Automatic blank space deletion problem (QR Code, Google Sheets, Add an Entry, Blank Spaces)

[kg_fonkey]

I want to store exactly the same data as the QR code contains. But when I add an entry through scanning the QR code, blank spaces will be all deleted when it is stored to the Google Sheets.

Before saving the entry the data will be like this.

[)> 06 P7183885530 10SB3 Z;45P 2P Z;17Q0001000 30T210721 2C Z;D Z;46P 1W 22VF11 Z;26P Z;23V895 16D Z;6V 31T 1C1T-0FJ2OA

After saving the entry, the data will be like this.

[)>06P718388553010SB3Z;45P2PZ;17Q000100030T2107212CZ;DZ;46P1W22VF11Z;26PZ;23V89516DZ;6V31T1C1T-0FJ2OA

If I copy and paste the data, it goes like this:

[)>06P718388553010SB3Z;45P2PZ;17Q000100030T2107212CZ;DZ;46P1W22VF11Z;26PZ;23V89516DZ;6V31T1C1T-0FJ2OA

Is there any way to avoid this problem??

Thank you.

[Steve]

kg.fonkey:

Before saving the entry the data will be like this.

Where does it appear this way?

kg.fonkey:

If I copy and paste the data, it goes like this:

Copy and paste from where to where?

Make sure you spreadsheet column’s number format is set to plain text; do not use automatic.

[kg_fonkey]

Thank you, Steve. Let me answer your question one by one.

Where does it appear this way?

It happens when I scan a QR-code in Form-View.

Copy and paste from where to where?

I copied from the input area of the Form-View and pasted it to Google Drive’s folder name.

Make sure you spreadsheet column’s number format is set to plain text; do not use automatic.
[/quote]

I did and regenerated the data, but nothing is changed.

Thank you.

[Steve]

My guess is that the apparent spaces in the scanned data aren’t actually spaces, but instead some other character that display as spaces that are removed as invalid when saved or used elsewhere. I doubt there’s anything you can do to fix this within the app.

Are you generating the QR codes? Or are they coming from somewhere else?

[kg_fonkey]

Steve:

My guess is that the apparent spaces in the scanned data aren’t actually spaces, but instead some other character that display as spaces that are removed as invalid when saved or used elsewhere. I doubt there’s anything you can do to fix this within the app.

I see. By the way, my final goal is to detect QR code duplicate. Since the data changes on saving, I can not detect the duplicate on form-saving-view. Probably, I should extract some part of the value from the QR code data via the AppSheet formula.

Steve:

Are you generating the QR codes? Or are they coming from somewhere else?

Unfortunately, they are from outside of my company. I can’t fix the QR code.

[Steve · Accepted solution]

kg.fonkey:

Probably, I should extract some part of the value from the QR code data via the AppSheet formula.

Yeah, sounds like a good idea to me.

[kg_fonkey]

Steve! Thank you so much. It worked!

I set a new column with this

MID([QR Code],LEN([QR Code])-9,9)

as “Initial Value” and set this column as “Key”.
Then the App started to detect duplicates.

Since the “Fake Space Problem” is not solved, I had to tweak the Spreadsheet Formula a little bit though.

Anyways, thank you!!!

[Steve]

Well done!