Issue with Recursiveness (Ran out of resources evaluating)

[jrullan]

Hi,

I have the following table, which has a column named Child_of that is a reference column to the same table:

I then have these columns in Appsheet:

It adds two virtual columns: Children_Items and Children_Cost.

Children_Items formula:

And Children_Cost formula:

This formula gives error:

However... When editing the formula (before saving), you can test the formula and the test succeeds in giving the expected result which is a compounded sum of the Children_Cost in bundled items.

But after saving Appsheet complains about resources, even though it could come up with the correct calculation during testing.

I think this is a weird infinite loop thing... but in order for that to be true, Appsheet is ignoring that it should only sum the [Children Items] which of course are not infinite. Shouldn't  this work in any other database system?

[Marc_Dillon]

You are introducing the possibility of an infinite recursion, dependent on the data. Appsheet only checks for that possibility, not if such a situation exists in the data, and doesn't allow it.

[jrullan]

That's a bummer. Maybe there is a workaround to this problem, I just haven't found one.

[Marc_Dillon]

Instead of using virtual columns. you might try using reference actions to trigger the updates of real columns up the chain.

[jrullan]

I'll try this approach. Thanks for the suggestion.