# Tri-Boolean implementation **URL:** \ **Category:** Ask for Help\ **Created:** [September 3, 2022, 11:16pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/tri-boolean-implementation/48527 "2022-09-03T23:16:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MattLB](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/mattlb/32/41284_2.png) [@MattLB](https://community.glideapps.com/u/MattLB)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 11:16pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/tri-boolean-implementation/48527/1 "2022-09-03T23:16:44Z")
What is a good component to use when trying to create a column that can be Y/N or empty/unknown. For example, “Has it been approved?” can be yes or no or unknown/no-answer. Any recommendations based on Glide components / designs. ---
**Author:** ![gvalero](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/gvalero/32/1037_2.png) [@gvalero](https://community.glideapps.com/u/gvalero)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 12:14am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/tri-boolean-implementation/48527/2 "2022-09-04T00:14:10Z")
Hola! The easiest way is: - True (on) → approved - Anything else means **No approved** ---
**Author:** ![MattLB](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/mattlb/32/41284_2.png) [@MattLB](https://community.glideapps.com/u/MattLB)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 12:34am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/tri-boolean-implementation/48527/3 "2022-09-08T00:34:29Z")
Bad example on my part but if you are asking a yes or no question and the response is I don’t know then it is definitely not “NO”. It is a maybe or IDK. Is their a defined budget? Yes, No or “I do not know”. If I don’t select anything it is considered a ‘NO’ versus “I don’t know”. Now I can define NO and IDK as the same but it is like a Schrodinger’s cat/boolean - neither yes nor no until you ‘act’ upon it. IDK is when you haven’t opened the box. Everything starts as an IDK and moves to either a Y or a N. Has anyone represented: IDK/Y/N? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![ThinhDinh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/thinhdinh/32/49_2.png) [@ThinhDinh](https://community.glideapps.com/u/ThinhDinh)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 1:17am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/tri-boolean-implementation/48527/4 "2022-09-08T01:17:21Z")
If it’s not just booleans then I would just use a normal text column and store Yes/No/I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Murphy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/darren_murphy/32/47326_2.png) [@Darren\_Murphy](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Darren_Murphy)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 3:13am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/tri-boolean-implementation/48527/5 "2022-09-08T03:13:53Z")
> [@MattLB](#): > > Is their a defined budget? Yes, No or “I do not know”. If I don’t select anything it is considered a ‘NO’ versus “I don’t know”. Now I can define NO and IDK as the same but it is like a Schrodinger’s cat/boolean - neither yes nor no until you ‘act’ upon it. IDK is when you haven’t opened the box. > > Everything starts as an IDK and moves to either a Y or a N. > > Has anyone represented: IDK/Y/N? Are you asking how to represent it in the data editor, or how to represent it in the user interface? A boolean has 3 states (true/false/null), so that would be the logical choice for the data editor, no? One thing to note though that is if you do use a boolean and you ever needed to change state from yes/no to I don’t know, then a simple checkbox toggle wouldn’t cut the mustard. Changing a boolean back to the null state once it’s been set can only be done by clearing it (ie. Set Column Values → Clear Value). So that would need to be done with an action. For the user interface, that could be anything you want. ---
**Author:** ![gvalero](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/gvalero/32/1037_2.png) [@gvalero](https://community.glideapps.com/u/gvalero)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 3:20am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/tri-boolean-implementation/48527/6 "2022-09-08T03:20:34Z")
> [@Darren\_Murphy](#): > > A boolean has 3 states (true/false/null), so that would be the logical choice for the data editor Well, in Glide is the only place where I have seen and used a boolean variable with 3 states, it’s a reality! 😅 Saludos! ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Murphy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/darren_murphy/32/47326_2.png) [@Darren\_Murphy](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Darren_Murphy)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 3:22am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/tri-boolean-implementation/48527/7 "2022-09-08T03:22:24Z")
Yeah, I probably should have qualified that by saying a “Glide Boolean” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Hager](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/jeff_hager/32/43_2.png) [@Jeff\_Hager](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Jeff_Hager)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 3:57am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/tri-boolean-implementation/48527/8 "2022-09-08T03:57:19Z")
I guess for something like this, I would just use a choice component. ---
**Author:** ![MattLB](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/mattlb/32/41284_2.png) [@MattLB](https://community.glideapps.com/u/MattLB)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2022, 1:42am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/tri-boolean-implementation/48527/9 "2022-09-09T01:42:43Z")
That was obvious. I think with chips ! How did I not think of that. Complicating things when they didn’t. Glide is Shrodinger’s Boolean ---
**Author:** ![MattLB](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/mattlb/32/41284_2.png) [@MattLB](https://community.glideapps.com/u/MattLB)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2022, 2:03am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/tri-boolean-implementation/48527/10 "2022-09-09T02:03:25Z")
I was looking at the UI and Jeff nailed the answer. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/system/32/53398_2.png) [@system](https://community.glideapps.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2022, 2:03am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/tri-boolean-implementation/48527/11 "2022-09-10T02:03:25Z")
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