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AppSheet Office Hours: How to Use and Optimize App Expressions

Published on ‎04-25-2022 07:28 AM by Community Manager | Updated on ‎04-25-2022 07:30 AM

For app creators, expressions are a powerful way to customize behavior and add sophisticated logic throughout your app, from incorporating conditional statements and managing lists, to extracting data from images, detecting user details, and much more. 

However, it can be challenging to know which expressions to use where, and the best way to build them into your app to deliver the results you want.

Join us for AppSheet Office Hours on May 19th, where our experts will deep dive into all things AppSheet expressions, including:

  • Types of expressions and when to use them

  • How to build and test expressions 

  • Common use cases and live demos

As always, you’ll have the opportunity to ask any questions (even if they’re not directly related to the session topic) and receive answers live from AppSheet experts.  Pro tip: the best way to get your questions answered is by adding them in advance to the comments section below!

With our new series of AppSheet Office Hours, it’s our goal to provide a trusted space where you can receive support and guidance along your app creation journey. We hope to see you there!

Meeting information:


Topic Labels
Featured Guests
cschalk_ws
Staff

peterdykstra
Staff

Rich_E
Staff

Event has ended
You can no longer attend this event.

Start:
Thu, May 19, 2022 11:00 AM PDT
End:
Thu, May 19, 2022 12:00 PM PDT
42 Comments
nathaniel_fishe
Silver 3
Silver 3
‎05-13-2022 04:49 AM
‎05-13-2022 04:49 AM

app expressions in virtual columns are great for storing logic within your app, but when you want to analyse your data in another product like google data studio you essentially have to apply your logic in a slightly different syntax and logic language.  Is there a way that there could be a appsheet data source in google data studio so that you don't have to reapply logic statements?

 

0 Likes
Joseph_Seddik
Gold 4
Gold 4
‎05-13-2022 02:06 AM
‎05-13-2022 02:06 AM

In an earlier Office Hours session, slices where said not to bring benefits in terms of sync times. However, the way I see it is that using slices will enable you to avoid expensive expressions in virtual columns. Perhaps you can expand more on this subject.

SkrOYC
Gold 5
Gold 5
‎05-12-2022 07:58 PM
‎05-12-2022 07:58 PM

Maybe a little off topic but can we expect a new AppSheet app for mobile and desktop built on top of Flutter?

I don't see why this wouldn't be an awesome idea, more so that now macOS and Linux are supported on stable. This may even enable the much anticipated webview and more device API access.

Just by looking at how much info AppGyver can get from the device by running on React, I would love AppSheet on Flutter. Also this could give us the option to have better/native apps as whitelabeled apps even on desktop, while FlutterFlow can keep being a more DIY platform, compared to AppSheet.

Now that we are on that, even the editor could be Flutter based

Joseph_Seddik
Gold 4
Gold 4
In response to SkrOYC
‎05-13-2022 02:02 AM
‎05-13-2022 02:02 AM

Nice!

MarkAnthony
Bronze 3
Bronze 3
‎05-12-2022 07:20 PM
‎05-12-2022 07:20 PM

Thank you!

Should I place this in the formula pane in the date column? or?

Thanks again!!!!

MarkAnthony
Bronze 3
Bronze 3
‎05-12-2022 06:32 PM
‎05-12-2022 06:32 PM

Good morning All!

Could someone possibly show me how to force Datetime () to a specific format not based on the localisation? I'm having problems with different users' date inputs... 

Thanks!!!

diogolupcosta
Silver 5
Silver 5
In response to MarkAnthony
‎05-12-2022 06:34 PM
‎05-12-2022 06:34 PM

TEXT([date column], "dd/mm/yyyy")

You can change the order of dd, mm and yyyy

MarkAnthony
Bronze 3
Bronze 3
In response to diogolupcosta
‎05-13-2022 09:37 PM
‎05-13-2022 09:37 PM

Hello Again!
I've tried placing this in the formula cell for my DateTime, but it doesn't work right.... Sorry, but could you please give me a hint where to try to use this formatting? 

Thanks!!!!

0 Likes
dbaum
Gold 4
Gold 4
‎05-12-2022 06:17 PM
‎05-12-2022 06:17 PM

When can we expect the following forthcoming feature described in Advanced Techniques: Horizontal Scaling?

Future functionality is being developed to allow Actions to update the User Settings from within the app. This will enable the app creator to display an inline action button that will update the user settings.
SkrOYC
Gold 5
Gold 5
‎05-12-2022 06:59 AM
‎05-12-2022 06:59 AM

Efficient alternative for a needed Chained List Dereference, like [List1][List2][ValuesOfList2] without calling whole tables using nested SELECT/FILTER

Ferret
Silver 2
Silver 2
In response to SkrOYC
‎05-13-2022 01:02 PM
‎05-13-2022 01:02 PM

This!

I haven't made many apps where I am not circumventing this limitation with other logic (usually a VC on a 'closer' table that is a redundant list of the values I need to use). Glad to hear it articulated in a manner that I could not achieve.

0 Likes
ZOCO_Unlimited
Bronze 5
Bronze 5
In response to SkrOYC
‎05-12-2022 08:03 AM
‎05-12-2022 08:03 AM

I will have to look into this further!

ZOCO_Unlimited
Bronze 5
Bronze 5
‎05-12-2022 06:47 AM
‎05-12-2022 06:47 AM

UX:

  1. Is there a way to have filter views in the app by column to narrow down large lists without only being able to use the search icon?  Much like how you would in Sheets or Excel 

2. Can you expand and collapse large lists or table views? I have many records grouped under different companies, it would be great if I could collapse the groups and only expand whatever section that I am looking in

3. Can you compare totals in 2 different tables in one view and calculate the differences between the two? I would like to have running totals of the actual hours worked from the employees time cards table compared to the entries in a  work orders table to see and have the difference calculated automatically

Thank you

dbaum
Gold 4
Gold 4
In response to ZOCO_Unlimited
‎05-12-2022 05:34 PM
‎05-12-2022 05:34 PM

#1: If you haven't already, see the filter button available within the search text entry box. (Maybe that's what you were already referring to by "without only being able to use the search icon", but I'm not sure.)

dbaum_0-1652402032630.png

 

#2: If you haven't already, see How to Control Grouping.

ZOCO_Unlimited
Bronze 5
Bronze 5
In response to dbaum
‎05-13-2022 08:10 AM
‎05-13-2022 08:10 AM

#1: I cannot believe that I have never seen this filter icon in the search and have used the app for literally years..  Exactly what I needed, thank you for pointing this out.   As I'm playing with this, it brings the question if it possible within the search filter to have a dropdown as well as open search?

on #2, I have this option but would like to limit the number of groupings, It is for mass amounts of locations that are frequently bought/sold or have inconsistencies in the naming conventions which is where it makes this difficult. 

nathaniel_fishe
Silver 3
Silver 3
‎05-12-2022 05:13 AM
‎05-12-2022 05:13 AM

You can you use a virtual column to show your current location and geo fence around that location https://www.appsheet.com/templates/How-to-filter-data-by-location?appGuidString=ad685a1f-e915-48da-9...

But how do you make it sync frequently say if you are moving in a vehicle, delayed syncs are too long and tap to sync is not an option. Is there a way to do this I am missing? 

The app that I am creating has all street bins for collection I want it to only surface bins that need to be collected in 500m radius but update as vehicle is moving. 

Thank you 

 

Ferret
Silver 2
Silver 2
‎05-10-2022 07:15 PM
‎05-10-2022 07:15 PM

Is it possible to add a link to another app's form from within a form? Show column of URL type does not work as expected on iOS.

0 Likes
Thomas_Varghese
Silver 1
Silver 1
‎05-09-2022 11:51 PM
‎05-09-2022 11:51 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdty_F74OQU

maybe this video will help... print from chrome

Cheth1
Bronze 1
Bronze 1
‎05-09-2022 11:28 PM
‎05-09-2022 11:28 PM

Could you please mention a little on how to save multiple pages from Appsheet, As Appsheet allows only one page to be save or print. Thank you in Advance.

MedAmineIT
Bronze 2
Bronze 2
‎05-09-2022 04:15 PM
‎05-09-2022 04:15 PM

Hi 
in each order record i want to make a enum list of ref values from an other table (Products), i want to select multiple items from the droped list those items from products table which contain the following coloms : product id, product name , product price
now after selecting those products from the droped list i want to sum price of them 
how  can i do that ?
thank you for your answer