How to Set Up DataSources to Streamline Your Form-Filling Experience
Strengthen data integrity and elevate your form-filling experience with DataSources
Digital forms are an incomparable tool for the modern workplace. Rather than grapple with tedious, manual tasks (like rekeying form data into spreadsheets and hunting through filing cabinets for the right document) teams now leverage mobile and online forms to accelerate and simplify their data capture and processing. These digital efficiencies save teams precious time and budget, empowering businesses to focus their manpower and resources on revenue-driving activities and customer care.
DataSources are among the most powerful and useful digital form features and play a major role in the most compelling GoFormz customer stories. Paperwork can be cumbersome, involving time-consuming tasks like hand-delivering, redundant data entry, correcting inaccurate information, and hand-filing forms, all of which slow daily operations and introduce opportunities for human error. DataSources directly address and resolve these challenges by accelerating and refining data entry and protecting the integrity of data collection.
In this blog, we will dive into what a DataSource is, how to use DataSources, and provide an example of how to set one up properly within the GoFormz application.
What are DataSources?
Think of a GoFormz DataSource as a simplified database table. DataSources are made up of rows and columns. The rows are in a database table, while the columns are equivalent to the headers. These rows and columns collectively form a DataSource, which can be referenced by form fields to automatically populate corresponding form fields and dynamically filter options presented by a corresponding form field.
To understand the breakdown of a DataSource, it’s important to understand two critical key concepts of how it works:
Key Columns: Every DataSource must include a unique key column, ensuring that no two records share the same key column value. The key column ensures that the correct DataSource record is referenced when populating fields with corresponding information.
Indexing: Indexing refers to configuring a specific column within a DataSource to be referenced for data retrieval. For example, the key column is always indexed, and you can index up to five additional columns per DataSource.
Two Ways to Utilize DataSources
There are two ways GoFormz Template builders can leverage DataSources within their digital forms:
Auto-Populating Fields: DataSources can be used to automatically populate fields with information, based on the value of another field. For example, if a user were to select a business location from a drop-down menu, a DataSource could be used to instantly fill the address and phone number fields with the selected location’s information. This functionality can also be used when using Barcode fields. For example, if a user completing an inventory form were to scan the barcode of a product, a DataSource could be referenced to instantly fill the product’s SKU, quantity available, price, and more. This functionality eliminates the need for unnecessary manual data entry, reduces data entry errors, and protects the integrity of your data collection.
Option Filtering: DataSources can be used to present users with specific options based on the value of another field. For example, when completing an employee evaluation, you might have fields for the employee’s department and supervisor. You will want to present the employee with the option to select a supervisor from within their department. So, based on their department selection, a different set of supervisors will be presented to the user.
Create a DataSource in GoFormz
Prepare Your Data (and Spreadsheet)
To create a DataSource, you’ll need to first prepare a CSV file of your data – follow these simple steps to export and configure your file:
Export your data from wherever it’s stored (e.g. Salesforce, Quickbooks, or an internal database) as a CSV file.
Ensure that your Key Field is the first column of your spreadsheet. This column will serve as a unique identifier for each record.
Best Practices Tip: We recommend including your column names in the CSV header. Most applications will have an option to do this.
Import Your Data Into GoFormz
Log in to GoFormz from a computer and select ‘DataSources’ from the navigation bar. Then, click ‘Create’ (from the upper right-hand corner). This will prompt a pop-up window to appear.
Drag and drop your CSV file into the upload box or click anywhere within the upload box to launch the file selector. Then, select your CSV file.
In the DataSource Name field, enter the name of your new DataSource. This field will automatically populate with the name of your CSV file if left blank.
The DataSource preview step will show the first 10 rows of your DataSource. By default, GoFormz will not designate your first row as a header row (as seen above). If your first row is a Header Row, select the checkbox next to ‘This CSV has a header row’. This will automatically replace the top row of your preview with the contents of your first row on the CSV.
Note: If your CSV contains duplicate rows in the Key Column, the preview step will highlight these duplicates and won’t allow you to upload this CSV. Key Column values must be unique.
Once you are satisfied with your DataSource and there are no duplicate errors found, click Create.
Example: Option Filtering Data
Option Filtering utilizes the Database field to retrieve data from a DataSource and present only relevant information to a form user. To get started, open your Template in the GoFormz Template Editor. For this example, we are going to use an Auto Repair Work Order, within which we will use a DataSource to filter options for the make, model, year, and transmission of a car.
Drag and drop four Database fields onto your Template and name each field. For this example, our Database fields will be named:
Car Make
Car Model
Car Year
Transmission
Now, select the first Database field, Car Make. In the Properties Panel, locate the DataSource property. From the drop-down, select the name of the DataSource you would like referenced by your field. For this use case example, our DataSource is named “Option Filtering Auto Repair Work Order”.
Next, select your Display Column using the Display Column property. For this field, we will select Car Make as our Display Column. This means everything that appears in the Car Make column of your DataSource will be visible in a Drop-Down menu.
Next, select the Car Year Database field. Follow the same steps to select your DataSource, but for this step change the Display Column to Car Year. You will see a Filter property directly beneath the Display Column property. Click into the field and add the following formula (customizing the formula as needed for your use case and DataSource):
="Car Make"=[Car Make]
This equation instructs the Car Year field to reference the selection made in the Car Make field and only display drop-down menu options that correlate to the specific type of car selected.
Similar equations will be utilized in our final two fields, Model and Transmission. To do so, select the Car Model field and return to the Properties panel. As Car Model is already the Key Column for our DataSource, we will change the Display Column property to Key, before clicking into the Filter property and adding the following formula:
=AND("Car Make"=[Car Make], "Car Year"=[Car Year])
This formula instructs the Car Model field to only display options pertaining to selections made in the two previous fields (Make and Year).
Finally, select the Transmission Database field, update the Display Column to Transmission, and type this formula into the Filter section:
=AND("Car Make"=[Car Make], "Car Year"=[Car Year], "Key"=[Car Model])
After configuring the filtering equations, test the form to ensure the filtering operates correctly. Once confirmed, save, preview, and publish your digital form Template.
Whether it’s auto-populating online order forms or digitizing a timesheet template, GoFormz can streamline and expedite your data capture needs. Get started with a free trial and see how quickly you can enhance your daily operations today!
