1. Use Case Example

Payment Collection details can be linked to a Sales Order. By creating a reference field under Payment Collection details, you can reference fields from the Sales Order.

2. Configuration Notes

• Supports cross-object data retrieval, displaying information from a parent record’s field in a child record within a one-to-many relationship.

3. Common Issues with Reference Fields

3.1 Difference Between Reference Fields and Default Values

Reference fields dynamically update when the referenced field’s value changes, whereas default values remain static.

3.2 Supported Field Types for Reference Fields

Currently supported field types include:
- Single-line text (except for owner’s primary department)
- Multi-line text
- Single-select, Multi-select
- Number, Currency, Date, Time, DateTime
- Phone, Email, Boolean, Percentage, URL
- Location (Country, Province, City, District, Town, Village)
- Auto-increment ID
- Lookup Relationship, Master-Detail Relationship
- Departments, Images, Record Type

3.3 Timeliness of Reference Fields

3.3.1 Are Reference Fields Updated in Real Time?

• Non-filterable reference fields are calculated in real time during data queries.
• Filterable reference fields are asynchronously calculated in the backend queue, introducing a delay. The delay depends on queue workload. Tenants with dedicated databases are allocated independent computation queues.

3.3.2 Timeliness for Multi-Record Calculated Fields

1. New or edited reference fields trigger recalculation of historical data, which may take longer for large datasets.
2. Batch imports or bulk edits via buttons also experience incremental computation delays.

3.3.3 Timeliness for Single-Record Calculated Fields

Calculation begins immediately when the referenced field is edited.

3.4 Why Can’t Reference Fields Be Filtered in List Views? (Figure 3.4)

1. Filtering is only available if enabled in field configuration (“Allow Filtering” set to “Yes”).
2. Reference fields based on Lookup Relationships, Departments, Personnel, or Images cannot be filtered (the “Allow Filtering” option is grayed out).
3. Newly added filterable reference fields may not return immediate results due to pending value calculations.
4. Non-filterable reference fields cannot be used as filter conditions in functions.

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Figure 3.4 - Field Configuration for Reference Field Filtering

3.5 When Can Reference Fields Be Summarized in List Views?

Only reference fields of numeric, currency, or percentage types support list-view summarization.

3.6 Do Reference Fields Support Calculated Statistics?

No. Calculated fields, statistical fields, and default value formulas cannot use reference fields for computations.

3.7 Can Reference Fields Select Calculated Fields?

No. Reference fields cannot reference other calculated fields, statistical fields, or reference fields.
Workaround: Use a calculated field in Advanced Mode to select a calculated field from a related object.

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3.8 Can Reference Fields Trigger UI Functions?

No. Reference fields do not support triggering UI events.

3.9 Why Do Some Reference Field Values Appear in Lists But Fail to Filter?

This occurs due to computation delays:
- List values are calculated in real time when loading data.
- Filter queries rely on pre-calculated database values, which may lag.

Troubleshooting:
- For new/edited fields or bulk updates: Wait for background calculations to complete.
- Persistent mismatches with no ongoing calculations: Report as a system issue.