How to reference a previous job in validation using the Job Context Selector

Step 1 — Add a Job Context Selector field to your form

Open your form in OFS-Flow and go to the Form Layout tab.

Scroll to the bottom of the field type list and drag a Job Context Selector onto your form layout.

Step 2 — Configure the field properties

Select the Job Context Selector field to open its Field Properties panel.

Set the following:

• Unique Field Name — give it a short, descriptive name with no spaces (e.g. Job Context Selector). This is the name you'll reference in validation expressions.
• Required — leave Off unless you want the operator to be forced to select a job before submitting.
• Recent Jobs to Show — enter the number of recent job runs to display when the operator uses the selector. The default is 3.
• Form Field Label — optional display label shown to the operator.

Step 3 — Reference the selected job in a validation rule

Go to the Field Validation Rules tab for the field you want to validate (e.g. a Text Field where the operator scans a label code).

• Drag in the field you want to validate e.g. data["text field"]

• Drag in the '=' from the math operators

• Build your condition using the job's metadata. The Job Context Selector makes this available at the following path:

  • data["jobsel"].job.metadata.<property>

  • Replace <property> with the metadata field you want to compare against — for example, labelCode.

A complete example:

data["text field"]==data["jobsel"].job.metadata.ratedSpeed

Step 4 — Set the rule outcome

Configure the rule to Mark form as Valid (or Invalid, depending on your logic) and add a message if needed — for example: "Label code does not match the previous job. Please check and try again."

Don't forget the catch-all rule:

1==1

Save your form when done.

Adapting it to your own form

The job.metadata object can hold a range of properties depending on your line and job configuration. Common examples:

• productCode — the product SKU or code
• batchNumber — the batch or lot number

You can use the Job Context Selector in any validation expression where you need to compare a current form entry against a previous job's recorded data — not just barcodes or text fields.

All metadata properties can be viewed in the Products tab of Fusion Manager.