Formatting of expressions in the Expression Assistant is now available for all paid users. Some free users have this feature, and we plan to release this feature to all free users in the next month or so.
Enhancement
Column completions in the Expression Assistant are now available for columns in User Settings.
![completion.png
Enhancement
AppSheet function completion is now available in the Expression Assistant for all paid users. Free users should expect this functionality within a month.
Enhancement
AppSheet function completion for [_INPUT] and content after [_THISUSER] is now supported in the Expression Assistant for all paid users.
Enhancement
In desktop mode, added Manage pending changes option to Sync menu. This replaces the Discard changes option, which can now be found inside the Manage pending changes modal.
![manage-pending-changes.png
Bug fixes
Item
Description
Bug
Fixed drop-down search in desktop mode not matching certain special characters such as full-width Japanese romaji.
Bug
Fixed drop-down select-all in desktop mode not working correctly for Refs when a search term is used.
Bug
Fixed a bug where attempting to cancel a sync could sometimes fail and lead to Invalid Sync Token errors. This fix will be rolled out gradually; it is currently deployed to 100% of free accounts.
Bug
Fixed an issue in the Data Explorer of the Expression Assistant where the Insert button wouldn’t display when there was a long column name.
Rollout changes
Item
Description
Bug
Fixed an issue with desktop mode where initial values in a form could get reset.
New: Deployed to 100% of free users and 75% of paid users. Previous: Deployed to 100% of free users and 50% of paid users.
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.
In addition, the AppSheet preview program lets app creators try out new app features that are not yet fully supported. For more details and to opt-in, see AppSheet preview program.
@StephenHind We are unaware of dereferenced columns not working in autocomplete. Can you elaborate on if this is still occurring? If it is, can you elaborate on if it is all or in just some cases? When did you notice it break?
I recently noticed the Discard Change UI has been changed. Honestly speaking, this is not going to bring the better UX to the users.
Even with the old style of UX, it was pretty much hard (almost impossible) to let the users know and find the button “discard change” after something error happens in attempt to save the invalid data. They keep editing app and the unsynced data change number increase. Then finally they contact the app owner or admin for help and guide them to “hit unsynced data” button to erase those.
With the new style, it is getting harder and almost impossible for them to find the button as simply “it is deeply nested…”
I welcome for the reconsideration inside Google UI team to see “what is the most user-friendly and better UX”, among others.
With the old style, I dont think it is good UX, but at least user needs “single click” to reach out to discard change action button. Now, it takes 2 clicks and additional one click to erase un-synced data.
Could you consider like this story?
Once the unsynced data (failed to sync) then immediately display pop-up window to guide the users.
At the same time, the user unable to edit the app. Prohibit to add, edit even delete whatsoever, to avoid the user to keep accumulating the un-synced changes.
With the pop up window or other means, let the users know "to continue to interact with app, option is to “discard change” by hitting this button (your data change will not be saved to the app, so sorry, please re-enter the same). Otherwise this app is kept “read only” for you till you take next course of action.
Something like that. As a quick idea to make better and avoid the failures of the app in use.
Perhaps this is what Koichi-san wanted to point out.
Koichi-san needed to see 『SHOGUN 将軍』Movie in the cinema today and was in a great hurry!
I would also like to add that, believe it or not, citizen developers are horrified when they see the JSON format.
They feel that they may have broken the app by their own manipulations. (To us, JSON data is an important clue to the behavior of an app.)
@wabrian here’s an example from YouTube of what I’m expecting to work that no longer works (the presenter enters [ASSIGNED TO] then dot then a suggestion of dereferenced columns appear)
I agree with your points (presenting to JSON to users of appsheet is not good idea, as they get simply puzzled). But my point is in my thread. Dont let the discard button get deeply nested…
I shared my wish list with Google (before 25/Dec) to have this important functionality to work as I wish.
@wabrian I’m having the same problem that @StephenHind describes, that the autocomplete suggestions for dereferences no longer shows up. This has been happening for at least a couple weeks. It was very useful to have this functionality, so I really hope it comes back!
The difference between “Discard changes?” and “Discard changes” is very confusing to users. This is very confusing to users and should be improved.
I’m very thankful for the work put in on these QoL updates for developers. However, I’m extremely concerned with the the haphazard exposure of table names and primary keys via the new manage pending changes view. I understand the intention here but we’ve basically given malicious users 99% of what they need to attempt valid SQL Injection attacks.
For developers like my team that use very complex dynamic SQL in tangent with appsheet this is very concerning despite the fact that we vigorously cleanse all variables used. As a former IT auditor I’m extremely surprised to see a Service with a current SOC II expose information like this - and the primary keys and table names are not the only issue. How can we rely on a appsheet’s soc2 when the app sheet platform itself would not receive a favorable assessment as it pertains to this.
Please tell me there is a way to turn this off or that I am not understanding this correctly.
I will need to verify, but I am fairly certain when I was first looking into this even if columns were marked PII, they still were exposed in the “manage pending changes” JSON.
