Linking a Data Set to a Control
Linking is done in the Template Designer. Once a control is linked to a Data Set View, it stops using its own hand-typed list and takes its content from the Data Set instead.
Four controls support linking:
| Control | Result of linking |
|---|---|
| Dropdown | One option per record; the user selects one |
| Multi-Choice | One option per record; the user selects any number |
| Sub-Tasks | One sub-task per record, created with the checklist |
| Table | One table row per record, created with the checklist |
Creating a Link
- Open your template and select the task containing the control.
- Open the Link to Data Set dialog. There are two ways in:
- Click the Link to Data Set button beneath the control's item list (Dropdown, Multi-Choice and Sub-Tasks), or
- Click the control's Settings cog and choose Link to Data Set (all four controls, and the only route for the Table control).
- Change the source from Manual list to Data Set.
- Choose the Data Set, the View, and then either a Display Field or a Column Mapping depending on the control type.
- Click Save Changes.
- Save the template. Like everything else in the designer, a link is not persisted until the template is saved.
The source toggle is labelled to suit the control:
| Control | Toggle label | Manual option |
|---|---|---|
| Dropdown, Multi-Choice | Option Source | Manual list |
| Sub-Tasks | Item Source | Manual list |
| Table | Column Source | Manual columns |
Choosing the Data Set
The Data Set dropdown is grouped:
- Your Data Sets — the Data Sets in your Library that you have access to, in alphabetical order
- System — the built-in System Data Sets
Each entry shows its record count, for example Clients (248 records).
If you have no Data Sets of your own you will see:
No Data Sets are available to you. Create one in the Library, or pick a System Data Set.
Choosing the View
The View dropdown lists every View on the selected Data Set, with the default View marked (default).
The View decides which records — and in what order — the control offers. This is where you narrow a general-purpose Data Set down to what this particular control needs.
Display Field
(Dropdown, Multi-Choice and Sub-Tasks)
The Display Field is the field whose value is shown to the person running the checklist — the option label or the sub-task text.
CheckFlow defaults it to the first Text field in the Data Set. Change it if a different field reads better.
The other fields are not discarded — they are captured with the answer and can be surfaced elsewhere in the checklist using Data Set Dynamic Values.
Column Mapping
(Table only)
A linked Table keeps its own column structure. For each column you choose either:
- A Data Set field — the column is filled from that field and is read-only in the checklist. Its header becomes the field name.
- — User-entered — — the column stays blank and editable, so the person running the checklist fills it in. Its header stays whatever you typed in the template.
Map each Table column to a Data Set field, or leave it "User-entered" for the runner to fill in. Mapped columns are read-only and show the field's values; the checklist gets one row per record.
At least one column must be mapped.
In the designer, mapped columns are shown with a database icon and the field name in place of their cell inputs, so you can see at a glance which columns are driven by the Data Set. Unmapped columns keep their normal editable cells.
A linked Table always produces one row per record, so the View must return 500 records or fewer. If it returns more, the dialog shows:
This View has 812 records. A linked Table supports up to 500 rows. Apply a filter to the View.
Apply a filter to the View (or pick a narrower one) to bring it under the limit.
Snapshot Notice
For Sub-Tasks and Table links, the dialog shows an information note explaining that the content is captured at checklist creation:
- Sub-Tasks — Sub-task items are captured from the Data Set when each checklist is created. Later changes to the Data Set do not affect existing checklists.
- Table — Each checklist gets one row per record, captured when it is created. Mapped columns are read-only; unmapped columns are filled in by the runner.
What a Linked Control Looks Like in the Designer
A linked control shows a green banner:
Linked to Clients · Active Clients Edit
- For Dropdown, Multi-Choice and Sub-Tasks, the manual item editor is hidden — the list now comes from the Data Set. The control's label and its Required checkbox stay visible and editable, because both still apply.
- For a Table, the grid stays editable so you can add columns and type headers for unmapped columns. Mapped columns are shown read-only.
Click Edit on the banner to reopen the dialog.
Removing a Link
Open the dialog and either:
- Switch the source back to Manual list / Manual columns, or
- Click Disconnect.
The control reverts to a manual control. For a Dropdown, Multi-Choice or Sub-Tasks this means it returns to whatever items it had before the link (which for a newly linked control is usually none), so remember to rebuild the list before saving.
Removing a link does not affect checklists that are already running.
Links Are Version-Specific
A link is stored against the template version it was created in. That is deliberate: changing or removing a link only affects checklists created from that point on. Checklists created from an earlier version keep running against the configuration they were created with.
See Template Versioning for how template versions work.
Warnings About Broken Links
Data Sets can change independently of the templates that use them — someone may delete a View, or a field, or the whole Data Set.
When You Open the Template
If any link is broken, a warning banner appears at the top of the designer:
Some Data Set links need attention
with one line per problem, for example:
- The Data Set linked to 'Client' no longer exists. Reselect a Data Set or disconnect it before saving.
- The Data Set View linked to 'Client' has been deleted. Reselect a View or disconnect it before saving.
- The Display Field linked to 'Client' has been deleted. Reselect a field or disconnect it before saving.
- A column mapped in 'Site Inventory' refers to a field that has been deleted. Update the column mappings or disconnect it before saving.
- The View linked to 'Site Inventory' has too many records for pre-populated rows (limit 500). Apply a filter to the View or disable pre-populate before saving.
When You Save the Template
The same checks run again when you save. If any link is still broken the save is blocked and the problems are listed under the heading Data Set Link Problem.
Fix each affected control — re-point it at a valid Data Set, View or field, or disconnect it — and save again.
note
Existing checklists carry on working while a link is broken, because their answers and items are snapshots. It is only editing and re-saving the template that is blocked.
Connections
To find out which templates use a Data Set, open the Data Set and click Connections.
The dialog lists every linked control, showing:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Template | The template containing the linked control |
| Version | The template version the link belongs to |
| Control | The control's label |
| Control Type | Dropdown, Multi-Choice, Sub-Tasks or Table |
| View | The View the control is linked to |
If nothing is linked you will see No Template controls are linked to this Data Set.
Check Connections before deleting a Data Set, deleting a View, or deleting a field.
Conditional Logic on Linked Controls
Conditional logic works on linked Dropdown and Multi-Choice controls exactly as it does on manual ones.
When you build a rule, the value list is populated from the linked View's records, using the Display Field for the label and sorted alphabetically so it is easy to find a value in a long list.
Rules are stored against the record, not against the text that is displayed. This means a rule keeps working if the record is later renamed, or if the link's Display Field is changed to a different column.
note
If the linked Data Set or View has been deleted, the value list in the Conditions dialog will be empty. The link warning banner reports the underlying problem.
Related Pages
- Using Data Sets in Checklists — what the link does at run time.
- Dropdown Control — reads its options live.
- Sub-Tasks Control — captures its list once, at creation.
- Views — choosing which records the control offers.