In a standard Apricot linking scenario, you're creating a connection between two distinct, unrelated forms. This type of linking is useful for building relationships between forms that don't have an inherent connection, enabling you to track and report on the associations between different data points in your Apricot database.
Same Folder Linking, however, is a linking feature specifically designed to connect two Tier 2 records that live under the same Tier 1 form and do share that inherent connection. The purpose of this is to group related records for a single client, incident, or event - keeping all the relevant details organized and accessible within the same Tier 1 folder.
For example, you might have a Tier 1 Intake form with two Tier 2 forms housed under it: "Intake Evaluation" and "Intake Tracking". Using Same Folder Linking, you can connect these two Tier 2 records to ensure they are both completed during the same client intake process. This makes it easier for you to reference and report on the data in a more organized and cohesive way.
Follow the steps listed below to learn how to configure Same Folder Linking between Tier 2 forms.
Step 1: Edit the first Tier 2 form
At least two Tier 2 forms must be created under a Tier 1 form in order to configure Same Folder Linking. In our example, we will link the Tier 2 "Program Enrollment and Exit" form and Tier 2 "Service Tracking" form that are both under the Tier 1 "Participant Profile" form.
In the Administrator tab, select "Standard Forms" under the Form Designer category of the navigation bar. Then, hover over the Actions menu next to any of the Tier 2 forms you're linking and click "Edit".
Step 2: Add a Link field
In the Field Choices palette of the Form Designer, expand the Linking category and add a Link field to a form section.
Click the field's gear icon to open its properties, then select the other Tier 2 form under the same Tier 1 form you want to connect in the "Linked To" section. In our example, we chose to allow "Many" Service records to be linked to each Program Enrollment and vice versa in the next two dropdowns (you may configure a different relationship between these forms in your setup).
Enable the Same Folder Linking special property, then select Apply to close the properties window. Publish the form to save your changes.
Note: Adding a Link field to the first Tier 2 form creates a "Linked [Form Name] Records" section in the other Tier 2 form as well. We recommend opening the second Tier 2 form in the Form Designer to hide this report section from users as they perform data entry.
Step 3: Create a new Tier 2 record
Navigate to a Tier 1 folder and click to create a new record of the Tier 2 form you added the Link field to.
Find the new Link field and click the "+ Add" button to create a link between this new Tier 2 record and a record of the other Tier 2 form.
The Record Search window for the other Tier 2 form will pop up, allowing you to select any existing record of the form under the same Tier 1 record. A link will automatically be created once you click the name of a record.
You can also select "+ Create New" to navigate to a blank record of the other Tier 2 form. Saving that record will bring you back to the initial Tier 2 record you were creating with an established link as well.
Step 4: Save the record
Close out of the Record Search window to view the link(s) selected for your original Tier 2 form. Depending on your Link field setup, you may add multiple links to different Tier 2 records under the same Tier 1 record here.
Complete all other required fields for your initial record, then select "Save Record" in the Record Options palette.
