Data files exist outside the app folder--and related befuddlement

[yumei]

I have been testing this quite a lot in the last few days, trying to understand how best to structure an app where the files are neatly held inside a folder with the app's name--like what happens when I copy a template. 

When I start an app from a spreadsheet, a folder gets created inside the "appsheet" folder, but the actual spreadsheet, the file itself, is left in the Google Drive root folder--I haven't successfully been able to move the "stray" files into the folder with the app's name.

A few times when I copied an app created with a Google Sheet spreadsheet with multiple tables (sheets) in one file, the newly copied app took on the name of one of the tables (sheets). Since we can't change the name of files, I ended up with confusing file names. There must be a better way of handling file management--so please enlighten me.

[Steve · Accepted solution]

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@yumei wrote:

I haven't successfully been able to move the "stray" files into the folder with the app's name.

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You should be able to move (not copy!) the spreadsheet literally anywhere within your Google Drive account without need to change anything in your app. AppSheet only cares about the file's name and directory when you first connect the app to the file. Once connected, the app uses an internal identifier to find the file and no longer cares about the name or directory at all.

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@yumei wrote:

A few times when I copied an app created with a Google Sheet spreadsheet with multiple tables (sheets) in one file, the newly copied app took on the name of one of the tables (sheets). Since we can't change the name of files, I ended up with confusing file names.

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Once the app is connected to the file, you can rename the file at will with no need to change anything in the app configuration. The app may take some time to recognize and display the new file name in the app editor (which is confusing, to be sure), but the app will still have access to the file.

The above applies to Google Sheets files on Google Drive. I have no experience with anything else.

[yumei]

I think I found out the culprit, though I don't think I understand why. I tested a bit more with a very simple app. When I moved the data files (spreadsheet files) into another folder, the app refused to use the moved files. Instead, new files got created in the old location. However, when I turned off the private tables option (ie. turning on "shared"), file duplication stopped. To me, this seems counter intuitive: private tables can go anywhere, but shared tables should stay put (so they remain shared). Thoughts?

[Steve]

I don't use private tables. I recommend against using them. They have considerable limitations.

That said, I would guess the very features that make them "private tables" put very strict requirements on them, including their exact location.

[yumei]

Thanks! That's reassuring. Perhaps I missed a step somewhere--maybe closing an open app? More than once, after I moved a file (or two), new ones--with identical names--got created in the old spot.