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@DependsOn ​

The @DependsOn annotation creates cascading dependencies between fields. When field A depends on field B, the UI will filter the available values of field A based on the current value of field B (cascading dropdowns).

Basic Usage ​

java
@Entity
@SquizyEntity
public class Address {

    @ManyToOne(optional = false)
    @NotNull
    private Country country;

    @DependsOn("country")
    @ManyToOne(optional = false)
    @NotNull
    private State state;

    @DependsOn("state")
    @ManyToOne(optional = false)
    @NotNull
    private City city;
}

In this example:

  • Selecting a country filters the available states
  • Selecting a state filters the available cities

How It Works ​

When a field depends on another field, the UI enforces the dependency visually and functionally:

  1. While the dependency field has no value, the dependent field is disabled — the user cannot interact with it or select a value.
  2. Once the dependency field is set, the dependent field becomes enabled and its available values are filtered based on the dependency value.

When the UI queries the available values for a dependent field, it passes the current value of the dependency field as an additional filter criterion. By default:

  • For singular dependency fields (@ManyToOne), the EQ (equals) operator is used
  • For plural dependency fields (collections), the IN operator is used

The filter is applied automatically to the property query for the dependent field.

Attributes ​

value ​

The name of the field this field depends on:

java
@DependsOn("country")
private State state;

modes ​

Controls in which UI modes the dependency is active:

java
@DependsOn(value = "country", modes = { Mode.CREATION })
private State state;

Available modes: CREATION, EDITION. Defaults to both.

operator ​

Overrides the query operator used for filtering:

java
@DependsOn(value = "region", operator = QueryOperator.IN)
private State state;

Default: EQ for singular fields, IN for plural fields.

filterField ​

Specifies which field of the dependent entity should be matched against the dependency value. If not specified, the same field name as value is used:

java
@DependsOn(value = "country", filterField = "countryOfOrigin")
private State state;

manualMode ​

When true, the automatic filtering is disabled and the dependency is handled by a custom implementation:

java
@DependsOn(value = "country", manualMode = true)
private State state;

Multiple Dependencies ​

A field can depend on multiple fields using repeatable annotations:

java
@DependsOn("country")
@DependsOn("type")
@ManyToOne
private Region region;