Integrating Two AppSheet Apps

AppSheet AppSheet Q&A
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I’ve created two AppSheet apps with separate databases and want to integrate them into one app accessible via the resulting app’s dropdown menu. I’m looking for suggestions for best practices, if any, to accomplish this integration.

Another community member posed a similar question regarding linking apps. I’m not sure that this is the better way to go rather than full integration, e.g. would linking improve individual app performance; would full-integration improve the UX.

Note that neither app is resource-heavy yet both use user content from completed forms that are then used for charting and analysis, for example.

Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.

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If you want to make sure that your users consider both apps as being part of a bigger system, create a Launcher so that your users access your apps from inside that launcher.

This will also add a reference to the launcher (previous app) instead of the AppSheet gallery inside the Menu

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Thanks for this suggestion. The only immediate drawback I see of using the AppSheet Launcher is it requires two-steps to switch between apps (i.e. going from, say, app-1 back to the Launcher options to select app-2) rather than a single-step from the menu (i.e. without using the AppSheet gallery from the menu to switch apps).

Are there any other drawbacks you’re aware of? Also, would using the Launcher improve performance over fully integrating the apps, as far as you know? Thanks.

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Eventhough it seems like it would be more tedious, it can scale to an unlimited number of apps.

About performance, that’s a topic so big that just to start a discussion about it requires a lot of mental energy to talk about… but, I know that the original AppSheet team (and I suppose the new Google team as well) suggest multiple small apps instead of a big one, although some disagree… ahem @MultiTech

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There is a lot of nuance and variability in this answer, as @SkrOYC alluded to.

I personally stick to building things out in one master app:

  • No transitions from app to app (which can bring edge cases that can be difficult to deal with)
  • No duplication of update work (when you make a change to one app, you have to change them all)
  • Easily move from one “topic” or “process” to another
  • and much more

But there ARE situations in which this setup might not be preferable - it all depends on what you’re trying to accomplish.

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Beyond performance, have you found any other potential drawbacks for having apps unified (a “super-app?”)?