Set Table to Allow Adds/Updates ONLY By Automation not User

[PhilTheThrill]

Hey all!

I have an AppSheet app that generates a Pay Period every week (adds a row to the Pay Period table). Users need to be able to select from a dropdown to associate a Time Card with a Pay Period.

I have all of that set up perfectly except the dropdown wants to let users add a new pay period to the table from inside the dropdown. I don't want users adding pay periods, only the automated actions I have set up.

How do I tell a table to only allow bots/system actions to Add/Update a table instead of some users? I tried setting it to read only but I get an error because AppSheet says the action can't update a table what don't allow updates.

Thanks!

Phil

[Craig_QREW]

Here are a few things I am assuming. I am assuming that the pay period is an ENUM data type. When you have an enum you can click the pencil on that column to open up the dialog I have pictured below. at which point you can uncheck the "allow other values" box. This would remove the option to add another from your users and then would still allow the bot to do what it needs to. 

The way that the enum works is that it simply looks in that column and finds all the unique values. If you uncheck that box, now the user cannot add an enum choice but the bot should still be able to set values to whatever it needs to. Please let me know if that works or doesn't work and I can provide further assistance. 

Craig

QREW Technologies

[PhilTheThrill]

Hey Craig!

Actually the data type is REF since I'm pointing to the key on the Pay Period table. The dropdown is being generated by putting a Select expression in the Valid_If field for it. So, as far as I know, there's no toggle for "Allow other values" in this case.

My current idea is to use an expression on the Pay Period table to say that the only account that can update it is a fake email or something, I just wasn't sure if that was abusing the system to get the effect I want haha

[Craig_QREW]

That sounds like it should work. I was looking into a way if you can set add permissions to only the system or something. Besides using a random email you may need to use your own. Or the email address of the app development user. (You could make the app using a different account than the one you would use it as.) Some other options to consider. 

Craig

QREW Technologies