How to handle a very long list of (multiple select) choices in a form

Kris Dysert
Kris Dysert ✭✭
edited 12/09/19 inFormulas and Functions

I am new to Smartsheet and using it to replace old InfoPath forms. One thing I cannot find an elegant solution for is expanding fields/sections. Basically, I want to send an instructor a form that asks which courses they would like to teach next semester. There are hundreds of courses. I will eventually want to use this to copy/link to another sheet where I can see all instructors who have selected a specific course.

Right now I have a form with 6 questions, each of which lists several courses that they can multiple select. For instance, the 'ACC-ART' dropdown has the choices "ART 100, ART 101, ART 102. etc". The issue there is that in my sheet, there is an ACC-ART column with many selections in one cell.

Is there a formula to break them out on a new sheet, in a relational style? So that

Dysert, Kris ART 100, ART 101

becomes

Dysert, Kris ART 100

Dysert, Kris ART 101

? Or is there a better way to handle this? All I can think of is a big horrible form with every course listed and a yes/no checkbox next to each... I would have them type in the courses in text boxes, if data validation were possible.

Any help is much appreciated!

Comments

Help Article Resources

Want to practice working with formulas directly in Smartsheet?

Check out theFormula Handbook template!
Hi, <\/p>

Instead of applying the formula to \"Multiselect Text String\" row, did you tried with \"Multiselect Values\" row?<\/p>

=IF(HAS([Multiselect Values]@row, [Component ID]@row), \"MATCH\", \"NO MATCH\")<\/p>

Thank you,<\/p>"}]}},"status":{"statusID":3,"name":"Accepted","state":"closed","recordType":"discussion","recordSubType":"question"},"bookmarked":false,"unread":false,"category":{"categoryID":322,"name":"Formulas and Functions","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/categories\/formulas-and-functions","allowedDiscussionTypes":[]},"reactions":[{"tagID":3,"urlcode":"Promote","name":"Promote","class":"Positive","hasReacted":false,"reactionValue":5,"count":0},{"tagID":5,"urlcode":"Insightful","name":"Insightful","class":"Positive","hasReacted":false,"reactionValue":1,"count":0},{"tagID":11,"urlcode":"Up","name":"Vote Up","class":"Positive","hasReacted":false,"reactionValue":1,"count":0},{"tagID":13,"urlcode":"Awesome","name":"Awesome","class":"Positive","hasReacted":false,"reactionValue":1,"count":0}],"tags":[]},{"discussionID":109493,"type":"question","name":"I am having trouble using \"And\", \"OR\" & \"Countif(s)\" to build a formula.","excerpt":"Hello, I am attempting to come up with a sheet summary formula that counts cells if they meet at least one of 3 different statuses in the same column, AND also meet one of 5 different statuses in a separate column. So using the screenshot I've provided as an example (although it doesn't have 5 different statuses in the…","snippet":"Hello, I am attempting to come up with a sheet summary formula that counts cells if they meet at least one of 3 different statuses in the same column, AND also meet one of 5…","categoryID":322,"dateInserted":"2023-08-25T20:03:21+00:00","dateUpdated":null,"dateLastComment":"2023-08-26T00:34:49+00:00","insertUserID":165710,"insertUser":{"userID":165710,"name":"SmarsheetNewb","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/profile\/SmarsheetNewb","photoUrl":"https:\/\/us.v-cdn.net\/6031209\/uploads\/defaultavatar\/nWRMFRX6I99I6.jpg","dateLastActive":"2023-08-26T00:33:27+00:00","banned":0,"punished":0,"private":false,"label":"✭"},"updateUserID":null,"lastUserID":161714,"lastUser":{"userID":161714,"name":"Carson Penticuff","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/profile\/Carson%20Penticuff","photoUrl":"https:\/\/us.v-cdn.net\/6031209\/uploads\/userpics\/B0Q390EZX8XK\/nBGT0U1689CN6.jpg","dateLastActive":"2023-08-26T01:04:51+00:00","banned":0,"punished":0,"private":false,"label":"✭✭✭✭✭✭"},"pinned":false,"pinLocation":null,"closed":false,"sink":false,"countComments":3,"countViews":23,"score":null,"hot":3386005690,"url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/discussion\/109493\/i-am-having-trouble-using-and-or-countif-s-to-build-a-formula","canonicalUrl":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/discussion\/109493\/i-am-having-trouble-using-and-or-countif-s-to-build-a-formula","format":"Rich","tagIDs":[254],"lastPost":{"discussionID":109493,"commentID":392692,"name":"Re: I am having trouble using \"And\", \"OR\" & \"Countif(s)\" to build a formula.","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/discussion\/comment\/392692#Comment_392692","dateInserted":"2023-08-26T00:34:49+00:00","insertUserID":161714,"insertUser":{"userID":161714,"name":"Carson Penticuff","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/profile\/Carson%20Penticuff","photoUrl":"https:\/\/us.v-cdn.net\/6031209\/uploads\/userpics\/B0Q390EZX8XK\/nBGT0U1689CN6.jpg","dateLastActive":"2023-08-26T01:04:51+00:00","banned":0,"punished":0,"private":false,"label":"✭✭✭✭✭✭"}},"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/"},{"name":"Get Help","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/categories\/get-help"},{"name":"Formulas and Functions","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/categories\/formulas-and-functions"}],"groupID":null,"statusID":3,"attributes":{"question":{"status":"accepted","dateAccepted":"2023-08-26T00:33:25+00:00","dateAnswered":"2023-08-25T20:44:12+00:00","acceptedAnswers":[{"commentID":392662,"body":"

Try this:<\/p>

=COUNTIFS([Item Number]:[Item Number], OR(@cell = \"C001\", @cell = \"COO2\", @cell = \"COO3\", @cell = \"COO4\"), [Status]:[Status], OR(@cell = \"Green\", @cell = \"Yellow\", @cell = \"Red\"))<\/p>"}]}},"status":{"statusID":3,"name":"Accepted","state":"closed","recordType":"discussion","recordSubType":"question"},"bookmarked":false,"unread":false,"category":{"categoryID":322,"name":"Formulas and Functions","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/categories\/formulas-and-functions","allowedDiscussionTypes":[]},"reactions":[{"tagID":3,"urlcode":"Promote","name":"Promote","class":"Positive","hasReacted":false,"reactionValue":5,"count":0},{"tagID":5,"urlcode":"Insightful","name":"Insightful","class":"Positive","hasReacted":false,"reactionValue":1,"count":0},{"tagID":11,"urlcode":"Up","name":"Vote Up","class":"Positive","hasReacted":false,"reactionValue":1,"count":0},{"tagID":13,"urlcode":"Awesome","name":"Awesome","class":"Positive","hasReacted":false,"reactionValue":1,"count":0}],"tags":[{"tagID":254,"urlcode":"formulas","name":"Formulas"}]},{"discussionID":109474,"type":"question","name":"Help with date calculation formula","excerpt":"Hello, I'm trying to find a formula that will help me calculate how long an intake took to resolve. The rows I need to be calculated are Date Reported & Resolution Date. If the resolution date is blank I want it to use the current date in the calculation to see how long this issue has gone unresolved. Any help is much…","snippet":"Hello, I'm trying to find a formula that will help me calculate how long an intake took to resolve. The rows I need to be calculated are Date Reported & Resolution Date. If the…","categoryID":322,"dateInserted":"2023-08-25T16:29:39+00:00","dateUpdated":"2023-08-25T16:29:59+00:00","dateLastComment":"2023-08-25T23:01:30+00:00","insertUserID":165688,"insertUser":{"userID":165688,"name":"Nwest","title":"Systems Analyst","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/profile\/Nwest","photoUrl":"https:\/\/aws.smartsheet.com\/storageProxy\/image\/images\/u!1!ukHVZ18ImX4!BcjWAe8S9SY!l7iQo_PZHOx","dateLastActive":"2023-08-25T17:22:30+00:00","banned":0,"punished":0,"private":false,"label":"✭"},"updateUserID":165688,"lastUserID":8888,"lastUser":{"userID":8888,"name":"Andrée Starå","title":"Smartsheet Expert Consultant & Partner | Workflow Consultant \/ CEO @ WORK BOLD","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/profile\/Andr%C3%A9e%20Star%C3%A5","photoUrl":"https:\/\/us.v-cdn.net\/6031209\/uploads\/userpics\/0PAU3GBYQLBT\/nXWM7QXGD6464.jpg","dateLastActive":"2023-08-26T17:06:33+00:00","banned":0,"punished":0,"private":false,"label":"✭✭✭✭✭✭"},"pinned":false,"pinLocation":null,"closed":false,"sink":false,"countComments":3,"countViews":23,"score":null,"hot":3385987269,"url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/discussion\/109474\/help-with-date-calculation-formula","canonicalUrl":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/discussion\/109474\/help-with-date-calculation-formula","format":"Rich","tagIDs":[254],"lastPost":{"discussionID":109474,"commentID":392687,"name":"Re: Help with date calculation formula","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/discussion\/comment\/392687#Comment_392687","dateInserted":"2023-08-25T23:01:30+00:00","insertUserID":8888,"insertUser":{"userID":8888,"name":"Andrée Starå","title":"Smartsheet Expert Consultant & Partner | Workflow Consultant \/ CEO @ WORK BOLD","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/profile\/Andr%C3%A9e%20Star%C3%A5","photoUrl":"https:\/\/us.v-cdn.net\/6031209\/uploads\/userpics\/0PAU3GBYQLBT\/nXWM7QXGD6464.jpg","dateLastActive":"2023-08-26T17:06:33+00:00","banned":0,"punished":0,"private":false,"label":"✭✭✭✭✭✭"}},"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/"},{"name":"Get Help","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/categories\/get-help"},{"name":"Formulas and Functions","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/categories\/formulas-and-functions"}],"groupID":null,"statusID":3,"attributes":{"question":{"status":"accepted","dateAccepted":"2023-08-25T17:04:22+00:00","dateAnswered":"2023-08-25T16:36:59+00:00","acceptedAnswers":[{"commentID":392622,"body":"

\n \n https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/discussion\/109474\/help-with-date-calculation-formula\n <\/a>\n<\/div>\n

Hi, <\/p>

I hope you're well and safe!<\/p>

Try something like this.<\/p>

=IF([Date Reported]@row <> \"//www.santa-greenland.com/community/discussion/63631/\", IF([Resolution Date]@row = \"//www.santa-greenland.com/community/discussion/63631/\", NETDAYS([Date Reported]@row, TODAY()), NETDAYS([Date Reported]@row, [Resolution Date]@row)))<\/p>

Did that work\/help? <\/p>

I hope that helps!<\/p>

Be safe, and have a fantastic weekend!<\/p>

Best,<\/p>

Andrée Starå<\/strong><\/a> | Workflow Consultant \/ CEO @ WORK BOLD<\/strong><\/a><\/p>

Did my post(s) help or answer your question or solve your problem? Please support the Community by <\/em>marking it Insightful\/Vote Up, Awesome, or\/and as the accepted answer<\/em><\/strong>. It will make it easier for others to find a solution or help to answer!<\/em><\/p>"}]}},"status":{"statusID":3,"name":"Accepted","state":"closed","recordType":"discussion","recordSubType":"question"},"bookmarked":false,"unread":false,"category":{"categoryID":322,"name":"Formulas and Functions","url":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/categories\/formulas-and-functions","allowedDiscussionTypes":[]},"reactions":[{"tagID":3,"urlcode":"Promote","name":"Promote","class":"Positive","hasReacted":false,"reactionValue":5,"count":0},{"tagID":5,"urlcode":"Insightful","name":"Insightful","class":"Positive","hasReacted":false,"reactionValue":1,"count":0},{"tagID":11,"urlcode":"Up","name":"Vote Up","class":"Positive","hasReacted":false,"reactionValue":1,"count":0},{"tagID":13,"urlcode":"Awesome","name":"Awesome","class":"Positive","hasReacted":false,"reactionValue":1,"count":0}],"tags":[{"tagID":254,"urlcode":"formulas","name":"Formulas"}]}],"initialPaging":{"nextURL":"https:\/\/community.smartsheet.com\/api\/v2\/discussions?page=2&categoryID=322&includeChildCategories=1&type%5B0%5D=Question&excludeHiddenCategories=1&sort=-hot&limit=3&expand%5B0%5D=all&expand%5B1%5D=-body&expand%5B2%5D=insertUser&expand%5B3%5D=lastUser&status=accepted","prevURL":null,"currentPage":1,"total":10000,"limit":3},"title":"Trending in Formulas and Functions ","subtitle":null,"description":null,"noCheckboxes":true,"containerOptions":[],"discussionOptions":[]}">

Trending in Formulas and Functions