Handle cases where one dependent option can be used for multiple controlling options

getDependentPicklists.cls (2017 approach)

/*
* Apex doesn't expose dependent picklist info directly, but it's possible to expose.
* Approach:
*  * Schema.PicklistEntry doesn't expose validFor tokens, but they are there, and can be accessed by serializing to JSON
*    (and then for convenience, deserializing back into an Apex POJO)
*  * validFor tokens are converted from base64 representations (e.g. gAAA) to binary (100000000000000000000)
*    each character corresponds to 6 bits, determined by normal base64 encoding rules.
*  * The binary bits correspond to controlling values that are active - e.g. in the example above, this dependent option
*    is available for the first controlling field only.
* 
* by Benj Kamm, 2017
* CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/us/)
*/
public class HL_FieldDescribeUtil {

	public static Map<String, List<String>> getDependentOptionsImpl(Schema.SObjectField theField, Schema.SObjectField ctrlField) {
		// validFor property cannot be accessed via a method or a property,
		// so we need to serialize the PicklistEntry object and then deserialize into a wrapper.
		List<Schema.PicklistEntry> contrEntries = ctrlField.getDescribe().getPicklistValues();
		List<PicklistEntryWrapper> depEntries =
				HL_FieldDescribeUtil.wrapPicklistEntries(theField.getDescribe().getPicklistValues());

		// Set up the return container - Map<ControllingValue, List<DependentValues>>
		Map<String, List<String>> objResults = new Map<String, List<String>>();
		List<String> controllingValues = new List<String>();

		for (Schema.PicklistEntry ple : contrEntries) {
			String label = ple.getLabel();
			objResults.put(label, new List<String>());
			controllingValues.add(label);
		}

		for (PicklistEntryWrapper plew : depEntries) {
			String label = plew.label;
			String validForBits = base64ToBits(plew.validFor);
			for (Integer i = 0; i < validForBits.length(); i++) {
				// For each bit, in order: if it's a 1, add this label to the dependent list for the corresponding controlling value
				String bit = validForBits.mid(i, 1);
				if (bit == '1') {
					objResults.get(controllingValues.get(i)).add(label);
				}
			}
		}

		return objResults;
	}

	// Convert decimal to binary representation (alas, Apex has no native method :-(
	//    eg. 4 => '100', 19 => '10011', etc.
	// Method: Divide by 2 repeatedly until 0. At each step note the remainder (0 or 1).
	// These, in reverse order, are the binary.
	public static String decimalToBinary(Integer val) {
		String bits = '';
		while (val > 0) {
			Integer remainder = Math.mod(val, 2);
			val = Integer.valueOf(Math.floor(val / 2));
			bits = String.valueOf(remainder) + bits;
		}
		return bits;
	}

	// Convert a base64 token into a binary/bits representation
	// e.g. 'gAAA' => '100000000000000000000'
	public static String base64ToBits(String validFor) {
		if (String.isEmpty(validFor)) return '';

		String validForBits = '';

		for (Integer i = 0; i < validFor.length(); i++) {
			String thisChar = validFor.mid(i, 1);
			Integer val = base64Chars.indexOf(thisChar);
			String bits = decimalToBinary(val).leftPad(6, '0');
			validForBits += bits;
		}

		return validForBits;
	}


	private static final String base64Chars = '' +
			'ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ' +
			'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz' +
			'0123456789+/';


	private static List<PicklistEntryWrapper> wrapPicklistEntries(List<Schema.PicklistEntry> PLEs) {
		return (List<PicklistEntryWrapper>)
			JSON.deserialize(JSON.serialize(PLEs), List<PicklistEntryWrapper>.class);
	}

	public class PicklistEntryWrapper {
		public String active {get; set;}
		public String defaultValue {get; set;}
		public String label {get; set;}
		public String value {get; set;}
		public String validFor {get; set;}
	}

}

getDependentPicklists.js (2012 approach)

/**
 * getDependentPicklistOptions
 * by Benj Kamm, 2012
 * (inspired by http://iwritecrappycode.wordpress.com/2012/02/23/dependent-picklists-in-salesforce-without-metadata-api-or-visualforce/)
 * CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/us/)
 *
 * Build an Object in which keys are valid options for the controlling field
 * and values are lists of valid options for the dependent field.
 *
 * Method: dependent PickListEntry.validFor provides a base64 encoded
 * string. After decoding, each of the bits (reading L to R)
 * corresponds to the picklist values for the controlling field.
 */
function getDependentOptions (objName, ctrlFieldName, depFieldName) {
	// Isolate the Describe info for the relevant fields
	var objDesc = sforce.connection.describeSObject(objName);
	var ctrlFieldDesc, depFieldDesc;
	var found = 0;
	for (var i=0; i<objDesc.fields.length; i++) {
		var f = objDesc.fields[i];
		if (f.name == ctrlFieldName) {
			ctrlFieldDesc = f;
			found++;
		} else if (f.name == depFieldName) {
			depFieldDesc = f;
			found++;
		}
		if (found==2) break; 
	}

	// Set up return object
	var dependentOptions = {};
	var ctrlValues = ctrlFieldDesc.picklistValues;
	for (var i=0; i<ctrlValues.length; i++) {
		dependentOptions[ctrlValues[i].label] = [];
	}

	var base64 = new sforce.Base64Binary("");
	function testBit (validFor, pos) {
		var byteToCheck = Math.floor(pos/8);
		var bit = 7 - (pos % 8);
		return ((Math.pow(2, bit) & validFor.charCodeAt(byteToCheck)) >> bit) == 1;
	}
	
	// For each dependent value, check whether it is valid for each controlling value
	var depValues = depFieldDesc.picklistValues;
	for (var i=0; i<depValues.length; i++) {
		var thisOption = depValues[i];
		var validForDec = base64.decode(thisOption.validFor);
		for (var ctrlValue=0; ctrlValue<ctrlValues.length; ctrlValue++) {
			if (testBit(validForDec, ctrlValue)) {
				dependentOptions[ctrlValues[ctrlValue].label].push(thisOption.label);
			}
		}
	}
	return dependentOptions;
}


var OBJ_NAME = 'Custom_Object__c';
var CTRL_FIELD_NAME = "Controlling_Field__c";
var DEP_FIELD_NAME = "Dependent_Field__c";
var options = getDependentOptions(OBJ_NAME, CTRL_FIELD_NAME, DEP_FIELD_NAME);
console.debug(options);

This helped me a lot! Thank you. I was wondering why you would store everything in an object rather than an array?

It's not working for mobile SDK. the pos look wrong. how can i know the exactly pos of control field?

@boxfoot can you explain me why you do the testBit? thank you. Thats helped me a lot.

@quoctc @bmodeprogrammer I just added a new approach that is easier to understand -- it uses a different approach instead of bitwise operators and is much easier to understand.

The new version is in Apex but should be easy enough for you to adapt a javascript version.

what is the validForBits.mid(i, 1);, what those that mean some string.mid what function is that in java c# ?

Why couldn't I retrieve this data var "objDesc = sforce.connection.describeSObject(objName)" Sforce is not defined?

@crowz4k you're taking each bit from validForBits one at a time. the string.mid(position, number) function takes number bits from position position

@vinegrao95 you need to add the salesforce javascript sdk to your page - it will provide sforce as a global variable.

In this stackexchange answer, you mentioned it would be rearranged as bytes: 10000000 00000000 00000000 but in your comments in this gist, it's e.g. 'gAAA' => '100000000000000000000'.

Splitting that in 8ths like the SE answer, that's 10000000 00000000 00000 - is that missing 3 zeros at the end there? Trying to make sure I understand the logic correctly!

This is a great solution and it helped me a lot. Thank you

For JavaScript, this may be helpful:

Helper functions:

  /*
  Dependent picklists: https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.api.meta/api/sforce_api_calls_describesobjects_describesobjectresult.htm
  Base64 characters: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789+/
  A is index 0 so : 000000
  I is index 8 so : 001000
  Q is index 16 so: 010000
  o is index 40 so: 101000

  QAAA is 010000 000000 000000 000000
    Since binary 1 at 2nd position, not index, means the dependent field is valid option for the 2nd option in parent picklist
  IAAA is 001000 000000 000000 000000
    Since binary 1 at 3rd position, not index, means the dependent field is valid option for the 3rd option in parent picklist
  oAAA is 101000 000000 000000 000000
    Since binary 1 at 1st and 3rd position, not index, means the dependent field is valid option for the 1st and 3rd option in parent picklist

  Given: 'QAAA', return string like: '010000000000000000000000'
  */
  base64EncodingToBinaryBits: (value = '') => {
    const base64CharacterSet = 'ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789+/';
    const characterValues = [...value];   // 'QAAA' becomes ['Q', 'A', 'A', 'A']
    const binaryValuesOfCharacterPosition = characterValues.map(character => {
      const characterPosition = base64CharacterSet.indexOf(character);
      const binaryRadix = 2;
      const binaryRepresentation = characterPosition.toString(binaryRadix);
      const base64Radix = 6;    // 2^6 is 64, 6 is the target length of of string
      const base64BinaryRepresentation = binaryRepresentation.padStart(base64Radix, '0'); // adds any needed leading 0's

      return base64BinaryRepresentation;
    });
    const binaryBits = binaryValuesOfCharacterPosition.join('');

    return binaryBits;
  },
  /*
    Binary strings are interpreted from left to right
    Consider on when the binary value is 1
  */
  isBinaryValueOnAtIndex: (binaryStringValue = '', index = 0) => {
    const bit = binaryStringValue[index];
    const isOn = bit
      ? bit === '1'
      : false;

    return isOn;
  }

Tests for helpers:

describe('Base64 string decoded to binary string', () => {
  it('No position on', () => {
    const base64PositionOn = undefined;
    const binaryPositionOn = '';
    const expectedBinaryPositionOn = stringUtilities.base64EncodingToBinaryBits(base64PositionOn);

    expect(expectedBinaryPositionOn).toEqual(binaryPositionOn);
  });

  it('2nd position on', () => {
    const base64PositionOn = 'QAAA';
    const binaryPositionOn = '010000000000000000000000';
    const expectedBinaryPositionOn = stringUtilities.base64EncodingToBinaryBits(base64PositionOn);

    expect(expectedBinaryPositionOn).toEqual(binaryPositionOn);
  });

  it('1st and 3rd position on', () => {
    const base64PositionOn = 'oAAA';
    const binaryPositionOn = '101000000000000000000000';
    const expectedBinaryPositionOn = stringUtilities.base64EncodingToBinaryBits(base64PositionOn);

    expect(expectedBinaryPositionOn).toEqual(binaryPositionOn);
  });
});

describe('Binary string values on or off', () => {
  it('Value on at index for no binary value, index out of bounds', () => {
    const binaryValue = '';
    const someRandomOutOfBoundsIndex = 5;
    const isIndexOn = stringUtilities.isBinaryValueOnAtIndex(binaryValue, someRandomOutOfBoundsIndex);

    expect(isIndexOn).toEqual(false);
  });

  it('Value on at index', () => {
    const binaryValue = '101000000000000000000000';
    const isFirstIndexOn = stringUtilities.isBinaryValueOnAtIndex(binaryValue, 0);
    const isThirdIndexOn = stringUtilities.isBinaryValueOnAtIndex(binaryValue, 2);

    expect(isFirstIndexOn).toEqual(true);
    expect(isThirdIndexOn).toEqual(true);
  });

  it('Value off at index', () => {
    const binaryValue = '101000000000000000000000';
    const isSecondIndexOn = stringUtilities.isBinaryValueOnAtIndex(binaryValue, 1);
    const isFourthIndexOn = stringUtilities.isBinaryValueOnAtIndex(binaryValue, 3);

    expect(isSecondIndexOn).toEqual(false);
    expect(isFourthIndexOn).toEqual(false);
  });
});

Hi @fahey252 I want to tweak your code. In my version I assume method may be used several time, so I added memorization. Another tune, is to use integers as bitwise arrays, since bitwise operation are very fast.

const base64CharacterSet = 'ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789+/';
const memory = new Map();
function base64EncodingToBinaryBits(value) {
    if (memory.has(value)) return memory.get(value);
    var v = value
        .split('')
        .map(character => base64CharacterSet
            .indexOf(character)
            .toString(2)
            .padStart(6, '0')
            .split('')
            .reverse()
            .join('')
        )
        .reverse()
        .join('');
    v = parseInt(v, 2);
    memory.set(value, v);
    return v;
}
function isValidFor(validFor, i) {
    return base64EncodingToBinaryBits(validFor) & 1 << i;
}