# Off popover behavior

**URL:** <https://the.fmsoup.org/t/off-popover-behavior/1781>\
**Category:** Questions\
**Created:** [March 1, 2021, 10:18am UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/off-popover-behavior/1781 "2021-03-01T10:18:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![cpking](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/the.fmsoup.org/cpking/32/1179_2.png) [@cpking](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/cpking)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2021, 10:18am UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/off-popover-behavior/1781/1 "2021-03-01T10:18:06Z")

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Odd thing... I changed a field from dropdown to popover and the field contents render differently for a single entry.

My layout has a value list derived from a table (Role ID and Role Description).  
In a portal record where I'm entering info, when the Role ID is formatted as a dropdown, it renders correctly (i.e. just the Role ID shows).

![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/fmsoup/original/2X/1/1ea891c0c9e5a2b84fbb20a1ecb4a6cd690e11de.png)

When the field is formatted as a popover, it renders with the Role ID and the first couple of characters of the Role Description.  
 ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/fmsoup/original/2X/6/612edf9c71449ec6bf64fb239e5bd23a6b2a5c1d.png)

Playing around with it reveals that when "Override data formatting with value list" is unchecked, the popover renders as desired (i.e, just the Role ID). I'm sure this is expected behavior, but can someone please explain what and why this is?

![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/fmsoup/original/2X/6/6bb8746a55ca2f32faed7641beb8698835e5aae1.png)

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**Author:** ![planteg](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/the.fmsoup.org/planteg/32/627_2.png) [@planteg](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/planteg)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2021, 2:22pm UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/off-popover-behavior/1781/2 "2021-03-01T14:22:10Z")

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I thing you are meaning pop-up menu

Displaying an ID to the user doesn't mean anything to him, it's in fact internal management. A dropdown can only display the ID - the first field in the Value List setup - , not the _name of the value_ - the second field in the Value List . At some point in time though, FMI added an option to a pop-up menu, that is to display that name, for example _Film_ in one of your examples. Thing is the value saved in the field is the ID, the name is for display only.

IMHO it's unfortunate that we can't do the same with dropdowns.

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**Author:** ![cpking](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/the.fmsoup.org/cpking/32/1179_2.png) [@cpking](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/cpking)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2021, 5:16pm UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/off-popover-behavior/1781/3 "2021-03-01T17:16:03Z")

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I think perhaps I wasn't clear. I thought it odd field behavior that it would show both fields (2nd image) only when the ID was 12. For all other values, the popover worked as expected.

I wound up going back to a dropdown for a couple of reasons. For data entry, I prefer being shown both the ID and Name, and being able to type the ID on my numeric keypad. I only use a mouse when absolutely necessary because it slows down data entry.

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**Author:** ![jormond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/35a633/32.png) [@jormond](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/jormond)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2021, 6:01pm UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/off-popover-behavior/1781/4 "2021-03-01T18:01:58Z")

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This is a feature to allow you to show the Second Field involved in a value list, but store the actual ID value used in relationships. I rarely use it, since almost all pickers I build now are based on card windows, or at the least a portal in a pop-over button.

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**Author:** ![Markus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b782af/32.png) [@Markus](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/Markus)\
**Post date:** [March 2, 2021, 6:04am UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/off-popover-behavior/1781/5 "2021-03-02T06:04:02Z")

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this was very annoying as we encountered that for the first time. We never activated that - until a new colleague joined..  
For me, it is unclear and users complained as well.

Value-lists are unchanged for years - and one of the things that would benefit of a re-design..

We often use popover objects for value lists - gives us much more freedom (but lacks somewhat in 'find-mide')
