Custom selection options

\# written by oleksandr melnyk | last published at november 17, 2025 \# # custom selection options \# overview custom selection options is a powerful system configuration feature that enables administrators to customise the dropdown (selection) field options throughout the enapps erp system this functionality allows you to tailor selection field values to match your organisation's specific terminology, add new options, modify existing ones, and control their visibility—all without requiring code modifications the feature applies to selection fields across various modules, including projects, sales orders, purchase orders, invoicing, crm activities, and more by customising these options, you can ensure that your erp system reflects your business processes and terminology accurately \# functional end user guide \# accessing custom selection options to access the custom selection options feature, navigate to settings >> configuration >> features >> custom selection options note this feature requires the ‘administration’ →'access rights' access group or above if you cannot see this menu option, please contact your system administrator to grant you the necessary permissions \# understanding the custom selection options list when you open custom selection options, you will see a list of all customised selection fields in the system each entry displays model the system object (e g , "project task", "sale order", "purchase order") where the customised field exists field the specific selection field that has been customised \# viewing and editing custom selection options to view or modify a customised selection field, click on the relevant record in the list the form view displays \# header information model the system object containing this field (read only) field the specific selection field being customised (read only) relation fields displays any related fields that are also affected by this customisation (read only, only visible when applicable) \# options section the main section displays all available options for the selected field in an editable list each option has the following properties sequence determines the order in which options appear in the dropdown lower numbers appear first you can adjust this to reorder options back end option the internal system value stored in the database this field displays as a colour picker widget important this field becomes read only once the option has been used in any record or is a system default option visible option the label that users see in the dropdown list you can freely edit this to use your preferred terminology active controls whether this option is available for selection on new records inactive options remain visible on existing records where they were previously selected but are hidden from new selections default when enabled, this option is automatically selected when creating new records only one option can be set as defaut via right click function \# working with options adding a new option click on the empty row at the bottom of the options list or use the "add row" button enter a sequence number (the system will suggest the next available sequence) enter the back end option value (must be unique within this field) enter the visible option label (must be unique within this field) set active to enabled (ticked) to make it available immediately optionally, enable default via right click function if this should be the automatically selected value for new records save the record editing an existing option click on the option row you wish to modify update the sequence to change the display order modify the visible option to change what users see (you can change this freely) change the back end option only if it hasn't been used yet (if the field is read only, this option is already in use and cannot be changed) toggle active to hide the option from new selections whilst preserving it on existing records save the record deactivating an option if you want to prevent users from selecting an option on new records whilst keeping it visible on existing records locate the option in the list untick the active checkbox save the record the option will now appear greyed out in the list and will not be available for new selections note when you deactivate an option, any default setting on that option will be automatically removed setting a default option to automatically pre select an option when creating new records locate the option you wish to set as default tick the default checkbox save the record important only active options can be set as default only one option can be marked as default per field setting a new default will automatically remove the default flag from any previously selected default option filtering options by default, inactive options are hidden from the options list to view inactive options within the options section, locate the search/filter area click on the show inactive filter all inactive options will now be displayed with a grey background \# resetting to system defaults if you wish to remove all customisations and return the field to its original system defined options open the customised selection field record click the set to default button at the bottom of the form confirm the action in the warning dialogue (this action will reset all options and cannot be undone) the system will delete all custom options and restore the original values from the code warning this action removes all customisations, including any additional options you've created the field will revert to its original state as defined in the system code \# practical examples \# example 1 renaming an option for better clarity your organisation refers to "high" priority tasks as "critical" to update this navigate to settings >> configuration >> features >> custom selection options find and open the record for the priority field (e g , on project tasks) locate the option with visible option "high" change the visible option from "high" to "critical" save the record users will now see "critical" instead of "high" in the priority dropdown \# example 2 adding a new custom status you want to add a new status called "on hold awaiting client" to your project tasks navigate to settings >> configuration >> features >> custom selection options find and open the relevant status field for project tasks in the options section, click to add a new row set sequence to position it appropriately (e g , 25 to place it after "in progress") enter back end option "on hold client" enter visible option "on hold awaiting client" ensure active is ticked save the record the new status is now available for selection on project tasks \# example 3 phasing out an old option you're discontinuing a particular category but don't want to affect existing records navigate to settings >> configuration >> features >> custom selection options find and open the relevant selection field locate the option you wish to phase out untick the active checkbox save the record existing records with this option selected will continue to display it, but users cannot select it on new records \# important constraints and validations unique values both the back end option and visible option must be unique within each field the system will prevent you from saving duplicate values cannot modify used options once a back end option has been used in any record, it becomes read only this protects data integrity if you need to change it, you must create a new option instead and deactivate the current one cannot delete used or default options options that are currently in use or defined as system defaults cannot be deleted you can only deactivate them single default only only one option per field can be marked as default setting a new default automatically removes the flag from any existing default default must be active only active options can be set as default deactivating an option automatically removes its default flag cannot change model or field once a customisation is created, you cannot change which model or field it applies to to customise a different field, you must remove the existing customisation and create a new one \# understanding option states options can exist in several states based on their usage default system option defined in the system code the back end option field is read only can be deactivated but not deleted used custom option created by you and currently selected on one or more records the back end option field is read only can be deactivated but not deleted unused custom option created by you but not yet used on any records can be fully edited or deleted inactive option hidden from selection on new records but remains visible on existing records where it was previously selected \# setup and configuration guide (for administrators/superusers) \# access rights and permissions to use the custom selection options feature, users must be members of the administation → access rights security group this group provides comprehensive system administration privileges, including full read, write, create, and delete access to custom selection options access to the settings menu and configuration features \# granting access to custom selection options to grant a user access to manage custom selection options navigate to settings >> users >> users open the user record you wish to modify go to the general tab or section locate application subsection in dropdown adminisatration select access rights or configuration save the user record important the access rights group provides extensive system administration capabilities beyond custom selection options only grant this access to trusted administrators who extended system configuration privileges \# understanding system behaviour \# how custom options are applied when you customise a selection field the customisation applies system wide to all instances of that field changes take effect immediately for all users the system registry is refreshed to ensure changes are applied all dropdowns for that field throughout the system will display your custom options \# relation fields some selection fields are used across multiple related models when you customise such a field, the system automatically identifies and displays related fields in the "relation fields" section this ensures you're aware that your customisation will affect multiple areas of the system \# troubleshooting common issues issue cannot change the back end option field cause the option has been used on one or more records, or it is a system default option solution create a new option with the desired back end option value and deactivate the old one if needed issue "you have already customised current field" error when creating a new customisation cause a customisation already exists for this model and field combination solution search the existing custom selection options to find and modify the existing record instead of creating a new one issue cannot set an option as default cause the option is inactive, or a user defined default already exists for this field solution ensure the option is active if a user defined default exists, remove it first or contact your enapps administrator issue "back end option must be unique" error when saving cause another option for this field already uses the same back end option value solution choose a different back end option value that is unique within this field issue changes not appearing in the system cause the system registry may not have refreshed, or browser cache may be outdated solution refresh the page (by pressing f5 in windows) try clearing your browser cache if the issue persists, contact your enapps support team via intserv \# removing a customisation to completely remove a customisation and restore the field to its original system defined state navigate to settings >> configuration >> features >> custom selection options find and open the customisation record you wish to remove click the set to default button (this resets all options to system defaults) after the options are reset, you can delete the customisation record if desired by clicking the delete button confirm the deletion note deleting a customisation record automatically triggers the "set to default" process, restoring the field to its original state \# system limitations and considerations custom selection options apply only to selection type fields; other field types (text, number, date, etc ) cannot be customised through this feature customisations affect all companies in a multi company environment; company specific customisations are not supported the system maintains a backup of original options, but custom options you create are not automatically backed up outside the database reordering options via sequence changes takes effect immediately across all users related fields identified by the system share the same customisation—you cannot customise them independently \# related features \# custom colour filter the custom colour filter is a specialised variant of custom selection options specifically designed for visual categorisation it is accessible via settings >> configuration >> features >> custom colour filter this feature allows you to assign colour coded categories to records for easy visual identification it operates on the same principles as custom selection options but is specifically designed for the "custom colour filter" field used in various modules such as projects, sales orders, and purchase orders the back end option for colour filters uses hexadecimal colour codes (e g , "#0000ff" for blue), which are displayed using a colour picker widget for easy selection \# frequently asked questions q can i create company specific custom selection options? a no, custom selection options apply system wide across all companies in a multi company environment q what happens to existing records when i rename a visible option? a all records with that option selected will immediately display the new label the underlying data (back end option) remains unchanged q can i export and import custom selection options between systems? a this is not supported through the standard user interface contact your enapps support team via intserv for assistance with migrating customisations between environments q will my customisations be lost when the system is updated? a no, your customisations are stored in the database and will persist through system updates however, if the underlying field is removed or significantly changed in an update, your customisation may need to be reviewed q can i add options with the same visible label but different back end values? a no, both the visible option and back end option must be unique within each field to prevent confusion and maintain data integrity q what's the difference between deactivating and deleting an option? a deactivating hides an option from new selections but keeps it visible on existing records deleting removes it entirely, but this is only possible for unused custom options—you cannot delete options that are in use or system defined defaults q how do i find out which field name corresponds to a dropdown i see on a form? a if you're unsure which field corresponds to a particular dropdown, contact your enapps administrator they can use developer tools to identify the field name q can i restrict certain users from seeing specific options? a no, custom selection options does not support user based or group based visibility restrictions all active options are visible to all users who can access the field