Newbie banging his head against a brick wall

Norman1
Participant III

Just started to build an app and I have (at least) 3 problems.

1: I’ve built the app from data on a Google Sheet. For some reason it does not use the data in column A as the main data item in the list view of the app. It uses column D then displays the data from column C underneath. I need it to display column A data (ordered by this data) with column B data underneath. I can sometimes get it to work but it means swapping columns over in G-Sheets but that means G-Sheets is in the wrong order for me.

2: Sometimes the list changes what it displays in the list if I update/resync, Why?

3: Struggling to get it to open What3Words and go to the 3 word address although I can get it to go to google maps to the co-ordinated.

4: Just for good measure, photos in google photos, How do I link the to the app?

0 28 491
28 REPLIES 28

Steve
Participant V

Yeah, I did figure I could do it that way but as I say it isn’t good in the spreadsheet I maintain on the desktop. My just have to work with that but !!!

It is using column C then Column B but at least it is working & syncing isn’t changing it so #1 & #2 ok

#3 & #4 are the next to solve, anyone help please?

Success with the photos now. All I need is to get it to use What3Words 3 word addresses rather than co-ordinates.

Anyone know the answer to this one?

Thanks

Success was short lived. Yet again syncing caused the label to change. Not only that but Some of the data showed up assigned to the wrong column. It is not playing fair as no matter what I do it will not use the data I need it to use as the label.

Hmmm, looking at your query I am frustrated at the lack of information and misinformation you are supplying to us.

You have told us that you are swapping around the column headings in Google sheets and that syncing in appsheet then makes the data go crazy…I reckon this would be normal behaviour. If you change any column headings or column names in your Google sheet, them you MUST refresh the table in appsheet…this is not the same as syncing the data.

If you are indeed doing the above then I apologise for getting it wrong.

Now then, the next part I find confusing is you are referring to a List view which I interpret to mean Table view. this table view should look the same sort of array of cells and values as your Google sheet…that is there will be column names with rows of data under them,

But…you refer to the view as putting column C first and then putting column B UNDER it…which makes me think this is a Deck view, unless you are using Table with a Group By option selected…

Then you say that when you change values in the Sheet and resync appsheet that all the values in appsheet change…appsheet will NOT read any changes you make in the Sheet until a sync is completed…which means if you add or subtract data from the sheet and sync then of course those changes you made will suddenly surface in appsheet.

Also, your label keeps changing? Labels don’t really have a purpose until you are using multiple sheets that are related to each other some way. It is what shows instead of the 8 character string of random looking letters and numbers from the ID…you have set a unique ID for your data yes?

Maybe we could help you more if you told us a little more about your sheet layout…how many columns does it have? Are there related sheets where the ID and Label come into effect?

Hope you can shed some light

Thanks for replying, I will try and clarify.

I am not swapping column headings.

First 4 columns are Name, w3w Address, Grid ref: Postcode. I let it build the database and in the app it lists the entries

Postcode (col 4)
Grid Ref: (col 3)

I delete the app and start again but this time I swap the columns in G-Sheets to Grid Ref, Post code, w3w address, Name (I want the list in the app to show

Name
w3wAddress but it doesn’t. It now displays w3w Address with postcode (or one of the other 4 columns) underneath. Yes I can see all the data if I select one from the list but I need to use the common Name that I & other know to find the postcode, w3w Address etc.

I change a data entry in the G-sheet so when I sync I can see the data change (not a layout or heading change) mainly so I know it has refreshed the data correctly but the ‘LIST’ (as per uploaded image) rearranges itself and can at times change the data it displays ie shows
DL8 3DX
SD 93426 91053. I change the postcode to DN8 3DX in G-sheet, sync the data and the data can change to
///What.Three.Words
Askrigg (this is another cell on the same row)

From the field names on your sheet, it’s possible that Appsheet is not understanding the data types of w3w address…by the way, a tip if you can, don’t use any spaces in field names in your sheet…can become a pain constructing appsheet formulas at a later time.

So the data in the w3w address column is a 3 word string separated by a full stop. Make appsheet set this field type as text as it may try to set it as an Address type based on the name.

Your list view is part of the Cards View. I believe cards are still in a beta design stage and there may be problems using them…but, let’s continue.

In the card view have you clicked on the pieces of the card that hold data and then assigned the fields to appear in those places or have you left it as it is?

Obviously you should be saving and verifying as well after these changes so that the schema can be fixed. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve created a virtual column and then tried to use that virtual column in another expression without saving the changes first!

I really think your very close to getting it working…I’d be tempted to change your list view to a simple table though and test like that…updating and syncing etc. If your data looks fine then there’s a possibility that List view might be having a moment…

Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful.

Technically no longer in beta, but there are quite a few problems with them nonetheless. I try to avoid them, myself.

Steve
Participant V

For reference…

I refer to ‘list view’ as the list of entries you see when you start the app up.

This is what I want

but this is what I get

Norman1
Participant III

After a late night where I found a ‘workround’ I found a setting deep in the options that, by default, allows appsheet to decide what it think is the best order for the columns based on the data in the cells (possibly of the first few rows. It seems they think the program knows better than the user who has spent time creating the spreadsheet to suit their needs. There doesn’t appear to be any way to tweak that order but flipping the

“Keep original column order
(Prevent AppSheet from intelligently re-ordering columns).”

switch will (at times) revert it to the original order. I say sometimes as it only seems to work with a low number of columns (or maybe ‘special’ columns such as image, longlat etc).

With the column types & number I have that failed not matter what I did. I had to ‘trick/force’ it to select column A & B by putting a ‘identical’ long description in each cell on 2 rows other than the image column but making colums A & B which was short & different for all 4 cells.

Doing that forced it to put A & B in that order ahead of the rest when I built the app again for the 60-100th time. I was then able to replace the data in the first 2 rows with the correct data, sync and all worked as it should.

I then added another 4 rows of data to the Gsheet, synced and it still worked. Added my one photo per entry via the app and jobs a goodun, just another 190 to go but probably a lot more by the time I get through them.

Anyway thanks to those that tried to help.

Norman

PS sorry I did not reply earlier but I was on a ‘time ban’ for posting too many posts on my first day. Maybe someone from #appsheet will see this, get in touch and find out if it is a bug or me causing the issue.

You can specify exactly which column are displayed where, from the UX-View definition. For example, with a Deck view like you have:

or with the Column Order option in many other View types.

Norman1
Participant III

I’m using the ‘card’ view but the problem was/is I need my data in a spreadsheet with one row per record. I have ordered the rows in what I consider a convenient order for me when entering a new record or reading the data. On the ‘card’ view screen I want the data from column A above & Column B under it with the image to the left. With all the columns (8) created in Gsheets when I build the app it selects what it thinks should be on the card screen, supposedly intelligently, but it would randomly pick C then B, D then B or E then B, I could see no logic behind why it picked what it did.

As I like the card view, suits what I am doing, and not using ‘Deck’ View I don’t appear to have the option you mention

The switch

“Keep original column order
(Prevent AppSheet from intelligently re-ordering columns).”

should retain the original order and did when I tried with up to 4 columns (no IMAGE or LatLong column). While not Ideal I did manage a workaround once I worked out what to do.

That is standard behavior.

My bad, didn’t notice, looks similar to Deck view

Indeed there is:

My advice, as an Appsheet veteran of multiple years, is to ignore that option. I have NEVER used it in any way.

As a veteran (not a war one, lol) but not of appsheets I struggle getting my head round HTML, C++, JavaScript, Python and this apple pie stuff. and too old to learn & get good.

Some of the things you have pointed out I realise I had seen them but hadn’t realised what they did at the time as looking to do something else.

I know there is a setting to prevent editing (icon has gone) and I can’t find it to get the icon back. No doubt I will while looking for something else. I will have to create another app to ‘play with’ so mistakes won’t matter then maybe a ver 1.27.456.83 lol.

I do appreciate the time you guys are spending to help me.

ps. Is there a way to pass a w3w address to the w3w app?

I think I am right in saying the answer is no.

I do not know what “w3w” is, or what you mean by “pass”. But Appsheet can send out webhooks.

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=appsheet+webhook

What3Words app. By pass I mean click a button to save an item of data in the clipboard to paste in the w3w app search bar or have that done automatically similar to how the google map displays co-ords.

Nope.

So, you just need to open a website? Looks like you could concatenate a URL together with:

"https://w3w.co/"
&
SUBSTITUTE( [w3w address] , "///" , "" )

*I used SUBSITUTE() just to get rid of the preceeding “///”

Then use an open external URL Action button.

Now that might work.

Do you know where my edit icon has gone?

Ignore last message, it has come back. lol.

Couldn’t get it working at first with substitute stuff so missed that bit out & took the /// out of the data of one record. That one worked but not the next one with /// in. Tried again including the substitute in and it works on both with & without the /// in the data field.

I can get a web address ie https://w3w.co/burying.inventors.juggled or the w3w address of ///burying.inventors.juggled

Emergency services are using w3w to locate people and it can be used in a simple way like co-ord or a grid ref: the world has been gridded to a 3 ntr square grid with every square having it’s own unique 3 word address.

Norman1
Participant III

You guys rock, Can’t thank you enough so have awarded you all with ‘Blue Peter Badges’

Top Labels in this Space