May 12, 2023

lizlynch · May 12, 2023

Deployment Time: 12:00 PM PST

Features & enhancements

*Item*	*Description*
Enhancement	Toggle show/hide unlinked automation elements in the improved editor (preview) In the legacy editor, you are able to show and hide the unlinked automation elements. This functionality is now supported in the improved editor (preview) by selecting More > Show unlinked or Hide unlinked in the top header of the navigation panels in the automation sections.
Enhancement	Hourly scheduled events are now supported in automations. See Events: The Essentials. This enhancement will be rolled out gradually. It is deployed to 1% of paid users.
Enhancement	Previously, we announced that a number of AppSheet functions aren't supported for use in the condition expression for a policy because they don't make sense and may cause undefined or unwanted behavior, as described in Which functions are not supported for use in policies? Now, the `CONTEXT()` function is supported, but only using the following keywords: `AppName` or `OwnerEmail`

Bug fixes

*Item*	*Description*
Bug	For desktop UI (preview), fixed an inconsistency between desktop and mobile with expressions that depend on virtual column values in referenced rows. In desktop mode, virtual columns in referenced rows were updated while the form was still open; in mobile they were only updated after saving the form. The difference in timing could affect results of expressions run within the form if they depended on referenced row virtual columns.
Bug	For desktop UI (preview), the Show_if conditions will now be applied in form views even when Apply show-if constraints universally is disabled.
Bug	If adding a new data source when creating or updating an app, sometimes you were not returned to the original flow after the new data source was added. This issue has been fixed. This fix will be rolled out gradually. It is deployed to 50% of free users.
Bug	You can no longer set a "Run a data action" task as a node on a process without a table. This should not be supported and actually causes an error when you save. Now, AppSheet no longer shows the task as an option (unless the node is already incorrectly set as a "Run a data action" node already so that you can edit it).

Rollout changes

None

Preview announcements

Preview feature releases enable you to try out new app features that are not yet fully supported. See Product launch stages.

No new preview features were released today.

What's currently available in Preview?

The following tables summarize the preview features that are currently available.

*Item*	*Description*
Feature	AppSheet databases (Preview) The new AppSheet database feature is now in preview release. An AppSheet database is a first-party, native data source for organizing and managing data powering AppSheet apps. An AppSheet database provides an easy and efficient way to build data models for any AppSheet app without needing to use an external data source solution such as cloud-based spreadsheets or databases. For more information, see: Community announcement AppSheet databases
Enhancement	Navigation improvements in AppSheet app editor (Preview) The app editor includes navigation improvements, currently in preview, to facilitate the configuration of specific features. For example, the new Settings section in the left navigation gathers together all app-wide settings and makes it more intuitive for all app creators to find these types of settings. For more information, see: Community announcement Summary of navigation improvements in the app editor (Preview).
Enhancement	Additional usability improvements in AppSheet app editor (Preview) The app editor includes navigation and app setting improvements, currently in preview, to facilitate the configuration of specific features. The navigation improvements now include a secondary navigation panel that lets you quickly scan all of your components. In addition, there are more direct links in your View component to the table, column, or action that you want to check or edit. Finally, error and warning messages are more prominently displayed in the app. For more information, see: Further usability improvements: Simplifying the navigation in the editor Summary of improvements in the app editor (preview).
Feature	AppSheet apps for desktop users (Preview) The new desktop design, currently in preview, is optimized for desktop browsers, presenting a more complete view of information with a consistent organization and structure. The new desktop design lets users navigate their apps more easily and access information in context, and provides an efficient way to edit existing records without losing context. The legacy desktop design, enabled by default, provides an experience similar to the mobile and tablet device. For more information, see: Community article Optimize the user experience using the new desktop design (Preview)

The following features require opt-in to the AppSheet preview program. The AppSheet Preview program lets app creators try out new app features that are not yet fully supported.

Item	Description
Feature	Table view Table View now supports freezing the first column while scrolling horizontally. For details, see Freezing the first Column of a Table View - in Preview Program.
Feature	Chart Editor App Creators can now make use of our new chart editor and the new and improved charts it can create. Learn more.
Feature	Detail views Rich text formatting is now available in Detail views. For details, see this announcement in the community.

dbaum · 05-12-2023 06:16 PM

@lizlynch wrote:

For desktop UI (preview), fixed an inconsistency between desktop and mobile with expressions that depend on virtual column values in referenced rows. In desktop mode, virtual columns in referenced rows were updated while the form was still open; in mobile they were only updated after saving the form. The difference in timing could affect results of expressions run within the form if they depended on referenced row virtual columns.

So, which behavior is the one apparently now consistently applied across desktop and mobile views?

dbaum · 05-12-2023 06:23 PM

@lizlynch wrote:

Show linked or Show unlinked

It looks like it's actually Hide unlinked or Show unlinked.

Also, the label in the navigation menu indicating that only "Linkable Components" can be viewed apparently no longer applies.

Koichi_Tsuji · 05-12-2023 08:28 PM

@lizlynch wrote:

EnhancementPreviously, we announced that a number of AppSheet functions aren't supported for use in the condition expression for a policy because they don't make sense and may cause undefined or unwanted behavior, as described in Which functions are not supported for use in policies?

Now, the CONTEXT() function is supported, but only using the following keywords: AppName or OwnerEmail

This should be in response to my private request, I presume.

Thank you for addressing this issue quickly, this will make our life easier.

@lizlynch

@takuya_miyai

Koichi_Tsuji · 05-12-2023 08:30 PM

@lizlynch wrote:

Hourly scheduled events are now supported in automations. See Events: The Essentials.

This enhancement will be rolled out gradually. It is deployed to 1% of paid users.

Thid is a great enhancement actually, thank you for bringing this on.

It looks like we set up number as minutes to direct the intervals for hours. However, can we nominate number less than 60 mins? Is there any limit or restriction for this hourly event settings?

If we could use the number less than 60, then thoeritically we can run the bot in every N minutes. (it turns to be every "0.N" hourly scheduled event)

@lizlynch

@takuya_miyai

dbaum · 05-12-2023 08:43 PM

@Koichi_Tsuji wrote:

can we nominate number less than 60 mins?

FWIW, that's exactly how I interpret the screenshot. My assumption is that if you enter, for example, "15" then the automation will run hourly at 15 minutes after the hour--i.e., 00:15, 01:15, 02:15, 03:15, etc.

Koichi_Tsuji · 05-12-2023 09:06 PM

Ah, yeah. You are probably right. Hope our hands on test would tell all.

@dbaum

Marc_Dillon · 05-16-2023 11:27 AM

@lizlynch wrote:

Toggle show/hide unlinked automation elements in the improved editor (preview)

In the legacy editor, you are able to show and hide the unlinked automation elements. This functionality is now supported in the improved editor (preview) by selecting More > Show unlinked or Hide unlinked in the top header of the navigation panels in the automation sections.

Thanks for getting to this, but this is still missing a crucial piece. If you don't already have any existing linked elements, then the sub-menus on hover of the automation menu won't be available. Here's an example. I start with no linkable events, so on hover, the "events' menu is not available:

If I make one of my events linkable, then it becomes available:

But once I change that event back to unlinkable, it's gone again, even when I'm still on the screen!