Hi, Is it possible for an app user to enter ...

AppSheet AppSheet Q&A
1

Hi,

Is it possible for an app user to enter in their database connection details from within the app?

I have several customers each with their own sql database.

I would like my app to be used for all my customers.

The customer would login, enter in their database connection to see their data and hopefully they can save their database information, so it would only have to be entered in once.

Thanks for any help in advance,

Paul

2

@Paul_Pillay it’s not dynamically possible I believe. However, if your SQL server is on Microsoft, I believe your users can benefit from Active Directory login and you can use Security Filter to filter your database as per user id/login id/email. However this option requires a corporate plan.

3

OK thanks Ill take a look at that

4

@Paul_Pillay, I do not advise this for a variety of reasons. The primary reason is security — you definitely do not want database username/password being submitted via the app.

The preferred route for something like this is to have each customer create their own AppSheet account and set up their SQL database as a data source in the account. Then they’d make a copy of your app into that account.

5

Thanks Praveen. I currently provide a SaaS desktop application and looking to do the app as an add-on and would prefer to handle all of the app for the customers myself.

If I had the app running with a demo sql database for example, then copied the app each time for a new customer.

Is it possible for me to then change the datasource settings from within AppSheet and then redeploy to the customer?

Do all the keys, views, rules, formatting remain the same?

All the database tables are identical

6

I have copied my app.

Added another database.

Changed the source path for each table to the new database.

Regenerated the columns.

Looks like everything is working ok.

Is there anyway to do a batch source change instead of changing the source individually for each table?

How do rename an account source, currently says database-1, database-2 etc?

7

You can click on a data

source and rename it.

For your scenario, it might be that you create an AppSheet account on behalf of each of your customers (even though you manage it yourself).

In each account, set up a data source called say ‘MyDataSource’ but it can point to a different SQL database for each account.

When you copy the app to that account, it will “bind” to the data sources of that account. That way, you won’t have to change anything in the app itself.

8

Just to check, to change the database name, I clicked sources → database and renamed it, re-entered the password and authorised access again for it to accept the rename change.

Is it possible to just rename the database and click a save button?

Copying the app across for each customer seems the best way to go. But if I was going to create a new account for the customer, wouldnt I need to know their login details and the provider they would be using first?

How would I create a new account with just their email address? (this may be all if I have once the customer placed an order for my app)

9

@Paul_Pillay, you can create Google accounts in your own name (PaulPillay1@gmail, PaulPillay2@gmail, etc), one for each customer.

Yes, changing the database source name is a bit cumbersome at the moment.

10

OK that can work for me.

Thanks again for your help!

You guys have done a great job with Appsheet

11

Interesting, sounds Hard!

Following, ty!