Detect ANY changes in any columns of the row [_THISROW_BEFORE]<>[_THISROW_AFTER]

[JPAlpano]

Is there anyway to catch any changes to a row in an automation bot?

I understand we can detect any change for a specific column
([_THISROW_BEFORE].[Column1]<>[_THISROW_AFTER].[Column1])

But is there a way it can catch not only one (1) column but any column?

If I use [_THISROW_BEFORE]<>[_THISROW_AFTER], the expression description only compares the KEYS of the row, which of course would always be unchanged.

So do I have to specify each column's before and after inside an OR()?

[dbaum · Accepted solution]

If your automation event is triggered, doesn't that implicitly mean that the row changed?

If you do need something more explicit, maybe you could utilize a Change type column and then reference that in the automation.

[Suvrutt_Gurjar]

Yes, I believe entire row level comparison for change is not yet available.

Just for the sake of clarity, could you update if you are looking for if a row has changed from previous row ( meaning any column changes, the row changes and you are interested in just knowing row has changed because a column in row has changed)

Or are you looking for which column among several in the row has changed in the row  and you also wish to know the before and after value of the changed column.

[JPAlpano]

none of the above.  I just simply want to know if any column changed in the row.

[dbaum · Accepted solution]

If your automation event is triggered, doesn't that implicitly mean that the row changed?

If you do need something more explicit, maybe you could utilize a Change type column and then reference that in the automation.

[JPAlpano]

It's not being triggered.

But you change type suggestion can be a solution. Thanks.

[Steve]

Note that a change to a virtual column will neither trigger a bot nor trigger a Change-type column.

[Suvrutt_Gurjar · Accepted solution]

Yes as @dbaum  mentioned, you could use a ChanegCounter type column that listens to all columns whose changes you want to detect. The changecounter column can be in accumulate mode. Now for any change of any column, the changecounter column will increment by 1.

So you could use this changecounter column's before and after values suitably as you need.

[Steve]

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@dbaum wrote:

If your automation event is triggered, doesn't that implicitly mean that the row changed?

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Yup.