3.3.14.4. Working with M-FILES Value Lists

This article shows basic scripts to work with M-FILES value lists using client API and VBScripting:

Sample 1: Fill Country List in a ChronoScan Field

Set the edit property "Help List" to "Show Window".

Edit the event "OnEnterField" (right click on your field properties):

Vault = "My Vault"

ListId = 154 ' Countries

Set oMFAPIApp = CreateObject("MFilesAPI.MFilesClientApplication")

Set g_oVault = oMFAPIApp.BindToVault(Vault, 0, True, True)

Set oItems = g_oVault.ValueListItemOperations.GetValueListItems(ListId, True, 0)

Call UserField_Country.HelpList_Clear()

For Each Item In oItems

Call UserField_Country.HelpList_AddValueDescription(Item.Name,Item.ID)

Call UserField_Country.HelpList_Populate()

This will populate the helplist when focusing the field:

Sample 2: Adding Values to an External M-FILES List

Use this script as base sample to allow your users to create new values on a M-FILES value list:

Edit the event "OnValueChanged":

Const MFValueListItemPropertyDefName = 2

Const MFParentChildBehaviorNone = 0

Const MFDatatypeText = 1

Const MFExternalDBRefreshTypeNone = 0

Vault = "My Vault"

MyListId = 154

' Check If the value exists. If not, ask user to create a new One

Sub Main()

If UserField_Country.value = "" Then Exit Sub

Set oMFAPIApp = CreateObject("MFilesAPI.MFilesClientApplication")

Set g_oVault = oMFAPIApp.BindToVault(Vault, 0, True, True)

Set scValueListItem = CreateObject("MFilesAPI.SearchCondition")

Call scValueListItem.Expression.SetValueListItemExpression( MFValueListItemPropertyDefName,MFParentChildBehaviorNone, Nothing )

scValueListItem.ConditionType = 1 ' MFConditionTypeEqual

Call scValueListItem.TypedValue.SetValue( MFDatatypeText , UserField_Country.value )

Set arrSearchConditions = CreateObject("MFilesAPI.SearchConditions")

Call arrSearchConditions.Add(-1, scValueListItem)

Set oItems = g_oVault.ValueListItemOperations.SearchForValueListItems(MyListId, arrSearchConditions, True, MFExternalDBRefreshTypeNone)

If oItems.Count = 0 Then

' Value Doesn't exist, allow user to create a new one

If MsgBox("The value ["&UserField_Country.value&"] does not exist in the list COUNTRIES, Do you want to create it ?", vbYesNo ) = vbYes Then

Set value = CreateObject("MFilesAPI.ValueListItem")

value.ValueListID = MyListId

value.Name = UserField_Country.value

Set newvalue = g_oVault.ValueListItemOperations.AddValueListItem(MyListId, value)

If Not newvalue Is Nothing Then

Call UserField_Country.SetListValue(newvalue.Name, newvalue.ID)

Else

UserField_Country.value = ""

End If

Else

UserField_Country.value = ""

End If

End Sub

Call Main()

Export Values to a Lookup List Type:

To export value to a list field it is necessary to send the list value ID instead of the list value itself. If you're using the samples above, you can export using the %docfield.sysval_list_desc_FIELDNAME% internal value that retains the populated description (ID):

Note: Use the variable wizard and search for _desc_ to show all available list description id's.