Change column that records useremail()

Just like the change counter or change timestamp, would be great to have a change useremail(). I do this now using actions, but it would be so much simpler to have the change column.

Status Open
3 13 555
13 Comments
Steve
Participant V

Add a normal (non-virtual) column with an app formula of USEREMAIL() and set Editable? to the expression, FALSE. The column’s value will be updated automatically any time the row is updated through a form or by an action.

Rosemary_Black
Participant V

Right, except that’s for editing the whole row. Exactly the reason behind needing the change column, is to be able to set it only when certain columns are edited.

Use case is logging timestamps and users for 1 row, but at each step in a manufacturing process.

Jonathon
Participant V

I like your idea. You could achieve this effect currently through workflow triggers, although it wouldn’t be as easy to set up.

Steve
Participant V

What about a change expression column? Apply an arbitrary expression to a column when a designated change occurs. This could replace all of the existing change column types we have now and allow for your change username, too, among many other things.

Rosemary_Black
Participant V

This wouldn’t replace the change counter, but for everything else it would be ideal. It could cut down on so many actions. Good idea.

Steve
Participant V

Change counter expression: [_THIS] + 1.

Rosemary_Black
Participant V

I don’t know why I thought that wouldn’t work.

Really, if we could use _THISROW_BEFORE and _THISROW_AFTER in expressions then we wouldn’t need a change column at all.

Steve
Participant V

You can access the “before” contents by accessing them using LOOKUP(). It accesses the table directly, bypassing the copy of the row being modified.

[Name] <> LOOKUP([_THISROW], "MyTable", "KeyColumn", "Name")

Note that this is not supported behavior and may change in the future.

Jonathon
Participant V

Is that supported behaviour, or subject to change? Cause this is pretty groundbreaking for me.

Steve
Participant V

It is not supported. Clarified.

FatLou
Participant III

any updates here?

Rosemary_Black
Participant V

I would still really love a change column for any expression. Any thought on this happening?

Status changed to: Open
Pratyusha
Community Manager
Community Manager