Maintain Field Values Hidden with Conditional Visibility

[DavinShokes1]

When fields are hidden due to conditional visibility, the values are deleted. This is critical data that just doesn't apply to the current form entry. Here is an easy example. Say you are visiting a jobsite 2 times and recording the date separately for each visit. You want to hide the previous visit field; not delete it.

Fields:

NumberofAttempts - Domain= 1st Attempt, 2nd Attempt

FirstAttemptDate

SecondAttemptDate

On the first visit, the user sets NumberofAttempts="1st Attempt". The FirstAttemptDate should be visible and required. The SecondAttemptDate should be hidden.

On the second visit the user sets NumberofAttempts="2nd Attempt". The FirstAttemptDate should be hidden. The SecondAttemptDate should be visible and required. 

Currently, when the user sets NumberofAttempts="2nd Attempt", the FirstAttemptDate clears its value when hidden and the data is lost forever. 

This is a simple example but there are many other use cases for maintaining hidden field values. However, I could also see use cases for deleting the values. They just don't apply to any of our company's needs.

I would propose this be a checkbox on the form configuration page under conditional visibility so that existing workflows aren't impacted.

[JeffShaner]

Yes Andrew, we can confirm that this is resolved in 11.1.

[ahargreaves_FW]

Muchos Gracias @JeffShaner !

🍻4 U   

[DougMorgenthaler]

This was implemented in ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise 11.1.

[CClark2]

I am still encountering this erasure issue in ArcGIS Online even with this newly added box checked. 

EDIT: For anyone who might encounter the same issue post solution, I found out it was because field crew did not have updated versions of the Field Maps App on their devices. 

[LanceKirby2]

I’ve come across what I think is a bug related to this in enterprise 11.1. I have a constraint attribute rule that checks some data and rejects the edit if not correct. When this occurs an error message appears like it should. In my circumstance when a certain field is switched to a certain value, it is locked from editing, and when user clicks submit the constraint is checked. If there is an error, the user has to Cancel the edit, click Edit again to launch the form, which should set it that locked field back to its previous value (unlocking it), but unfortunately that doesn’t occur.

If the user clicks Edit again and the form launches they see the same values as they had before clicking Cancel (field is locked). They have to reload the entire map to get the form to appear correctly. 

edit: I thought have this option disabled fixed the problem, but it appears not. 

[Kevin_MacLeod]

what is the difference between not including a field in Designer; or including it as Hidden? Any difference besides the capability for hidden fields to still have calculated expressions?  That is my guess why Hiding is a thing; is to allow hidden fields to still be calculated. I have done that with asset ID numbers where a related record gets its asset ID from its parent point at a hydrant getting an inspection. So the field needs to be there but the user doesn't need to see it, since it auto calculates. Just making sure I understood right.  Also that is curious that upon hiding fields conditionally/programmatically, it was... deleting data? Almost like a 'conditional delete'? I still have 10.9.1 for Enterprise... Still not sure I understand why it would do this or why it would be desired as a behavior..?