record” pop up could use your service! :grinning_face_with_big_eyes:

[Matthew_Billiod]

@Tuur, check this out: Filter on linked fields
Airtable team has on their map adding the ability to Link to a filtered record.

[Tuur]

Thanks for the heads up @Matthew_Billiodeaux. The tool I’m working on does way more though. :slightly_smiling_face:

[andre_frizon]

I’m also waiting for a solution. The system allows the entry of invalid data in my tables … already stopped development work.

[Julian_Kirkness]

There are many use cases for this - and the feature is required for both normal views and views to be published on a eb site - for example…

In a leave request form you would want the employee to be able to say which type of leave they were asking for from a table of absence types. However, you would only want the to be able to request absence types identified as ‘requestable’.

At the same time, HR users would need to be able to enter leave records for leave types which are not requestable.

[Andrew_Enright]

All, how can I limit the dataset presented in linked field “drop-downs”/“pop-ups” to external form users?

Right now I have a form that allows you to select an employee via field linked to a separate table. And though I can sort that table to move inactive employees to the bottom, I cannot hide ex-employees. For that, it seems that the Linked Field needs to honor filtering, or Link to a specific view…

Can this be solved via Lookup? I’ve poked at it; but not cracked the issue.

Thanx in advance!

[Julian_Kirkness]

It’s not possible (as far as I know) to limit a drop down or linked field - a workaround would be to have the key field as a calculated field with an if test - and if the employee is a leaver set the value to say —do not use— or something otherwise set it to the employee’s name.

Ideally, of course, we would all like to be able to filter it!