A value list is used for predefining possible values that an Attribute can have and it's corresponding display values. 

What is it?

A value list, sometimes misspelled as valuelist, limits the base Types of an Attribute. It contains a set of possible values an attribute can have. After the value list is specified it can be chosen within the attribute. When you attempt to set a value that is not in the value list, a run-time exception is thrown. However, it is possible to keep deprecated values in a value list, by using a conditional value list, and setting a False condition for those values.

What does it do?

It offers the user a list of values they can choose from.

How to – create a value list

  1. Select the Home tab
  2. From the Domain group select the Value list icon
  3. Fill in the required fields
  4. Click on the arrow left of the word General to hide the General properties
  5. Choose base type
  6. Fill the value list



Properties

Property
Description
NameIdentifies the object. Maximum 100 characters (only letters, numbers and underscores (_)) are allowed.
DescriptionOptional, a short description of the purpose/content of the validation list
Base typeChoose type. The options are: Boolean, String, Number, Date, DateTime, Percentage, Currency and Integer (also see Attribute type).
ExternalTick this box if you want to use an external source for the value list items. (An external value list does not have fixed values, but gets its values from an external source, e.g., a data base or a service. How the value list gets its data is configured in the configuration of Interactions. It requires Java code to supply the values.)
Items - valueA value that matches the value lists base type. This value can be used in expressions
Items - display value

A text that describes the matching value. This text is used in your applications user interface. The display value is multilingual

Please note that value lists do not support Text Substitution Language: TSL. If more dynamic texts are required, please consider the Container type: AQ_InstanceLinker.

To show display values on pages and in documents using (inline) text items, solely add the reference to the attribute to the field. Any addition other than comments to the expression will result in the (technical) value to be shown.


How to – create a conditional value list

A conditional value list means that under a certain condition only a subset of all possible values is available. When you use a conditional value list, the subset of available values is determined at run-time.

To create a conditional value list you need at least one value.

  1. Create a new value list
  2. Add the required values on the Items tab

  1. Select the Conditions tab
  2. Tick the Conditional box. A table appears (like a decision table) summing up the values you just created on the Items tab
  3. Define in the table:
    • Which conditions apply to the value list
    • Which value is shown when the condition is true
  4. Click Save or Save & close



How to – work with an external value list

An external value list means that the list is filled with values by an external source, i.e., a piece of code that supplies the values. As studio does not connect during design time to this external source, you cannot use the values for validating expressions or using drop downs. If you are sure that some values are present in this external source, you can define them in studio, so that you can validate on them in expressions, and use these values in drop downs. These values defined in studio are not exported to the runtime, and the runtime completely bases the values from the list on the external source.

In the example below, we are sure that the external list holds values 'S', 'M' and 'L', but other values such as 'XL' can be present in the external source.