asked on

Extracting text from a lookup field in a SharePoint 2013 workflow

Drawing a blank here...the overall project is a bit complex so I figured I would simplify things...

I have a custom list with a column that has a look-up field. I need to populate what is chosen there to populate another column in that same list.

So for example, I have a pull-down list called "Sandwich" and "Big-Mac" is chosen it would populate a "Sandwich Text" field.

Other info.
I'm a SharePoint consultant and the farm is a Dev so I can I have all of tools available to me, SharePoint Designer 2013, Visual Studio, etc. :)

This would need to go into a workflow or into Visual Studio solution that I will deploy.
Eventually, this will be used to create an item in another list and populate "Big-Mac" in a column on that list but didn't want to confuse things here ;p

Thanks!
-Scott

Ingeborg Hawighorst (Microsoft MVP / EE MVE)

Hello,

If this were a choice column, you could use a calculated column to pull the text into another field. But that does not work with a lookup column.

The choice column scenario is like this:

One column is called "Sandwich Text". You want to populate that column with the value chosen in another field, which is a Choice column called "Sandwich". So you make the "Sandwich Text" column a calculated column and set it to the "Sandwich" column.

Then you create a new item in the list, select a value in the "Sandwich" column and save. The "Sandwich Text" column will display just that value.

But if the "Sandwich" is a lookup field to another list in the Sharepoint site, this will not work, since lookup columns cannot be used in calculated columns.

So, as an alternative to a calculated column you may want to use a workflow to update the "Sandwich Text" column.

Give me a moment while I fire up SharePoint Designer 2013. I'll report back.

cheers, teylyn

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Ingeborg Hawighorst (Microsoft MVP / EE MVE)

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Ingeborg Hawighorst (Microsoft MVP / EE MVE)

Hello, why the B grade? What would you have expected for an A grade? What extra effort do you need to put in to make this work?

k94ss01

ASKER

Sorry, I meant an A! I got it mixed up with the other question I asked!

k94ss01

ASKER

Is there a way to change it?

Ingeborg Hawighorst (Microsoft MVP / EE MVE)

I'll get the mods to change it.

k94ss01

ASKER

Thanks,

I had another InfoPath issue and didn't know I could only have two open so I hurried up and closed them. If you know anything about the following https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/28385997/InfoPath-2013-and-querying-repeating-tables.html I would be eternally grateful!!!!!

Cmclean67

Hi, I tried this solution, but received a suspended workflow message. I am using SP 2013.