Solved: SUDDENNLY searching is EXTREME lag & slow !

Swoopy · 06-17-2022 04:10 AM

Has anyone been experiencing all of your apps run very slow when doing search (using the built-in top search bar). This had never happended before until yesterday and it makes apps almost unusable because of screen freezing even on the apps having only 2,000-4,000 rows of data (Google sheet backend). It slows on both devices & browsers / deck & table views.

PLEASE AppSheet team, investigate what's causing this.

Swoopy

This view has 30,000+ rows.

!!! NEVER UNDERESTIMATE AppSheet !!!

If you have any problems, just come here in the AppSheet Q&A.

I need to report that the lag & slow / slugglish & clumsy in the built-in search have now gone (at least in my account). However, you guys may test searching on your apps if they behave like what I had reported (hopefully not).

This video demonstrates what AppSheet's search is meant to be (slick & smooth).

Thanks Steve, Kejt, Ben, Alena and AppSheet team.

P.S. Ben said there was a switch (or something) which was causing this. AppSheet Dev may colour this switch with red or add some remark (or make it hidden) to prevent future misuse.

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Swoopy

More info, this's happending for every users (not only me).

DaveWillett

Some really weird stuff going on recently. I've had tables lose all there data over the last few days. The table it'self is intact but all the rows of data gone. It seems the table was being replaced as opposed to being edited.

Swoopy

😮How could it be, it's like a crime !

Steve

That's very odd. I've not seen any other complaints about this. I recommend you engage Support.

https://www.appsheet.com/Support/Contact

Swoopy

Steve 😀

Done !

You may try by yourself with an app on a deck view containing like 5,000+ rows. Type a text string to search (5 characters or more), then delete it using backspace key and re-type again. Hopefully you would understand my point.

Normally, searching in AppSheet apps is impressively blasting fast even on the views handling 20,000-30,000+ rows, and tied by child tables.

Swoopy

Is it possible that this behavior relates to this feature?

Where can I localize "No items" message?

Steve

I wouldn't think so, but I suppose it's possible. I really think a developer will need to be involved with debugging this, which is why I referred you to Support.

Swoopy

This might be help giving you more clues.

I myself recall that the lag & slow in search has actually happened since about 1-2 weeks before. But it's not severe like what's happening right now. There are users using my apps every single day and they are always using search feature everyday of course. No complaint so far regarding the lag & slow until the day before yesterday. Please also note that there were no changes made to the apps.

Beside, yesterday I had a presentation for a company's staffs relating the goodness of AppSheet platform. This lag & slow was also experienced by them and sadly make negative image & expectation to AppSheet, and that also hurts my feeling so much.

To investigate this, AppSheet team may need to check all changes made to the system since 1-2 weeks before and especially since this Monday 13, June.

Best Regards,

P.S. I'll make a presentation for those gentlemen again after this's solved to recall AppSheet's reputation.

Kejt

I have almost 46000 rows and everything was working perfect till yesterday. Searching is very slow and browser sends a messenge "this page is slowing down firefox". Chrome the same.
PLEASE AppSheet team, investigate what's causing this.

Swoopy

Thanks so much for your report. If searching is such slow, no point to use AppSheet.

It's a killer feature !

Kejt

Searching using filters works perfectly well, but without any filter is very slow. Maybe this is a problem.
https://www.googlecloudcommunity.com/gc/Announcements/Filters-in-AppSheet-applications-in-Preview-Pr...

Swoopy

I believe 99.99% of users always use the basic search, not the filter which has nerver been touched by many users (including me). The basic search is the very place where many users interact with it most, and must not be traded off by anything else.

Kejt

That's rights. I didn't even know that this filter search exist.

I hope AppSheet team will fix this issue fast.

Swoopy

🤣😂

Actually they really need to fix it very quick. It is so much damaging work productivity and also ruins AppSeet's glory.

Swoopy

Further info.

I've checked with other 2 AppSheet developers regarding this lag & slow search.

1st developer has no problem with search that smoothly run against 6,000+ rows of data.

Another developer has lag & slow problem where a deck view contains only 3,000+ rows of data tied to 1 simple Google sheet table.

Previously my apps had no problem as well although they handle over 60,000 rows of data.

It seems likely AppSheet is distributing some patches/updates applied progressively to all user accounts. This may be the reason why it's not happending to everyone while one of my friend's & my accounts are likely in effect already (and need to be fixed or rolled back).

If so, AppSheet may also need to pause applying those patches/updates in background to more accounts for time being.

Who knows who's next !

Swoopy

More info. about searching lag:

1. On browsers: Win32bit is a bit faster than Win64bit

2.On devices are way slower than on browsers (desktops), the on-screen keyboard freezes like forever.

*No improvement yet since my first post*

Kejt

Weekend? I hope somebody will take this post seriously and fix the problem. Searching with filters works fast and smooth but without filters doesn't work at all. It's a disaster!!!

Swoopy

Couldn't agree more, this laggy simple search could force many AppSheet creaters move to other platforms (including me) because it's used almost all the time on rich data-centric apps. If AppSheet meant for few thousands rows apps, it's just like a child's toy for me.

It was so-far-so-good even when handling over 70,000+ rows in a view, the search was working nicely.

I'd say this's serious bug and believe AppSheet team is taking it seriously.

I still believe in & love them.

Steve

Have you contacted Support as I recommended previously? I've also escalated this internally. Please note that today is a holiday in the US.

Swoopy

Yes Sir, I did.

The conversation started on June 17. Since then I've been bearing user's complains every day. All I can tell them: "It's beyond my ability to fix, it's in AppSheet/Google areas of control, etc." 😓

Swoopy

This sample shows what I call laggy. Search takes each character very slowly and freezes everything in between, sometimes the browser also displays warning message. Searching on devices is even worse because it needs on-screen keyboard which is so slugglish & clumsy then we've to kill the app, it's not usable.

"It never happends before since I know AppSheet"

Swoopy

It's not usable now.

Also search with QR-code is very clumsy and make AppSheet looked funny.

Kejt

😞 I agree. It's not usable now. If I put in a search field a wrong phrase, I can't even delete it, because of lagging...

Steve

Development has identified a possible cause.

Swoopy