Selection lists restrict the possible entries in certain fields to fixed choices or specify a set of allowed entries.

The following selection lists exist in PAtools:

  • System selection lists
  • User-defined selection lists
    • Simple selection lists
    • Extended selection lists
Note You cannot rename a system selection list.

Simple Selection Lists

  • Used in sequence tables, step tables, and value tables.
  • Occupy one column in the table.
  • Unlimited number of entries.
  • Sorted arbitrarily and adjusted by drag and drop.

Extended Selection Lists

  • Used only in sequence tables.
  • Variable number of columns with a maximum of 20 columns.
  • Additional parameters can be set for each selection element.
  • The selection in the first column determines the display of the rear columns.
  • The number of required subsequent columns results from the maximum number of selection parameters.
  • The number of occupied (active) subsequent columns can be smaller than the number of selection parameters (deactivating the selection parameters).

Selection Parameter Definitions

Table 29. Selection Parameter Definitions for Extended Selection Lists
Column Definition Notes
Number Consecutive column number Mandatory field, not editable
Headline Displayed column header Text must be unique or empty
Selection list Selection Optional
Initialization value List entry, number or text in double superscripts Optional
Description Help text for parameter and information text about the parameters in the sequence table Optional

Managing Selection Lists

In the PAtools Development area, open the Selection Lists tab to edit, create, duplicate, or delete selection lists.

Configuring Simple Selection Lists

Configuring a simple selection list allows you to select preconfigured items when defining a table.

Introduced in PAtools 2025 Q2

Create a selection list in the Selection Lists tab of PAconfigurator.
  1. Click New Selection List.
  2. Enter a unique Name for the list.
  3. Optional: Enter a Description.
  4. Ensure Extended is disabled.
    You can only configure non-extended selection lists for value tables.
  5. Click Add Selection List Entry.
  6. Enter a Selection name.
  7. Enter a Value.
    Note If you enter text in the Value column, you must surround the test with quotation marks.
  8. Enable the Active toggle next to each entry that you want to appear in the selection list.
  9. Click Save.

You can now select a Selection List when configuring a value type.

Note You can only use a selection list with return values that match the selected Data Type of the value table.

Refer to Value Tables for more information about value tables.