A ‘One-to-Many Data Collector’ (O2M) differs from a standard Data Collector in that any ‘Repeating Sections’ become a separate record in ‘View Data’. This allows these separate records to be assigned to users for completion. Typically, One-to-Many Data Collectors where tasks are then assigned to different users.
When creating a ‘One-to-Many Data Collector’, select this option when creating your app.
An overview of the features available to build a ‘One-to-Many Data Collector app’ are show below:
‘One-to-Many’ Data Collector Logic
In addition to the features available when building a standard Data Collector:
Can contain multiple repeating sections
A One-to-Many (O2M) data collector can contain multiple repeating sections
Assigning of Repeating Section Rows (RSR) to mobile user(s)
When an RSR is assigned to a Mobile user (becomes P2M) it becomes ‘orphaned’ from the original submitted record (i.e. it becomes its own independent record, as if it had been added to the portal via an ‘Add Record’ routine). At this point any update made to the RSR, either by a portal user via ‘view’ or the mobile user who updates and returns the record, is contained within the RSR; there is no update to the original Mobile record. Any attempted updates / changes to data in the original Mobile submission are not applied to RSRs, which have had a P2M status applied to them.
Allows updates from AppCan XP
Updates can be made to the original submission on Mobile and submitted: ‘Repeating Section Rows’ (RSR), all update based upon this submission.
If none-repeating section fields are updated in the original submission then all RSRs in ‘View Data’ update too. The version number of each ‘Repeating Section Rows’ increments when an update is made.
If an update is made on Mobile within a repeating section then the relevant RSR updates in the portal – the version number for this ‘Repeating Section Rows’ increments.
Allows adding more Repeating Sections in AppCan XP
At any time Mobile users can add more repeating sections to the original record and re-submit. This action simply adds additional RSRs with the same unique ID to the ‘View Data’ grid.
Shares the same ‘Unique Record ID’
Each Repeating Section Row shares the same ‘Unique Record ID’ from the single record submitted. Each row repeats the data captured in the fields of non-repeating sections within the record (effectively this is ‘header’ data)
Will display each repeating section in it‘s own row in ’View Data’
On submission of an O2M data collector record, each repeating section is displayed in a ‘View Data’ grid on it’s own separate row.
Allows Portal Updates
Updates in the portal can be made to none repeating section fields for ‘Repeating Section Rows’ by clicking ‘view’ on any ‘Repeating Section Rows’ and editing, and confirming ‘update’. E.g. if you wanted to edit the ‘Project Ref No.’ In the header data you would click ‘view’ on any ‘Repeating Section Rows’, edit the field, and on ‘Update’ the ‘Project Ref No.’ for all linked (by unique ID) RSRs would have this update applied too. When this type of change is made the record on Mobile is updated with these changes.
Allows portal updates to repeating section data
Updates in the portal can also be made to the repeating section data for any RSR. Click ‘view’ for an RSR, edit the repeating data field and confirm ‘Update’. The version number for this particular RSR updates. When this type of change is made the repeating section within the record on Mobile is updated with these changes too.
Shows each Repeating Section data in individual rows in ‘View Data’
The View Data grid for O2M data collectors will show rows for each repeated section; there will not be an option to switch to a view of the data where repeated sections are presented as repeated columns in the grid.
Allows ‘View’ for each Repeating Section
The view link in the view data grid for O2M data collector records will not show repeated sections; it will only show 1 instance of each section with the relevant field populated based on the selected RSR record.
Allows deletion of Repeating Section Rows
RSR records can be deleted which will cause the record to not be visible in the view data grid. If the deletion happens to a record before it is orphaned via P2M the deleted record then it trigger a sync of the original mobile record which will see the repeated section being removed from the record. If the deletion happens after a P2M then this will lead to a sync of the RSR record which will show up as grey clouds on devices that hold a copy of the record. The original master record will not be updated as a result.
Allows Mobile-to-Mobile (M2M) for individual records
M2M for O2M data collectors will only apply to individual RSR records. The original master record on the mobile device cannot be forwarded via M2M.
Prevents adding additional repeating sections for P2M records
RSR records received on the mobile device after P2M will not have the option to add further repeated sections.
Allows ‘Filing from Site’ for Repeating Section Rows
Filing from site will not be available on the master record. When creating a new record on the mobile device, the Publish In selection will never be presented for an O2M record. Filing from site can be allowed on individual RSR records and this is to work based on the current logic and that each RSR record is a submission in its own right.
Allows ‘Data Collector Rules’ to be used
In an O2M data collector, ‘Data Collector Rules’ can be setup for fields that are included in repeating section. The rules that are setup based on fields in repeating sections will only apply to RSR records on the mobile device. They will not have an impact on the original master record and for that these rules will be ignored.
Allows for ‘New Record Notification’ schedules
New record notifications via the scheduler can be setup for O2M data collectors however the setup is more restricted compared to regular data collectors. For O2M data collectors there will be no option to select a report and as a result the notifications will only support new records; there will be no notifications for updates to records. The notification email will not include a link to the records. The configuration for the email body will not include any fields contained in repeated sections.
Allows single ‘Add Record’ to be used in ‘View Data’
New single RSR records can be added to a view data grid via the existing ‘Add Record’ functionality.
Allows the use of ‘Back Office’ Fields
Back Office Fields can be added to a O2M data collector app and are visible in the RSR ‘View Data’ grid.
Shows mobile user who submitted the original One-to-Many record
Mobile user column for v1 of each RSR record is populated with the name of the mobile user who has submitted the original O2M record.
Allows ‘Report Builder’ reports to be built
Report Builder will present fields in the data dictionary for RSR reports: only one set of repeating section data fields will be displayed for each repeating section within the O2M app. The RSRs all use the same single set of data fields presented in the data dictionary.
