Page Reference fields: default value type and default inputfield type are not consistent

[Toutouwai]

Short description of the issue

When creating a new Page Reference field the "Page field value type" on the Details tab defaults to "Multiple pages" and the "Input field type" on the Input tab defaults to "Select". These are not consistent with each other. The description for the "Input field type" field says...

Select one that is consistent with your “Value type” selection on the “Details” tab for single or multiple-page selection.

...so it's unexpected that the defaults don't follow this advice.

Setup/Environment

• ProcessWire version: 3.0.202

[ryancramerdesign]

@Toutouwai The default selection for Inputfield type is generated in a request that comes before your selection, so that suggestion is there is for this reason, suggesting you to make it corresponding with whatever you select for Page field value type. Though it's a suggestion, not a requirement, as you may want to have a value type of PageArray for a single-selection as well.

[Toutouwai]

The default selection for Inputfield type is generated in a request that comes before your selection, so that suggestion is there is for this reason, suggesting you to make it corresponding with whatever you select for Page field value type.

I didn't mean to suggest that the inputfield type should automatically update when you change the value type. Just that it would be better if the default value type and default inputfield were compatible within the form. For a couple of reasons:

1. As a general principle I think users expect that the default values in a form won't be inconsistent with each other. I know that they are not technically inconsistent in that no error is going to occur if they are left at the current defaults, but the defaults do contradict the suggestion in the inputfield type description.

2. It would be one less thing that has to be configured for some common Page Reference field use cases, which would be a small workflow improvement. If the default inputfield type was AsmSelect then some of the time the defaults will already match what the user actually wants for their field. Whereas at the moment the defaults will almost never be what the user wants.