Requiring input in calendar description column

I’ve connect my app to Google calendars. The Title column of my calendar is coming from a referenced column:

3X_6_5_656adc3493f5c57d62e4501f3bb53db0cf1fc0c7.png

The column Key of the reference Form Responses table is a UNIQUEID with the label of Full Name. For the header column of my calendar detail view I have selected Title:


this correctly displays as the label i.e. the Full Name.

When I go to Google calendars, the Title of the appointment is shown as the UNIQUEID. I’m assuming there’s no way to tell Google calendars to display the Full Name label instead. My work around is to force the initial view of the Description column of my calendar table to show the Full Name.
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where [_name] is a virtual column with formula [Title].[Full Name]. This way, if I choose to view the appointment via Google calendars instead of Appsheet, I can at least see whom the meeting is with by looking at the description. Below is the Google calendar view of the appointment:
3X_d_7_d7ef9cad15d45c5994550f07b5dce3da5b95dc08.png

My question is, is there a way to disable editing of the Full Name in the Description column while still allowing users to add to the description on edit? In other words, can I force require that the initial view of [_name] in the Description column not change on edit? e.g. Description goes from ‘Full Name’ to ‘Full Name’ + “whatever else the user inputs”?

I know I can add another virtual column and make things look okay with CONCATENATE(), but I don’t want to lose the user input on the Google calendar end.

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I am sorry for missing the point that it is GCAL. I still continue to presume that the user will modify the description from the app view.

If so, please try following

Please create an event action on form save called say “AddDescription” on the calendar table.

The action type is “Data-Set the values of some columns in this row”

  • Set these columns" Description"

  • Expression for the action CONCATENATE(TEXT([_name]),"- ",[Description])

  • Set this action as an event action on form save of calendar form in the app.

  • Please remove any initial value from the [Description] column.

The above setup will pick up the name directly from the action expression. The user can enter any description that will concatenate with the name picked up through the action in the description column.

The example below shows the name underlined in red being populated through the action. The description is written by the user.

3X_b_7_b7d11f14d49feba38966737a54c8ebee5faf36e6.png

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If I have correctly understood your requirement, I believe you could take a look at the following workaround.

  1. Add a VC called say [AllDescription] Text or Long Text Type

  2. Add a real column called say [AddDescription] Text or Long Text Type

  3. Expression for VC [AllDescription] can be CONCATENATE( [Description],"- " [AddDescription])

  4. Define [AllDescription] column as Description column in the Calendar view.

The user can add any additional description in the “Add Description” column.

A sample below

The name Boob Barker comes from the Description column and testing everything comes from [AddDescription] column.

3X_6_1_61f45bd4fe587964dbc6a1656abc54e1015ffba5.png

I don’t see how it’s possible to add a real column to a table where the source is Google Calendars.

I am sorry for missing the point that it is GCAL. I still continue to presume that the user will modify the description from the app view.

If so, please try following

Please create an event action on form save called say “AddDescription” on the calendar table.

The action type is “Data-Set the values of some columns in this row”

  • Set these columns" Description"

  • Expression for the action CONCATENATE(TEXT([_name]),"- ",[Description])

  • Set this action as an event action on form save of calendar form in the app.

  • Please remove any initial value from the [Description] column.

The above setup will pick up the name directly from the action expression. The user can enter any description that will concatenate with the name picked up through the action in the description column.

The example below shows the name underlined in red being populated through the action. The description is written by the user.

3X_b_7_b7d11f14d49feba38966737a54c8ebee5faf36e6.png

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