There are two sorts of pick list type custom fields: pick lists and multi-value pick lists. These custom field types provide a drop-down list of items you can select from to add to your custom field.

• Pick lists allow a single item to be selected and added to the field; for example, Yes or No. 
• Multi-value pick lists allow multiple items to be selected from the list and added to the field; for example, a selection of parts used on a job.

Both pick list types are great for quickly adding information to a job without having to type.

We provide a selection of pre-defined pick lists for you to use. If they don’t quite meet your needs, they are easy to customize. You can also create your own pick lists. All pick lists can be added to any job template as a custom field type. 

Pick lists can also be used to drive Conditional Logic. Conditional Logic is used to reveal additional custom fields when a specific option is selected from a pick list.  You can learn more about Conditional Logic in the article: Use conditional logic with custom fields.

In this article

This article explains how to manage pick lists in vWork and add them to a job template. 

The topics covered are:

• vWork’s pre-defined pick lists
• Where do I manage pick lists?
• Customize an existing pick list
• Create your own pick list
• Delete a pick list
• Good to know

You can read this article from top to bottom - but if you just want to brush up on one topic, click the link above to go directly to it. 

You can click this icon at any time to come back to this topic list.

vWork’s pre-defined pick lists

Like all custom field types, a pick list can be added to any job template. If you want to quickly add a pick list to a template, you can select from a list of pre-defined pick lists already set up for you. You can use any of these as a standard pick list or as a multi-value pick list type custom field. 

The default pick list options are shown here:

Where do I manage pick lists?

Pick lists are saved in the Pick List Settings. You can customize existing pick lists, add new pick lists, and delete pick lists from this tab. 

To open the Pick List Settings and view all pick lists saved to your vWork account:

1. Go to Settings > Pick Lists.
   
   
   
   

Open a pick list

To open a pick list to edit or delete it:

1. Go to Settings > Pick Lists.
   
   
2. Click to select the pick list you want to open from the Update Pick List screen.
   Note: You can quickly find the pick list you want using the search tool.
   Click in Search by name or items in the top right corner and type either the name of the pick list, or an item from the pick list, to see a list of available pick lists that meet your search criteria.
   

Customize an existing pick list

It's easy to customize an existing pick list so it meets your needs better; this includes the pre-defined pick lists already saved in vWork, as well as ones that you have created yourself. 

You can edit the name of a pick list, add new items, edit the names of items in the pick list, and remove items from the list.

Note: You can’t make changes to items on the pick list or delete them if they are already in use as part of an incomplete job. You also can’t delete an item from a pick list that is enabled for conditional logic in a job template.

Edit the pick list name

1. Open the pick list and click on the Name field at the point you want to start your editing.
   
   
2. Edit the name.
   In this example, we will delete the words "to be taken" from the name.
   
   
   
   
3. Click Update to the save the pick list with its new name.

Add a new item to a pick list

1. Open the pick list and click to add a new field at the bottom of the list.
   
   
2. Click on the new field and type the name of the item. In this example, we are adding the option Remove to the list.
   Note: Items are listed in alphabetical order on the pick list in the template and job custom fields. Although you add the new item at the bottom of the list it will be reordered alphabetically into the list.
   
   
   
   
3. Click Update to save the pick list with the new item.

Edit an item in a pick list

1. Open the pick list and click on the field you want to edit.
   
   
2. Type the edited information into the field.
   In this example, we have edited the item "Replace"to become "Remove and Replace".
   
   
   
   
3. Click Update to save the pick list with the edited item.

Delete an item in a pick list

1. Open the pick list and click next to the item you want to delete from the pick list.
   In this example, we are deleting the item "Remove".
   
   
   
   
2. Click Update to save the pick list with the item removed.
   

Create your own pick list

Creating your own pick list is also very simple. It can be done in:

• the pick list settings, or 
• directly from a Job Template when you are adding custom fields to it. 

Both options are described next.

Create a new pick list in the Pick List Settings

1. Go to Settings > Pick Lists.
   
   
2. Click to open the Create Pick List screen.
   
   
   
   
3. Click on the Name field and type a name for the pick list.
   In this example, we have called the pick list Action.
   
   
   
   
4. Click on the Value field and type the first item you want to add to the pick list.
   In this example, the first item we will add to the list is Maintain.
   
   
   
   
5. Click and type a name in the new Value field that shows at the bottom of the list.
   Repeat this for each additional item that you would like in the pick list.
   Note: It doesn’t matter what order you add items to the list, we will sort them alphabetically for you when you save the list.
   
6. When you have added all your items click Update to save the new pick list.
   

Create a new pick list in a job template

When you add a new pick list or multi-pick list custom field to a job template you have the option to create a new pick list. This new pick list is saved in the Pick List Settings and can then be added to any job template as a standard pick list or multi-value pick list custom field.

To create a pick list in a job template:

1. Click to add a new custom field to the job template.
   
   
2. Give the new custom field a Name and assign it a Permission as you normally would.
   
   
3. To complete the Create Pick List pop up window follow the same steps as you would when creating a new pick list in the pick list settings. (See the instructions above).
   When you have added all items to the new pick list click Save changes to return to the job template.
   
   
   
   
4. Once you have saved the new pick list, you can then select it and add it to the template.

Delete a pick list

If you no longer require a pick list you can delete it in the Pick List Settings tab.

Caution: You won’t be able to delete a pick list that is in use on an open job or has Conditional Logic enabled on a job template.

To delete a pick list:

1. Open the pick list.
   
   
2. Click .
   Note: You won't see if the pick list is still in use.

Good to know

• New items added to an existing pick list are available to all new jobs created from templates that use the pick list.
  
  
• If you edit an item on an existing pick list (such as the spelling) this won’t change the item for jobs that have already been created. All jobs created after the change was made will reflect the change.
  
  
• You can’t delete an item on a pick list if that item is being used in a custom field with Conditional Logic. You must change the Conditional Logic on the Job Template so that it references a different item from the pick list before you can delete the item you want to remove.
  
  
• When you delete a pick list you must ensure all jobs that use it are completed and then remove the pick list from the templates it is used in, or delete the templates themselves, before you can delete the pick list.