Changing Column title leads to manually editing UX view definitions

[gjlook]

Hello

When I change a column title, whether its within the linked google sheet source and then using regenerate structure, or by editing the title of a virtual column, I discover that I must manually re-insert the updated title to the majority of my UX views.

The data columns seem to update fine with the regeneration option; it's just the UX side. When you have 20 to 40 views to update , that is a time-consuming process.

Is this a known issue?

Many thanks
George

[1minManager]

You using a slice?

[gjlook]

Hi thanks for getting back . 

Some views are tied to slices, some are not . All have to be manually updated though 

In fact slices seem to update automatically with the new field names 

Regards 

George

[1minManager]

So its now really a 'know issue' just appsheets way of doing things.  If you rename a column and then do a regenerate structure, appsheet now treats this columns as though you'd just added it.  So the old column will be removed from any views.  If you using a slice then appsheet will either add it at the bottom of the list of slice columns, or not add it at all.

Best guess its done for data safety.  Appsheet doesn't know why you renamed that column.  So it really shouldn't assume that it should be treated in the same way as the old one.

[gjlook]

Hi thanks for getting back 

I'm not so sure. If you rename a column in a sheet, then the app on the data side works fine. You even get warnings that you have to update formulas, etc., which is also fine. 

It's the view definitions that bother me. I would have thought view headings would have an underlying ID that is mapped.

eg old data title Lastname  - underlying data ID is 1001

New data title: Surname  - the underlying data ID is still 1001. 

The View looks at ID 1001 and picks up the new heading. That's how I would expect it to work. 

Currently it's a pain, especially if you have a lot of views to update - but thanks for coming back.

Regards 

George

[1minManager]

No it basically treats a renamed column as a new column.  But if you just move a column in the spreadsheet and then regenerate its absolutely fine with that

[gjlook]

it's like the old microsoft applications that depended on an hard coded location eg. O:\apps etc 

I hope appsheets sort this some day ,

Regards 

George

[Steve]

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@gjlook wrote:

I hope appsheets sort this some day ,

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I hope so, too...