Editing several column settings at once

[amunizp]

So I have a series of questions in each column that all have the same Show formula and the same default answer and I want them to be required. Like a form. 

Is there a way to auto fill or copy  these values without having to go into each context menu and copy and paste it in?

[WillowMobileSys · Accepted solution]

I don't know the usage of your app or for how long you expect it to be used.  What you are describing, each question as a column, is non-normalized way to represent the data.  If your app lives for very long, you will most likely need to add/remove of otherwise adjust the question list.  A non-normalized data structure makes changes inefficient and more difficult.

To answer your question, no... there is not an easy way to replicate changes across several similar columns.

Instead, it would be better to normalize the data.  Create a table with a column named Question, a column named Response and whatever other columns you need.  Then add a row for each specific question.  Not only can you then apply changes that apply to each question but you can add/remove questions easily.  You can also still apply changes to a specific column if its requirements differ from the rest.

This design will also lend itself well to questionnaires.  With additional tables, you can create templates each having their own set of questions assigned.

[amunizp]

I see, so I will need to create a key for each question and the log will happen in another sheet?

Because in my use case the user will answer the question several times over the life time of the app and will want to see a log of the past entries. 

The consequence of that is that each question will either be a new sheet with a list of responses 

or Responses will need to be new columns created which, AFAIK, it is not possible with app sheet?

Data will be:

Questions Table:

• Question Key,
• Question,
• Category of question

Responses Table:

• Question Key,
• Response,
• Date time,
• User (actually this could be a different question),
• ....

The flow in my UX will be:

View previous Check in and Check out Responses Category of Daily checks, weekly checks, monthly checks and yearly checks. 

Check in or check out --> User chooses Check in 

Select Daily checks: Answer 20 questions which are submitted and saved. 

Select Weekly checks: Answer 10 questions which are different from the above. 

Main menu--> check out

Select Daily checks: Answer 20 questions which are submitted and saved they might or not be different from the check in questions. 

etc. 

Taking into account the above. 

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@WillowMobileSys wrote:

This design will also lend itself well to questionnaires.  With additional tables, you can create templates each having their own set of questions assigned.

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I think I am caught up in the log form and might need to learn a bit more about slicing. But how do show the users only the Check in & Daily questions only?

Do you mean that my data should be something like this:

Check in Daily questions Table

Check in Weekly questions Table

(...)

Check in Daily Responses table.

Check in Weekly Responses table.

(...)