Configuring Lists
This article provides detailed information relating to drop-down Lists in SupportAbility, and how the selectable options in these Lists can be customised i.e. adding new List Items, archiving redundant List Items, and reordering the List Items.
Configuring List Items to best suit your organisation's requirements will help ensure that Staff have available the relevant options for selection when entering information, and these options can then be filtered for in related Searches and Reports.
Audience: Authorised Representatives, and anyone tasked with configuring Lists.
Prerequisite
Staff with the 'Edit System Preferences' Staff Account privilege are able to access System Preferences where Lists are configured.
Summary
The following list summarises the content within this article. Click on the links below to take you to the relevant sections:
- What is a List?
- How to configure customisable Lists
What is a List?
A 'List' in SupportAbility is the list of selectable options in a drop-down menu, which are available within certain fields in various records throughout SupportAbility.
For example, in the 'Administration Details' section on the 'Client Details' tab of a Client record, there is an option to specify 'Region'.
The drop-down List Item options for this field are Eastern Metropolitan and Southern:
This is an example of a List that can be configured in System Preferences:
There are many List fields relating to Client records and Staff accounts, however, List fields are also available to select from in the following records:
- Activity
- Client Assessment
- Client Goal
- Client Incident Action
- Client Incident
- Contact
- (Organisational Accident Incident Register - AIR) Incident
- (Organisational Accident Incident Register - AIR) Incident Investigation
- (Organisational Accident Incident Register - AIR) Injury
- (Opportunities for Improvement Register) OFI
- Preferred Contact Method
- QDC Codes
- Work Type
How to configure customisable Lists
Lists can be customised by your organisation as required to provide the most relevant options for selection by Staff Members entering information in these fields.
Adding a new List Item
- Navigate to System Preferences::Lists, then select the target icon for the relevant list eg. Client: Region:
- Select the '+ Add a new list item' button:
-
Enter the new List Item e.g. North East, then select the 'Save List' button:
- This new option will now appear in the relevant field's drop-down List:
- If you wish to configure other Field Lists click on the 'Return to System Preferences: Lists' icon and repeat the above steps:
How are List Items ordered?
List Items are ordered according to how they have been added in System Preferences, i.e. the most recently added List Item e.g. 'Service newsletter' appears at the bottom:
The same order is displayed in the List of selectable options in the relevant field:
It is possible to re-configure the order in which List Items appear in a List field.
Modifying the order of List Items
To re-order a List, navigate to the List in System Preferences, and using the orange arrows icon, select & drag the Item to the desired position in the List:
Remember to select 'Save List' once completed to save your changes.
The List will now display in this revised order for selection in the relevant field:
The List can easily be sorted alphabetically by selecting the 'Sort the list alphabetically' button:
A message will populate asking:
Selecting the 'Sort List Items' button will complete the sort. N.B. Once sorted the order can be re-configured as required.
Other
Some Lists (e.g. Client: Consent Exclusions) automatically populate an additional selectable option of 'Other', even though this option does not display in the List in System Preferences:
When this option is selected in the relevant field, an additional text box will display allowing the detail to be entered for the 'Other' option e.g: Community advertisements
When filtering searches and reports by 'Other' the detail will also need to be entered in the related text box in order to generate a list of relevant results. Performing a generic search filtering simply by ‘Other’ will not yield meaningful or accurate results in the Results List.
For example if searching for Client records which have 'Other: Community advertisements' selected in one of the 'Consent Exclusions' fields in a Client reocrd, 'Other' will need to be selected in the 'Consent Exclusions' field of the Client Search, and the detail e.g. Community Advertisements entered in the adjoining text box:
Archiving an existing List Item
When a List Item is no longer relevant for your organisation, it is possible to archive it so that it no longer appears as a selectable option in the relevant List field. Once archived the List Item will, however, still display in the relevant records which already have this Item selected.
To archive a List Item, navigate to System Preferences::Lists
Select the target icon for the relevant List e.g. Client: Consent Exclusions
Check the 'Archived' checkbox next to the relevant List Item e.g. Annual Report:
Select the 'Save List' button, to save your changes.
How Archived List Items behave
Once a List Item has been archived the following will occur:
- where already selected, it will still be visible in the relevant field, however, the Item will now display with (Archived) at the end of the List Item name:
- where already selected, it will still appear in the List of selectable options, however, it will now be positioned at the bottom of the List:
- it will no longer be included in the List of selectable options for fields where it has not already been selected:
Using another example where the List Item 'Holiday' has been archived in the Activity: Program List:
When generating Searches e.g. Activity Search, the archived List Item will appear at the bottom of the list in single-select filters, with (Archived) after the List Item name:
When generating Reports e.g. Activity Report, the archived List Item will appear at the bottom in the 'Non-Active' section of multi-select filters:
How to restore an Archived List item
To restore a List Item, simply uncheck the 'Archived' checkbox next to the relevant List Item, and select the 'Save List' button:
Once restored, the List Item will:
- display without (Archived) at the end of the List Item name, in fields where it has been selected
- will be available again for selection in the List of the relevant field
- will return to its original position in single-select filters, and will no longer display with (Archived) at the end of the List Item name
- will return to its original position in the 'Active' section of multi-select filters
Deleting List Items
It is possible to delete List Items, however, it is important when doing so to consider how you wish to manage those records which already have this List Item selected in the relevant field.
To delete a List Item, navigate to System Preferences::Lists and select the target icon corresponding to the relevant List e.g. Client: Consent Exclusions:
Select the Delete 'rubbish bin' button corresponding to the List Item you wish to delete e.g. Display boards:
Once the Delete button has been selected, the 'Delete List Item' window will open prompting you to select a 'Replacement Value' for the deleted List Item. The options are as follows:
- empty all fields currently using this value
- leave all values as they are (Other) OR
- select an alternative value from the other options in the List
Once a selection has been made for the 'Replacement Value', select the 'Delete List Item' button:
A second prompt window will display confirming: Are you sure you want to delete this list item?, and displaying the 'Original Value' and selected 'Replacement Value'.
If you are happy to proceed, select the 'Delete' button:
