How to import data from text field to dynamic choice field

One cannot import textual data in a dynamic choice field (well, that's how I understand the matter). A dynamic choice field is defined by reference to a table. How is you field 'Patient Name' defined?

It is not recommended to put the patients' names in a dynamic choice field because only 100 will be visible. It is better to use a linked table along with the other specs of that patient.

Steven

Hi Alexis -

Do you still need help with this?

Steven Rooryck, it is the other way around. DC fields work normal for me and having issues with link fields showing only the first 100 or not finding result for searches.

Alan F, DC field requires a record Id. It shows a field value of your choice but when you try to push a text value in, it doesn’t know what record it is. 

I did indeed write that trying to put a text in a DC field does not work. But one does not need to submit a full record ID: since the identity of the source table is known by the very definition of the DC field, one must just submit the record index.

I did ask a question in order to propose a tailor-made solution, but got no answer. So, let's suppose that there is a "Patient Names" table with the field "Patient Name" in it, and that all the patients have been imported in that table. Let's suppose also that, in the table where the DC field sits, this field is defined as: "select 'Patient Names'".

A temporary text field, named for example "Temp Name" should be defined in the same table as the DC field, and the patient names should be imported in that field. Then, the "Update multiple records…" command should be invoked from the "gear" menu. The "Patient Name" DC field should be set to "Assign calculated value", with the formula:

let pn := 'Temp Name';
number(first((select 'Patient Names')['Patient Name' = pn]).Id)

The "first" function is needed because "select" always returns an array of values.