Re: Learning Appsheet using ChatGPT

drfuadj · 05-01-2023 11:45 PM

Hello, apart from learning Appsheet by using the excellent official documentation in Appsheet website. I've tried using ChatGPT and it seems like a plausible tool to learn the basics.

As im a newbie, i want to recofirm with all experienced developer here, are the information & knowledge learned through ChatGPT accurate in terms of learning the basics of Appsheet formula etc?

Example:

Bulubulu

I tried too, but I'm also a beginner.

I got some relevant answers regarding functionality and what was possible with AppSheet. But in most cases, I think the information refers to older versions of Appsheet (since ChatGPT doesn't know the latest information, as specified in its limitations).

Regarding help for expressions, it can help a little, but you have to be able to understand the code that is created to correct and adapt.

Very often, it offers codes containing functions that do not exist under AppSheet. It is sometimes able to correct the code if it is specified that the function does not exist.

It can be used to correct an existing code, to add a function in a code that contains a lot of parentheses and that it would be laborious to do manually or simply to format a code by indenting it.

It can also be useful to ask to simplify a code when you suspect a more elegant way to write it.

On the other hand, the thing which was most useful to me was to ask him to generate lists to create temporary data allowing to populate the tables in order to test the application. It is possible to request the list in the form of a table to be able to easily paste the data into a spreadsheet.

Lists have also been used to populate drop-down menus. Imagine you want to fill a menu with a very long list of fruits. The only problem is that the length of ChatGPT's response is limited, so you have to ask to continue the list where it left off when it pauses.

Another thing that helped me was asking it to create the typical columns for a particular table.

In summary, it can be useful for some things, but it obviously does not replace official help and advice from the community. It may just be complementary and have the advantage of giving a very immediate response, but the response is not necessarily relevant. On this forum the answers are generally quite fast and efficient.

drfuadj

Yes i able to use ChatGPT to generate list of dummy datas for my table to test out my app.
And one instances, ChatGPT also does help me to give an idea how the flow of creating an app for particular purposes.
Theres much potential in this & im still exploring.

One thing i able to get a really helpful ideas from ChatGPT is for the data i capture from appsheet & when it is in Google Sheet, i able to get help from ChatGPT to help me formulate the expression for specific data calculation/analysation which is great. Even something that is very specific and quite complicated ChatGPT able to help me create the formula for that
I'm really a newbie user of Google Sheet also, so this does helps me alot.

Thanks a lot for your feedback. I'll keep exploring ChatGPT for now.

dbaum

@Bulubulu wrote:

create temporary data

Consider instead Mockaroo - Random Data Generator

MultiTech

As you may have found it's pretty good, but in certain places it really struggles.

And the thing that it really loves is brute force - the worst possible thing you could do for your app - but since it's knowledge base is based off of the official documentation, which is rife with brute force, it totally makes sense.

For the past few months in my spare time I've been working on putting together an agent designed to help you with all aspects of building app sheet apps.

If you'd like to be a part of the alpha testers, and support the ongoing development of projects like this, check out the following:

www.MultiTechVisions.com/answers

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Here's a teaser of the next bit I'm working on right now:

Appster getting better; it can now also include some basic formatting

For now the only part that's open for alpha testers is the ability to get support answers direction from Appster (the Ai) instead of requesting something from me.

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There's a few people here in the community with access; maybe they'll chime in with some impressions.

IMHO: I've been blown away by some of the answers I'm seeing come out. Aside from the brute force (read: SELECT() is it's best friend), it comes up with some really clever things - and with a few guiding nudges from me, it's getting better.

drfuadj

yes i keep on getting SELECT() app ideas from ChatGPT, but it also able to give us alternative formulas when we guide the AI towards that.

Thanks MultiTechVision for your opinion. I'll sure to check the link you shared.

drfuadj

Im sharing 1 case scenario where chatgpt able to help me troubleshoot the problem with my expression & appsheet.

Ive asked the same question here in the community:
https://www.googlecloudcommunity.com/gc/AppSheet-Q-A/Issue-with-Signature-in-Template-amp-the-use-if...

I also asked ChatGPT the same question & uploaded the photos of the issues im facing in the PDF generated template and ChatGPT able to detech the problem im facing. Also i'd pointed ChatGPT to emphasize on the red circle ive marked in the picture. Heres ChatGPT response:

Since im a newbie i personally am not entirely sure whether ChatGPT detects the real true error in the appsheet, but the explanation given totally make sense & im blown away by how it can read images in this way. Then it gave some solution by providing a new formula.

Then i asked if i can remove the <img> part from the formula & it gave me a new modified formula which actually SOLVE the issues im facing:

Heres the final formula suggested by ChatGPT:
<<IF(ISBLANK([Signature]), [User Name], "")>> <<IF(ISNOTBLANK([Signature]), [Signature], "")>>

Again im not entirely sure whether the formula given was efficient or per appsheet best practice guidelines. But it works to SOLVED THE ISSUE im having. It even gave me explanation for the formula suggested.

Nice! *btw im using the 3.5 version of ChatGPT.

MultiTech

@drfuadj wrote:

One thing i able to get a really helpful ideas from ChatGPT is for the data i capture from appsheet & when it is in Google Sheet, i able to get help from ChatGPT to help me formulate the expression for specific data calculation/analysation which is great. Even something that is very specific and quite complicated ChatGPT able to help me create the formula for that

You need to be careful here my friend.

Just about EVERY formula ChatGPT will give you, if you need data from some other table, will most likely suggest LOOKUP() or SELECT() or one of it's ports.

This is the WORST thing you can do for your app; it will slow your system down like there's no tomorrow.

Just FYI. Happy exploring! (^_^)

drfuadj

Duly noted. WIll be aware of those. Thanks alot for the reminder. I will need to learn all the basic functions thoroughly to really understand all the functions & expression well. Thanks again!