Data lost in helper table

[Paarl_Bus]

Good day everyone. I have in my old app used an Autonumber column for ParentID and ChildID, which I now changed to the RowID column.

So I created a new Custom form linked to the ParentChild helper table, to which I have added a ParentRowID and a ChildRowID column. In the form I have a Form Container with 2 Choice components writing to the relevant RowID, getting the values from either the Parents table or the Children table. After completing the entries I checked the ParentChild table and all was well, 69 entries. I added a relation column to each RowID to show the parent or child name for RowID. ALl perfectly well.

The I answered some messages on my phone, and when I went back all die columns were empty. Nothing deleted, just empty. I added two entries again, and a few minutes later they were empty too.

I even checked the workflows in case one writes to the ParentChild table, but the only one that does has never run - it’s only for onboarding new clients/parents.

How can this possibly happen?

Update: I added a workflow to set the column values and so far nothing has disappeared. Maybe the data wasn’t saved? If so, why not? Isn’t a form container supposed to “collect data and store it directly”?

Update 2: Gone again. I am not updating any parent or child details or running any workflow. I am simply editing the bus schedules layouts to display correctly - i.e. the correct route, date, pickup and drop-off points. Nothing changes with parents or children.

[c0bbler]

Typically with helper tables, you tie your form to the helper table, and then use an Add Row action to submit the completed row to the subsequent table (or tables) to persist the data. In helper tables a common practice is to use user-specific columns, which only apply to each user session, and are commonly cleared when a new form view is created (new session, depending on your configuration).

It sounds like you are using the helper table to write values into two tables, if I understand your problem correctly. You may want to look into the After Submit action within your form+helper table setup, and if not, tie an app interaction workflow to the submission button that puts the data where you would like it persisted.

If my assumptions are in error, perhaps you could share some screenshots of your setup so we can assist further.

[ThinhDinh]

Does your app require users to sign-in?

What do you mean by “Autonumber” here?

@Paarl_Bus

an Autonumber column for ParentID and ChildID

I’m confused why you need to have a form for this. Can you elaborate?

@Paarl_Bus

So I created a new Custom form linked to the ParentChild helper table, to which I have added a ParentRowID and a ChildRowID column. In the form I have a Form Container with 2 Choice components writing to the relevant RowID, getting the values from either the Parents table or the Children table.

[Paarl_Bus]

Does your app require users to sign-in?

Yes. Private app, using the Users table.

@ThinhDinh

What do you mean by “Autonumber” here?

Autonumber was a function of my Android app, which I’m now replacing with RowIDs. It is a Unique field used to link any top-level field i.e parent ID field with its subordinate/dependent child ID field, So every time you add a record the ID field gets increased automatically and you could easily set up relationships using this field.

@Paarl_Bus

an Autonumber column for ParentID and ChildID

@ThinhDinh

I’m confused why you need to have a form for this. Can you elaborate?

The form I’m referring to is a once-off form I created just to add the RowIDs for parents and children to the helper table, to replace the ID fields. It has only 2 Choice fields, for parent’s names and childen’s names. So I selected a parent, then their child, and the After Submit action added the 2 RowIDs to the helper table. After that I just have to change all the references to ID columns to RowID columns.

[ThinhDinh]

@ThinhDinh

The form I’m referring to is a once-off form I created just to add the RowIDs for parents and children to the helper table, to replace the ID fields. It has only 2 Choice fields, for parent’s names and childen’s names. So I selected a parent, then their child, and the After Submit action added the 2 RowIDs to the helper table. After that I just have to change all the references to ID columns to RowID columns.

Why do you have to do the set value afterwards? Aren’t you writing to those columns already in the form or am I missing something?

I would suggest removing that and try again to see if it sticks.

[Paarl_Bus]

Good day @ThinhDinh. That’s a good question and the answer is - ignorance. I have removed the workflow and re-entered all the data, and yes it sticks. Will check later again - the work I did yesterday has disappeared again even though I have switched off the laptop after doing it. And it cleared the 2 copies of the table I made as well… very incomprehensible to me but ok. It should stick forever now that I removed the workflow.

Thanks again, and best wishes.

Update: All is well a day later

[Paarl_Bus]

Yet another update, 2 days later.

I have lost the contents of the helper table twice today. All I was doing was to make new layouts for the bus schedules - basically duplicating one for each route, with layouts for picking up and dropping of on Friday, same for Sunday. These layouts are connected ONLY to the Trips table and consist of a custom container with a card collection for each pickup or drop-off point.

AT no stage do I run a workflow here, or connect to the helper table.

The helper table is actually ONLY used after completing onboarding a new Parent and Child, when a workflow writes the user table RowID and the Children table RowID to it.

The drivers have a button on their layout to confirm pickup or drop-off completed. It runs a workflow loop filtered on the route, trip date and pickup or drop-off sequence to write the current time to the relevant records in Trips table.

No connection to helper table.

At this stage it is starting to feel like a bug. I also notice a few days ago that if I duplicate this app, and then change some value in the duplicated table, it reflects in the original table too. Are duplicated table still connected in some way? I tested it just now again - add “-XXX” to the first user’s name in the copy. The same change was added to the original table too.

???

[Jeff_Hager]

Please include more screenshots in your posts. Tables, screens, workflows, configurations… anything that could be useful to your questions. A lot of information can come from an image that you may not think to mention. I’ve never been able to visualize your app, so it’s been difficult to offer any help. Redact any PII necessary.

@Paarl_Bus

if I duplicate this app, and then change some value in the duplicated table, it reflects in the original table too

If you choose the ‘Link Existing Tables’ option when you duplicate an app, then yes both apps will be linked to the same tables and days changes will reflect on both. If you want the duplicate app to have it’s own tables, then select ‘Duplicate Existing Tables’.

[Paarl_Bus]

Hi Jeff

If you choose the ‘Link Existing Tables’ option when you duplicate an app, then yes both apps will be linked to the same tables and days changes will reflect on both. If you want the duplicate app to have it’s own tables, then select ‘Duplicate Existing Tables’.

That may well have been the cause. I made a copy just now and noticed that I nearly forgot to select the Duplicate Table option.

In this newly duplicated table I added a new user, using the New User layout, thinking I can share this redacted copy so you guys can check it out yourselves. After adding the user (parent), the Submit button opens a form for the child, after which Submit runs the workflow to add the RowID’s to the helper table. I will include a screenshot now because… it immediately wiped the helper table clean!

But still… I wasn’t running that workflow earlier, simply editing the bus schedule layouts.

I have actually included this screenshot before. I have removed the trigger workflow below Add Row too, a calculated column takes care of it now.

I have also went through all the manual/triggered workflows and could no instance of writing to the helper table except for the one above.

Maybe look at the app itself? Surely I’m doing something stupid and/or silly; I quite often try to fly with a new app before I can crawl….

Again, heartfelt and sincere thanks to all you helpful guys.

Update:

This morning I found out what happens to erase the helper table.

Remember that this table contains the rowIDs for parents and their children. So I was testing the bookings to check if all the data was written correctly. When I selected another user from the Viewing As drop-down, it erased the entries in the table. This happened anytime I selected another user, even when opening another table.

This only started AFTER I changed the relations from ParentID-ChildID to RowIDs in the helper table.