Dependent picklists give you a way to add flexibility to your use of picklists. You can limit the entries in one picklist based on the entry in another picklist. The Force Platform also includes a way to limit the display of picklist values based on a different criterion. This functionality, and more, is delivered through the concept of record types.
Record types allow you to define multiple user interfaces for data stored in the same object. Users are grouped in profiles, which is discussed in Chapter 7: Protecting Your Data, and record types are assigned to one or more profiles.
Every object in your Force Platform data store can have more than one record type. Each record type has two areas of presentation options—the ability to define a record type’s page layout and to limit the values available for a picklist for that record type.
As with most Force Platform features, the best way to understand how record types are used is to simply create some. You want to use record types with the Position object—one record type with a particular page layout and picklist values for technical positions, and another for non-technical positions. Before you can create the record types, you have to create an alternative version of the existing page layout to use for non-technical positions.
Your new page layout displays as shown below, complete with the reduced set of picklist options for the department. Since the Department picklist is the parent for the Salary Grade picklist, your record type has essentially prevented the non-relevant entries for salary from appearing for this type of Position.
Record types provide a lot of flexibility for your Force Platform application, but some of your users might not need this flexibility since they are only creating one Position record type. You can eliminate this step by assigning a default record type for an object. The user then chooses to use the default record type at all times in the Record Type Selection option in their Personal Setup menu.
Record types and recordsKeep in mind how record types actually interact with your Force Platform applications and data. When creating an object containing record types, the user can only select record types allowed for their profile. The selected record type used to create the record is then associated with that record, and used to determine the display of the detail page for the record. However, users can view all records without concern for record types. A user can see records with a record type that they will not be allowed to assign. The user can even change the record type of a record to any available record type. The record type limitation imposed by profiles is only enforced when a record is created. |
Record types and picklists can expand the interface possibilities for your objects, but always keep in mind that you are only limiting the user interface—not the actual data stored in your Force Platform object. Chapter 7: Protecting Your Data focuses on Force Platform security, which you use to actually define the access to data within an object.
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