LINKTOFILTEREDVIEW and 'Stickiness' of navigation

[Jake_Naude]

I use a combination of slices and actions to view filtered data and navigate through my app.

Data filtering works as expected when I use the triggers set by my actions but the filtering fails when I go directly to a view using the ‘thumb menu’ view button.

LINKTOFILTEREDVIEW(“Cabinet View”, [location] = [_THISROW].[location]) gets me from stations view to cabinet view.

So far so good - 4 rows of filtered data showing!

If I navigate away and come back using the thumb menu button I get the full unfiltered view. The desired result is to have the same filtered view as shown above:

Is there a way to ‘remember’ the previously selected row (beyond one click) so that I can apply another LINKTOFILTEREDVIEW to the cabinets view thumb menu button? Or any other way?

Thanks in advance!

[Bahbus]

Hmm, I have a LINKTOFILTEREDVIEW with more (different) LINKTOFILTEREDVIEWs which then goes to a Detail view. The back arrow in the top left, which is the one I assume you are referring to, goes back through those filtered views just fine. So, when you are “navigating away” and coming back, how far away are you navigating? Are any other actions being performed before going backwards?

[Jake_Naude]

Hi @Bahbus,

No probs with the top left back button…

Clicking a row in stations view lands me on a filtered cabinets view
Clicking a row in cabinets view lands me on a filtered floor plans view
Clicking a row in floor plans view lands me on a ‘ref’ survey view where my form is used perform /record inspections.

Basically, any time after arriving at any of my filtered view pages via a LINKTOFILTEREDVIEW I loose the filter when clicking directly on that button.

The site navigation is OK. I think I need a way to store/remember the result of the [_THISROW] from a previous page (?) so that I can use it again in other areas i.e. in a menu button that doesn’t have the benefit of clicking on the row of data?

Hope that makes sense?

[Steve]

Jake_Naude:

I think I need a way to store/remember the result of the [_THISROW] from a previous page (?) so that I can use it again in other areas i.e. in a menu button that doesn’t have the benefit of clicking on the row of data?

Yup.

I’ve considered but never explored the situation you’re in. I suspect you’ll need a table to store the current data context, then base your views on slices that use that saved data context to choose what data to display. Your navigation actions will have to keep the stored data context current, which I suspect will be a huge challenge. I also worry that the back arrow in the upper-left corner of the screen may take the user back to a view that no longer reflects the current context, which could cause all sorts of confusion. Just my thoughts and speculation. You may find my concerns unfounded or easily overcome.

[Jake_Naude]

Hi @Steve,

Thanks for coming in… You’re right, that does sound like treacherous ground… Here’s the approach I’m busy testing:

I’ve added two columns to rf_design table that the slice references; namely [cabinets_timestamp] and [last_change_person].

I then have the following action which should help me identify a row in the table to go and get LINKTOFILTEREDVIEW info from:

The idea is to then build a LINKTOFILTEREDVIEW that somehow combines and uses the TCP and Cabinets slice and [cabinets_timestamp] and [last_change_person] to present a filtered cabinets view

If I get this to work, I can see a problem though i.e. If I click on the trigger row I will be presented the right view and I may even get back to it later via the menu button… However, if someone else clicks another trigger row in the mean time, I’ll be taken to their view next time I try…?

[Steve]

Jake_Naude:

However, if someone else clicks another trigger row in the mean time, I’ll be taken to their view next time I try…?

Yep!

[Bahbus]

Well, see this is why its confusing me. I have a fairly similar setup.

Categories cards -> filtered Subcategories cards -> filtered Flavors cards -> Flavors detail -> Orders form

And after save/cancel the Orders form, I land back at Flavors detail and can back up through filtered Flavors cards -> filtered Subcategories cards-> Categories cards.

And all the filtered views are LINKEDTOFILTEREDVIEWs. No slices.

Am I missing something or am I crazy? Sounds like essentially the same sequence of overall actions, but yours breaks somewhere along the line and mine doesn’t?

[Bahbus]

Oh, wait no, I see the difference in why. It’s because the every view is on the menu bar. But then you are Filtering the data on that view. When you go back, its going back to the menu (unfiltered) version of it.

You’ll want to make a duplicate of your Cabinet View as a ref view called something like Filtered Cabinet View and link to it instead.

You’ll need to repeat those steps for any other views you want to have a dynamic filtered link to and also a version on a Menu.

[Jake_Naude]

Hi @Bahbus,

Thanks for coming back in… Your idea sounds interesting and I’d like to give it a try…

Could you suggest how I would make that table ‘user-specific’ so that each user of the app sees only the filtered data that they’re interested in.

The way I’m seeing this is that the saved slice copy would change each time the trigger row is pressed. I guess then that every time the trigger row is pressed by any user it would create the copy which would then be the filtered view that all other users get to see when they press the menu button?

If that is correct, is there a way to have multiple copies of the slice that present to the correct users?

Cheers…

[Bahbus]

Jake_Naude:

Could you suggest how I would make that table ‘user-specific’ so that each user of the app sees only the filtered data that they’re interested in.

If you’re using USEREMAIL to make it user specific, I would just add that as part of the LINKTOFILTEREDVIEW().

LINKTOFILTEREDVIEW(“Cabinet View”, AND([location] = [_THISROW].[location], [email]=USEREMAIL()))

or whatever other “user-specific” filters you might need.

[Jake_Naude]

Thanks @Bahbus…

[Jake_Naude]

@Steve @Bahbus

Hi gents… I’ve still got this one between the teeth and I think I’ve got a way around my linktofilteredview/navigation/thumb-menu-button issue but I’m having a little trouble…?

Basically, I’ve changed my slice to look at new column, [selected_location] and I’m using LINKTOVIEW instead. The idea is that a trigger will populate [selected_location] based on a row selected in the stations view

I have a table called rf_design

I’m trying to change the value of [selected_location] to “selected” for all rows that match [location] in the row that was selected.

1. I’ve created two actions
   

   

2. A workflow
   

   

3. Another action to go into a trigger
   

   

4. And the trigger
   

   

5. And a filtered slice; “TCP and CABINETS.”
   

   

The workflow isn’t doing it’s bit!

When the trigger fires it navigates to the next page and shows a filtered view however, it only updates [selected_location] to “selected” for the ONE ROW that triggered the action.

If I get this work I’ll set up another workflow to clear all the [selected_location] fields before the On selecting a row in STATIONS VIEW workflow is triggered again.

The thinking is this will get me away from using LINKTOFILTEREDVIEW and get around my navigation issue?

[Bahbus]

Your workflow is configured to only run when a new row is added to rf_design. Your actions do not add new rows.

[Jake_Naude]

Hey @Bahbus,

Thanks for that… That was quick!!!

I’ve changed to UPDATES_ONLY but it’s still not playing?

[Bahbus]

Is Cabinet View that same view from the original screenshot? Because that view will never be updated with any of this.

[Jake_Naude]

It is but the Cabinet View is now based on a different slice:

[Jake_Naude]

Also, it’s not using LINKTOFILTEREDVIEW… Just LINKTOVIEW

[Jake_Naude]

@Bahbus

[Bahbus]

Is [selected_location] a regular column or a virtual column?

[Jake_Naude]

Regular

[Bahbus]

1. Delete that one from the spreadsheet and recreate it as a virtual column.
2. Instead of a text column, make it a Yes/No column, as there is no reason to bring text matching inefficiencies into this.
3. Change this from "Selected" to TRUE (no quotes).
4. On your workflow add [selected_location] to this area to ensure the workflow doesn’t attempt to run for any other types of updates.
   
5. On your slice, delete the <>"" as the column is now a boolean.

After all those changes, it should work just fine, as long as I’m not missing any other details.

Once this is working, you can just set all the rows in the [selected_location] column to FALSE.

[Jake_Naude]

Hey @Bahbus,

Thanks for your efforts… I’m busy doing this… Please advise what the App Formula for the VC should be? I can’t think any more…

[Jake_Naude]

@Bahbus,

Please bear with me… I’m very new to this stuff…

[Bahbus]

Ah crap. My bad. This won’t work as I thought in my head.

[Bahbus]

Alright, same steps as before, but as a regular column.

[Jake_Naude]

OK… No worries… Give me a sec…

[Jake_Naude]

@Bahbus,

Oops… I’ve done that am am getting the same result… Value of TRUE being entered into one row at a time…?

[Bahbus · Accepted solution]

Ah, I think I finally see the issue.

I believe you want the other action here. As I don’t see it being used anywhere else. It’s currently set up to repeat the same action as your trigger action.

[Jake_Naude]

@Bahbus

Thanks for sticking with me on this…

This is the detail behind that… Do I need to change it…?

[Jake_Naude]

@Bahbus

Dude! You are a superstar! That worked! Thanks you so much for not giving up… Many thanks…