"View As..." I am not sure if this is someth...

AppSheet AppSheet Q&A
1

“View As…”

I am not sure if this is something that is already available, but, when I am developing an App, with several users, I need several different views to stop people seeing certain data. This is fine, I can use Show_If, I can use slices and different views.

What makes it difficult is seeing the effects of all these views AS SEEN BY THE USER. I suppose I could add the user to the USERS list, but then it would invite them, and the App is not ready. I could change all my formulae to match my email, but that would be time-consuming, and if I forgot one, would probably wreck the App.

If you look on Facebook, it is possible to view your page as if you were one of your friends, or just someone in the general public.

Is this sort of thing available? Or possible?

It could take the form of

SHOW_APP_AS(USERNAME(),“GreenGorillasolutions.barnsley@gmail.com”) to show the app as if you were Green Gorilla…

Or, just a setting in the UX to enter the Username you want to view as?

Any ideas?

2

2 other comments to add to this.

1, we get billed for adding a second account to use for testing on another PC or phone.

This seems somewhat unfair.

Returning the App to a prototype stage isn’t always practical.

Also, 2, it would be really useful when adding data to use in behavioural tests.

So, for example, we sometimes need to add data from different people to prove a wages or timesheet system is working.

It’s a PITA to do, and expensive if we want to test for multiple test users.

3

Hmm, good feedback. We’ll think about what is possible here. We cannot actually let one person impersonate another totally because that would led to other security issues. But perhaps we could create a couple of dummy test users for your purpose @Simon_Robinson. I suspect it will not help @Green_Gorilla who needs to see the app exactly like one of his/her users sees it.

Btw, don’t use slices/Show_If for data that you want to securely hide from specific users. Instead, use security filters.

4

@praveen Thanks.

@Simon_Robinson is correct, however, we are working together. We need to be able to program a number of different views, which allow the users to manipulate/input/see data in different ways. The data that they input may well be manipulate by Appsheet in different ways.

As the developer, I can only enter data, manipulate data, etc., as the developer, who has a very different view to the users.

It is not a question of “impersonation” since this is while the app is not even deployed or in use. It is merely as a testing tool (especially for someone like me who is quite new to code, and so needs to test regularly to be sure I am on the right track!)

To be fair, I could just add all the users, send out all their invites, and then get them to tell me what they see, but that costs me money, and the users will not be able to tell me as accurately as me seeing for myself.

So basically, what I think woud work is some way to set the USEREMAIL() of an undeployed App to anything the developer wants to. To mimic what that particular user can see/do.

So, I would go on to my app, do some coding, organise a view etc., and then click on the “View As…,” option and type in “FredBloggs@thisbusiness.co.uk” and see how Fred will be able to use the app. then change the “View As…” option to “Johhny@thisbusiness.co.uk” and see Johnny’s views and so on…

Does that make sense?

As it stands at the moment I have an app that I am to introduce to the customer, and as it stands I am not SURE that all the views are correct for each user… awkward!

Craig Mansell

5

Got it Craig. This is why we have prototype mode. But if you want to do this in deployed mode, here’s one trick.

When used within the app editor emulator, usage is not recorded/does not count towards the account alerting system.

Let’s say you create a couple of test accounts (let’s call them TestGreenGorilla1 and TestGreenGorilla2). Easy to get google drive accounts and set up AppSheet accounts with them. Make them both co-authors of the app definition. You can then run another browser logged in as one of these test users. As long as they open the app in the editor, you can check that it works as expected for each such users. If you have your client’s account credentials, you can actually do the same for their account as well.

6

@praveen I have just thought about this, and yes, it would work in the non-deployed state.

But another issue… I stated above that I work with Simon on Apps…in some cases (including the current one) the Owner of the app is Simon. I am able to edit definition. But, the restrictions on emailing only to the App Owner when the app is not deployed, means I have to deploy the App with me as a user in order for me to see that any email workflows are working. Otherwise I have to ask Simon if he got the email, and he’d have to forward it each time… obviously not workable.

So, would it ALSO be possible to allow Appsheet to email as part of a workflow to anyone who has permission to edit the definition, not just the app owner?