Choice lists are a great 4D tool to use when you have multiple form objects that frequently utilize common lists. Keeping track of which objects in a form are using which lists can become difficult if the number of form objects or lists grows rapidly. Below is a utility method to organize all form objects that use choice lists into a collection of JSON objects. In the JSON objects, a form object's name will be paired with the name of the choice list that it uses.

// -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- // Method: FORM_GET_OBJECT_LISTS // Description: Iterates each page of a form and pairs any form objects that use a choice list with the name of the corresponding list. // // Parameters: $1 (TEXT) - Form Name // // Output: $0 (COLLECTION of OBJECTS) // - Each object represents a page on the form, starting from 0 and going in ascending order. // - Pages with form objects that use choice lists will output an object in this format: {"formObjectName1":"ListName1", "formObjectName2":"ListName2", ...} // - Pages with no form objects will output "null" // - Pages with form objects but no choice lists used will output "{}" // -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- C_OBJECT($dynform_o,$pageObjects_o;$pageObjectsListnames_o) C_COLLECTION($0;$dynformPages_c;$formObjectsListnames_c) C_LONGINT($pagesLength_li;$counter_li) C_TEXT($1;$formName_t;$objName_t) If (Count parameters=1)   $formName_t:=$1   $dynform_o:=FORM Convert to dynamic($formName_t)   $dynformPages_c:=$dynform_o.pages   $pagesLength_li:=$dynformPages_c.length-1   $formObjectsListnames_c:=New collection   For ($counter_li;0;$pagesLength_li) // for each page on the form    If ($dynformPages_c[$counter_li]#Null)      $pageObjects_o:=$dynformPages_c[$counter_li].objects      $pageObjectsListnames_o:=New object      For each ($objName_t;$pageObjects_o) // for each form object on the page        If ($pageObjects_o[$objName_t].type="list") // Hierarchical Lists have different property to access choice list          $pageObjectsListnames_o[$objName_t]:=$pageObjects_o[$objName_t].list        Else          $pageObjectsListnames_o[$objName_t]:=$pageObjects_o[$objName_t].choiceList        End if      End for each      $formObjectsListnames_c.push($pageObjectsListnames_o)    Else      $formObjectsListnames_c.push(Null)    End if   End for   $0:=$formObjectsListnames_c End if

For example, suppose that you have a form named "Form1" with two form objects on page one: (1) a variable named "Variable" that uses a choice list named "New List1", and (2) a hierarchical list named "HList" that uses a choice list named "New List2". On page two, suppose there is only a combo box named "Combo Box" that does not use a choice list. If you pass "Form1" into the above method, this would be the output:

[ null, {"Variable":"New List1", "HList":"New List2"}, {} ]

You would get null for page zero (because it contains no objects), a JSON object for page one, and an empty object for page two (because it contains no choice list objects).