I would like to request an enhancement to the current Parent/Filter behavior in PHPMaker’s dropdown filtering system.
Current Behavior:
When configuring a parent/child filter:
If the parent field is not selected, the child field is disabled or empty.
The child list only gets populated after a parent selection is made.
Requested Behavior (Optional Mode):
Introduce a new mode or setting for child fields that allows the following behavior:
If the parent field is not selected, the child dropdown should display all records (i.e., unfiltered).
If the parent field is selected, the child dropdown should behave as usual, filtering according to the selected parent.
Use Case:
This is particularly useful in scenarios where the user might want to:
Either select a specific parent and narrow down the child options,
Or leave the parent unselected and choose freely from the full list of child options.
Possible Implementation:
A toggle setting like FilterOnlyIfParentSelected = false on the child field.
JavaScript logic that dynamically switches the filtering mode based on the parent value being null or empty.
This flexibility would offer a more user-friendly experience and reduce friction in filter-heavy interfaces.