Show/store mobile number in the correct format

[Hardyman]

Hi all,

I’m in South Africa, and our mobile numbers are in the format 000 000 0000 (e.g. 082 145 3264). When storing a number like the aforementioned in Appsheet, though, it ignores the leading zero. Is there a way to preserve this first zero? Or must the number be entered with the dialing code (which no-one over here really does)?

Thanks

[Aleksi]

@Hardyman instead of using number, you should use either phone or text field for your phone number.

[Hardyman]

@Aleksi I do use the Phone Type field, as that enables the messaging and call shortcuts, but the leading zero is still discarded.

[Aleksi]

Let me test this…

[Aleksi]

For me it’s working fine with the leading zero when the field type is phone. What is your column type in your spreadsheet?

[Hardyman]

It’s a custom type with the format 0000000000

[Aleksi]

When you save the record and if you check the value from the spreadsheet, what is the exact value? Is it like '012 345 6789 or 123456789?

[Hardyman]

I removed the custom number format from the spreadsheet, regenerated the relevant column, and added a new entry. The leading zero for the new entry is also not visible in the app, and in the spreadsheet the leading zero is also discarded.

What I saw now, after I save a new entry (with a full mobile number) and before I sync the app, the leading zero is shown in the detail view of the entry. But after I sync the app, the leading zero disappears from the detail view (and does not show in the source spreadsheet).

[Aleksi]

Is the column type type still a number?

[Hardyman]

In Appsheet it is a Phone type, and in Excel it is a General type

[Aleksi]

Change it to text in your Excel.

[Hardyman]

It is still missing the leading zero

[Aleksi]

Have you tested with a new record?

[Hardyman]

Yes, for example I created this new record:

Then when I save it I get:

And you can see, looking at the plain refresh button, after it’s refreshed, the leading zero is gone:

And in the spreadsheet the number also doesn’t show the leading zero:

Just to confirm, the Mobile Number field type is Phone:

[Aleksi]

If the mobile number field is a pure text field, you should see the value like '0862341251. If you see it without ’ it means it’s saving the value as a number and then it will remove the leading zero away.

[Hardyman · Accepted solution]

Okay, thanks Aleksi, it’s working with the Excel fields set to Text

[Aleksi]

Excellent!