AppSheet API - Returned value for boolean field: Y/N instead of true/false

AppSheet AppSheet Q&A
,
1

Hi,

I started to use AppSheet API for my app but it is quite annoying that in case of boolean fields the returned value is Y or N instead of true of false .

The AppSheet field type is Yes/No in all case and I am using “customized Yes/No display values” too.
For this app I am using Postgers DB where the related fields are set to boolean.

Does anyone encountered with this issue?
Do we have any kind of resolution?

3

I am not exactly clear on where you are having issues.

“Y” and “N” are the default values used in the AppSheet UI for DISPLAY purposes. You can still test the Yes/No column using true and false. The values in AppSheet are interchangeable.

1 Like
4

You need to place a “Translator” within your app’s code.

Where to place it: Exactly when your app is receiving data from the AppSheet API.

The Translator’s job: It will quickly convert the data.

If it receives Y, it will tell the app, “This is actually true.”

If it receives N, it will tell the app, “This is actually false.”

By doing this, the data will arrive in your expected true/false format before it is processed inside your app, and you won’t face any compatibility issues.

I want a Google translator between my application
5

2025-11-30T05:00:00Z

Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4
6

@WillowMobileSys ,

Thanks for the comment!
I have issues in the content of the AppSheet API’s response.
As I know, it can be expected from an API that it returns boolean values as true/false instead of Y/N.

@Somrat_Hasan_88 ,
Thanks for the comment for you too!
I already implemented a “Translator”, but I hoped that there could be a more native solution where I don’t have to handle this behavior.

7

Still do not understand the issue.

You referenced AppSheet’s API. Since we cannot retrieve data from AppSheet’s API yet (only POST operations are supported), I assume you are attempting to send data INTO AppSheet through this API. You should be able to send into a “Yes/No” column any value to represent the boolean - “Y”, “Yes”, true or “N”, “No”, false.

But then you also reference a “returned value” for boolean, which is also not supported by AppSheet API. Only return codes are supported. More details on AppSheet API Usage.

So then, I am wondering if maybe you are referring to a webhook call or a Script call. I have not used either to return boolean values so I don’t really know how they operate in this respect. Either way, the return value should seamlessly translate from false/true into an AppSheet Yes/No columns y/n values.

AppSheet’s internal default representation is “Y” or “N”. As you point out, you can configure any other value to represent the display values for these columns.

If you can clarify what automation process you are using and exactly what the issue is you are facing, then we may be able to provide more details around that.

1 Like
8

Well, I don’t know if you have tried it or not, but for me the Read records from a table option returns perfectly the data that I am looking for. Except, this issue with boolean value handling.

It can happen that I wasn’t clear enough about the exact usecase.
In a nutshell,

  1. with a BOT I am calling an AppScript script
  2. the script retrieves data from the app via the API
  3. the script executes the needed data manipulations and calls a 3rd party API
  4. the script handles the response of the 3rd party API
  5. the script returns its response to the BOT
  6. the BOT handles the remaining logic

So my problem occurs when I am handling the retrieved data within the script.

1 Like
9

No, I didn’t realize that was there. Wow! Maybe I missed an announcement in the past??

Sorry for my confusion caused by my lack of knowledge. I understand the problem now.

I think the way I would handle this is for each Yes/No column I expect to be retrieved through the API, I would create a second column in the table that is TEXT and assign it with an App Formula the value of “true” or “false”. Then use this second column in the set of columns retrieved through the API.

This is a Translator of sorts as suggested by @Somrat_Hasan_88 above, but it is done at the source of the data and probably simpler to implement.

In the meantime, there probably should be a Feature Idea suggestion to AppSheet to submit into external outputs the values of true/false since it is the industry standard. This would include output to API calls, parameters submitted to scripts and CSV exports. I believe they already do this for data sent to databases. They just need to extend that to ALL external output!!!

I hope this helps!!

1 Like