Query to return values in a picklist as an array?

Hi Greg,

You can use the code below to get all the option values in a picklist:

<script src='../js/metadata.js' type='text/javascript' charset='utf-8'></script>
<script>
var arrName = [], count = 0;
$(function() {
  rbf_getFieldDef("object_a", "my_picklist", function(data){  //get the field definition of "mypicklist" field
    alert(data);
    $(data).find('ListItem').each(function(){ //Loop all "ListItem" Nodes
      arrName[count] = $(this).attr('Name');
      count++;
    });
    alert(arrName); //Debug
  });
});
</script>

Note: Please change the integration names and paste the code on a script component. 

Regards,

Godfrey

Awesome, thank you very much, Godfrey!

Just one more question - when I try to use the arrName array outside of the jQuery function I get undefined values (like if I put an alert(arrName) or alert(arrName[3]) after the final parenthesis). How do I access the array for the JavaScript code to follow?

Greg

Hi gwf,

$( function() {}) basically tells the page to execute this function when the page has loaded. There are multiple ways of specifying the same. See  http://api.jquery.com/ready/ for more info.

This basically ensures that the rbf_getFieldDef that you are calling is executed only when all of the page (html, js, other files) has loaded in the browser. Putting it outside the ready function, executes it when processing the page for rendering (as in an interpreted language) and by this time the getFieldDef function has not yet been processed, so arrName is undefined.

You should really execute all your javascript code in the $(function() { <here> }); which could very well include generating your dynamic chart data.

P.S: We have plans to provide a REST api to get all possible values for a picklist. Should be available in the release after 3.1 (scheduled to come out soon).

OK, that's good to know. Thank you very much, Santosh!

Greg

You probably can't access the arrName variable because of the asynchronous nature of rbf_getFieldDef API. By the time you're accessing the variable, the data transfer and JavaScript operations are still running in the background. You can find out more about AJAX on this link: http://www.w3schools.com/ajax/ajax_intro.asp

Below is a sample code for nested AJAX APIs:

<script src='../js/metadata.js' type='text/javascript' charset='utf-8'></script>
<script>
var arrName = [], arrCount = [], count1 = 0, count2=0;
$(function() {
  rbf_getFieldDef("object_a", "my_picklist", function(data){  //get the field definition of "mypicklist" field
    $(data).find('ListItem').each(function(){ //Loop all "ListItem" Nodes
      arrName[count1] = $(this).attr('Name');
      rbf_selectNumber("SELECT count(1) FROM object_a WHERE my_picklist="+$(this).attr('Id'), function(data){
        arrCount[count2] = data;
        count2++;
        if (count2==count1) runSucceedingScipt();
      });
      count1++;
    });
  });
});

function runSucceedingScipt() {
  alert(arrName[0] + ":" + arrCount[0]);
}
</script>

However, please keep in mind that number of client-side API calls is limited per login session. You might hit this limitation fast depending on the number of picklist values you have.

Godfrey

Thank you, Godfrey - but if I use the original code to populate the arrName and then insert code where marked below that makes use of arrName, does that avoid multiple API calls?

<script src='../js/metadata.js' type='text/javascript' charset='utf-8'></script>

<script>
    
var arrName = [], count = 0;
$(function() {
    rbf_getFieldDef("sg_opportunity", "industry", function(data){  
        $(data).find('ListItem').each(function(){
            arrName[count] = $(this).attr('Name');
            count++;
        });

        //JS code here
    
    });
});

</script>

Yes. Assuming you will not use other Rollbase AJAX APIs that will only be counted as 1. 

Thank you!