Make choice options dependent on other items / participant groups

I was wondering if there was a way to set up an item that is available only if a different item is selected.
For example, we have a full conference selection and day tickets, and if participants select "Full 3 Day Conference", then they should be forced to select one of the social events. Participants with a day ticket should not be allowed to choose any social event. Is there a way to make events/items dependent like this?

(A German version of this article is available.)

There are three different methods to create dependencies for items of the registration form in ConfTool Pro

• Make an event/item group and all events/items contained in that group available only, when a specific event/item was chosen by a participant (first answer below).
• Joined selection for all events/items of an event/item group, i.e., the choice for the first event/item of a group will be applied to all events/items of that group (second answer).
• Make events available to certain participant groups only (third answer).

ConfTool Pro allows you to hide or show event/item groups and all events/items that are contained in that group depending on whether an event/item of another group has been selected by a participant.

Example: Participants can either choose to attend the full 2 day conference or they can purchase a day ticket for one single day. Only when participants choose the full conference option, they should be able to state whether they will attend dinner. Participants who attend for a single day only cannot attend dinner (see images 1 and 2).

Please go to the event/item group that shall depend on the selection of another event/item to define the dependency (in our example this is the group containing the options for the dinner):
Overview => Settings => Manage Event/Item Groups
Activate the option “Condition to Show This Group”. Then click in the field below “Please select the event(s)/item(s) below that enable this event/item group:” in order to define when the group will be enabled (see image 3).

Hints:

• All events/items belonging to that group will be shown when the condition of the group is fulfilled.
• If you do not assign any events/items to the group, only the group title and information will be displayed.
• If all events/items assigned to the group are hidden, the group will not be displayed at all.
• Likewise, the group will not be displayed if all items of the group are hidden because of settings defined in "Prices" with which events can be hidden for specific participant groups and / or registration periods.
• If you want to make one of these events/items mandatory, please edit the item here:
  Overview => Settings => Manage Events and Items
  ... and choose "1" for the options "Minimal Choice", "Maximum Choice" and "Pre-selected Number".

For a preview of the participant registration form, please call this page:
Overview => Settings => Manage Events and Items
Open the drop down menu "Related Functions" and click on "Test the registration form (view of administrative users)".

Please also test your settings by registering test participants!

Please note: Nested dependencies are not supported, i.e., you cannot let a group be dependent on an item that in turn again is dependent on another item from another group.

You can use another option, if you have items that can be offered in one item / event group.
You can link the selections for all items of the group by defining the corresponding selection mode “Joint” for the whole group.
Then the selection of the first item in the group will be used for all other items in that group as well.
This can for instance be useful, if you have a fee for an event without VAT that is linked to an obligatory dinner with VAT.
Everyone who selects the event will also have to pay the fee for the dinner, but two items with different VAT rates are listed on the invoice.

Please go to:
Overview => Settings => Manage Event/Item Groups
Create or edit the corresponding event / item group. Enable the “Expert Settings” on the bottom of the page.
For the option “Selection Mode” choose the selection “Joint: Select all items of this group at once” (see image 1).

The participant can now only tick the box for the event / item that comes first within the group.
All following events / items in this group will automatically have the same selection status as the first event (see image 2).

Please test your settings and register for participation as a test user.

If you want to display one event with a total price to participants on the registration form, but split this into two or three separate events with different prices and VAT rates on the invoice — for example, one event exempt from VAT, one with reduced VAT for drinks, and one with full VAT for food — then please follow these steps.

First, please create an event group here:
Overview => Settings => Manage Event/Item Groups
Enable the 'Expert Settings' at the bottom of the page.
For the option 'Selection Mode' choose the selection 'Joint: Select all items of this group at once'.
For the option 'Events without Price' choose the selection 'Hide 0.00 prices on the registration form' (see image 1).

Now create the event that will be displayed to participants, but not billed on the invoice.
Please go to:
Overview => Settings => Manage Events and Items
Enter the information about the price in the field 'Information'.
Choose '1' for the options 'Minimal Choice', 'Maximum Choice' and 'Pre-Selected Number'. This will ensure that this event will always be selected. Participants cannot deselect it.
For the option 'Price Category' choose the selection 'No costs apply' (see image 2).
Note that the 'Information' field is static; if you have early-bird and regular prices, you should list both in the description (e.g., in an HTML table) because this text will not update automatically when the deadline passes.

Finally, create the events that will be billed on this page:
Overview => Settings => Manage Events and Items
Enter the information about the event and set a 'Price Category'.
For the option 'Display Options of the Event/Item' choose the selection 'Hide on the registration form' (see image 3).

Once you have created all the events, the settings page …
Overview => Settings => Manage Events and Items
… could look like image 4.

The result for participants could look like image 5.
They will only see one event.

However, the invoice will show the split amounts (see image 6).

Another way is to create different participant groups and define which options are available for each participant group and which are not. In this scenario the conditions are represented by different participant groups, so you might have to create some extra groups instead of events/items.

First, define participant groups here:
Overview => Settings => Manage Participant Groups
For example, we define them as "Group A: Student (already member)", "Group B: Student (application for membership)" as well as "Group C: Professional (already member)" and "Group D: Professional (application for membership)".

Create a new price category:
Overview= > Settings => Manage Price Categories
For our example, we call it "Membership".

Define the prices and make the items dependent on a participant group (see image):
Overview => Settings => Prices

Enable the expert settings on the bottom of the page. Deselect the checkbox in front of a price in the price category “Membership” to remove the event / item with the corresponding price category on the registration form for the corresponding participant group.

Create an event/item for the membership application, call it "Membership" and assign the price category to it:
Overview => Settings => Manage Events and Items => Edit Event/Item
In the section “Pricing” use the option “Price Category” to assign the price category.

On the same settings page, make the item that is dependent on the selection of a specific participant group mandatory for members of the group: In the section “Choice Options”, choose from the drop-down lists “Minimal Choice” and “Pre-Selected Number” the value “1”.

In our example (see screenshot) all participants who want to become members of the association - and only them! -, now can see the item “Membership” in the registration form.

Here you can find a closely related entry: Hiding events / items for certain participant groups or time discounts
You can find more information about price categories here: How to use "Price Categories"