# Using a Multi State Indicator value to reference a SQLtag **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Created:** [February 4, 2014, 4:40pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/using-a-multi-state-indicator-value-to-reference-a-sqltag/7951 "2014-02-04T16:40:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![njsd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/54ee81/32.png) [@njsd](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/njsd)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 4:40pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/using-a-multi-state-indicator-value-to-reference-a-sqltag/7951/1 "2014-02-04T16:40:00Z")
Hello, I would like to use the state of a multistate indicator to reference a sqltag. For example: When the state is: 21 the indicator text value is the same as the current value of the tag: “S90/HMI/Torque Value” I don’t want to set up an expression based on the state because I have something like 45 values, and I want other people to be able to diagnose this code later. Anyways to do this intuitively? Thank you ---
**Author:** ![JordanCClark](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/jordancclark/32/83362_2.png) [@JordanCClark](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/JordanCClark)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 5:00pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/using-a-multi-state-indicator-value-to-reference-a-sqltag/7951/2 "2014-02-04T17:00:38Z")
Can you give me a few examples of states? Hard to formulate a plan based on one example… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![adamaustin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@adamaustin](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/adamaustin)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 8:44pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/using-a-multi-state-indicator-value-to-reference-a-sqltag/7951/3 "2014-02-04T20:44:40Z")
If you store the ID and Descriptions in a database, then you could get the value from the database in a custom property with this expression binding: CustomProp: ```auto runScript("system.db.runScalarQuery('SELECT StateTag FROM States WHERE StateID = 21')") ``` then you would use indirect binding in the Text Field: Indirect Tag Path: {1} References: Ref # 1 -\> Property Path: Root Container.Text Field.CustomProp ---
**Author:** ![njsd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/54ee81/32.png) [@njsd](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/njsd)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2014, 2:59pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/using-a-multi-state-indicator-value-to-reference-a-sqltag/7951/4 "2014-02-05T14:59:03Z")
Thanks for the quick replies. What I was hoping for was a way inside the Designer GUI to reference the value of a string SQLtag as the text for a state. I know that this can be accomplished both with scripting and with sql calls, but this project is going to be maintained by people who are not as Ignition affluent. I would like a more intuitive way for them to be able to accomplish this task. Example of the goal of this task: Some way to syntactically reference in the text column of this dataset viewer a SQLtag. i.e. When the state of the above component is 19 instead of saying “SMART FRAME PICK ACTIVE” it would say [S90\Station\_20\HMI\Pick String] Where the tag at that location held a string value of a pick string. Other HMI creation programs have a way to embed a tag value into the text of a given state of a multistate indicator. (e.g. Factory Talk ViewStudio). Maybe this post should be a future state request for Ignition as a platform. Thank you ---
**Author:** ![JordanCClark](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/jordancclark/32/83362_2.png) [@JordanCClark](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/JordanCClark)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2014, 7:48pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/using-a-multi-state-indicator-value-to-reference-a-sqltag/7951/5 "2014-02-05T19:48:14Z")
Ok, makes sense now. Actually, I’d given up using multistate indicators a while ago for similar reasons. I ended up rolling my own, since we don’t use animation here. I make mine using a standard label with a dataset attached to store process steps, Descriptions, and background color For this one, I added a column that stores a tag path. Finish up with some lookup functions bound to different properties, and concatenate the text together. Here’s a sample. [attachment=0]IndirectTest.vwin[/attachment] EDIT: Just had a DOH! moment… actually, you could add similar properties to a multistate and do the same lookups. You can then concatenate the results and bind it to the text property. That would give the animation options back. [attachment=3]2014-02-05\_14-14-53.png[/attachment][attachment=2]2014-02-05\_14-29-47.png[/attachment][attachment=1]2014-02-05\_14-33-30.png[/attachment] ---
**Author:** ![njsd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/54ee81/32.png) [@njsd](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/njsd)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 4:40pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/using-a-multi-state-indicator-value-to-reference-a-sqltag/7951/6 "2014-02-10T16:40:02Z")
That’s a great solution, Jordan. Thanks for the help! ![:thumb_left:](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/1X/e26afb081ddde6df016df6ee49159cf56aaca688.gif ":thumb\_left:")