Initial string search with built-in dropdown search bar?

AppSheet AppSheet Q&A
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1

I have a list of full names long enough that it needs to be searched to find the correct name quickly. We search by typing in the person’s first name, but that brings up way too many entries as the default behavior of the built-in search box searches the entire string of each entry.

Is there any way to configure Appsheet to search only at the start of the string?

For example, if you want to search for “Anderson Smith” and type “and”, you still have 11 entries to look through, and even “ande” still leaves 4 entries, even though “Anderson Smith” is the only name starting with “And”.

andsearch.jpg
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It would be much easier if the search only looked at the beginning of the string. Thanks.

2

Unfotunately the built-in search functionality won’t work as per your request. Though you could create your own search functionality with a dashboard (quick editable detail view + table view).

3

I suspected as much but thanks for verifying. I’m not sure it would be any faster to create a custom search than just to type a few more characters & scroll a bit in this case.