Pre-Populating A Status for Calendar Events

[alexs]

I want to set a default status (a Choice field) for events that users add to my calendar. I’ve read the documentation and it says that:

If you want your list items to have default values, rather than being blank - pre-populate the cells with whichever choice you want to appear as default.

I’ve tried pre-populating a few rows of the Data column in my sheet with the value that I want to pre-populate. But the choice isn’t being automatically selected when I go to create a new event.

Is it not possible to do this for calendar events?

The end result that I’m trying to get to is I want a default status to be set for events that users add to the calendar. Then the admin will update that status once their booking has been confirmed. If there’s a better way to do this then please do let me know!

[RyanThomas]

Here is my guess…when you pre-populate, how are you doing it? An array formula?

When you make a new item in your calendar and save it, where does it save? Does it save way at the bottom below all the pre-populated fields?

Because you have pre-populated it as you have, it’s seeing all those rows as filled already and making a new item far at the bottom.

Would be helpful if you linked your sheet instead of a screenshot.

and did you see this thread?

Choice component default

Hello Glide community. Here is my latest conundrum. I am wondering if the Choice component can have a default choice other than “blank.” Scenario: I have a Supply Order Form in my app and one of the options is to view the status of the order. When an order is submitted the first time, the default choice would be “Under Review,” to allow the person processing the order to look at the order and yada yada. Then the choice could be changed as the order is being processed, yada yada. Suggestions? …

[alexs]

@RyanThomas

when you pre-populate, how are you doing it? An array formula?

I’m just pasting the values in at this point.

@RyanThomas

When you make a new item in your calendar and save it, where does it save? Does it save way at the bottom below all the pre-populated fields?

Yes it populates a new row.

@RyanThomas

and did you see this thread?

I hadn’t but I’m struggling to follow that solution to be honest. I’ll give it a try.

[RyanThomas]

Ok, don’t paste values because when glide makes a new entry, it looks for a row that is blank. If you are pasting values it’s going to skip over all of your rows with information in them.

In that thread the guy makes a new column in the data view that is an IF/Then/else column and looks in the status section, if the status section is blank, he defaults to under review. Hopefully that is clear.

[alexs]

@RyanThomas

Ok, don’t paste values because when glide makes a new entry, it looks for a row that is blank. If you are pasting values it’s going to skip over all of your rows with information in them.

Thanks for the tip!

@RyanThomas

In that thread the guy makes a new column in the data view that is an IF/Then/else column and looks in the status section, if the status section is blank, he defaults to under review. Hopefully that is clear.

Got it. So just to spell this out for anyone who’s new to Glide like me.

1. Access the data view in the sidebar

Screenshot

2. Add a column that’ll display the default value if the Status is empty

Screenshot

3. Add both columns to your page layout

Screenshot

The column from the data view will display if the Status is blank. Then it’ll disappear once Status has a value and the Status will be displayed instead.

I think I was able to use a simpler solution than the one in the other thread because I don’t need to give the user a choice to pick from.

[RyanThomas]

Nice! Thanks for the detailed post back.