Is there a way to turn off initial values interpretation when adding a dataset?

[Patrick_Hodgkis]

Is there a way to turn off the interpretation of my data columns and the auto population of their "Initial Values" when I regenerate the schema or import a new database?

Often times the initial values are hidden in my UX when I'm creating so I always forget that AppSheet interpreted them, which leads to the app breaking. 

Is there an option to take AppSheet out of "beginner" mode and have it stop putting in any initial values?

When I was learning appsheet they were really helpful with simple use cases, but now that I'm able to think in AppSheet they are annoying. I wish that I could turn the population of "initial values" to always off. Does anyone know if there is a way?

[Marc_Dillon]

Regenerating should not have anything to do with initial values.

And what do you mean by "importing a new database"? Are you using the import CSV function? If so, you can include blank strings for any columns that you don't want the initial value to evaluate on.

Another option would be to include a yes/no column in your table that drives initial value expressions. Then basically replace every initial value expression with IFS( [new yes/no col] , original-expression ) . Thus you can set this new column to FALSE for any records that you don't want those initial values to evaluate on.

[Patrick_Hodgkis]

Howdy Marc,

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@Marc_Dillon wrote:

what do you mean by "importing a new database"?

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My apologies, I meant adding a table from a connected source.

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@Marc_Dillon wrote:

Regenerating should not have anything to do with initial values.

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If I need to add a new column to an existing table, then I am going into my spreadsheet and adding a new column. When I regenerate the schema, it interprets my new column "Austin Letter" as a date and sets the initial value as TODAY().

My column "Austin Letter" refers to a URL of a file and not a date and I'm frustrated that I have to go in every time and change the initial value. I wish it just never suggested one or that I could turn the suggestions permanently off.

[Marc_Dillon · Accepted solution]

Oh, sorry, I completely misunderstood. No, there's no way to turn on any of Appsheet's oh-so-helpful suggestions, much to many power-users' despair.

[Patrick_Hodgkis]

Thanks for confirming my suspicion Marc! I clicked around everywhere and thought that I was overlooking it in a buried menu somewhere.

[Sarah_H]

I'm setting up my first app, and trying to get around this auto-assignment issue by including several blank "placeholder columns" in my google sheet tables. I make them hidden and read-only in AppSheet until I need them. At that point, I rename a column in both locations and adjust their settings. I don't have to regenerate the schema and it seems to be functioning okay.

However, I'm wondering if this is going to be unwise in some way that I'm too inexperienced to realize (maybe performance, data integrity, something else). I reviewed AppSheet's data limit article, and it seemed that blank cells are not too bad to handle. Could anyone with more knowledge let me know if this strategy is likely to bite me once more data is in my app? Also, I'm new to AppSheet and this forum, so please let me know if it's a problem to post on an old thread (didn't see anything in the community guidelines).

Thank you!
Sarah

[Marc_Dillon]

No, that's actually a technique used by many advanced users to avoid potential errors in the future from adding new columns to live apps.

[Sarah_H]

Thanks Marc, good to know!