I’d like to create a form element in Glide, where a user inputs a name and signature, then clicks ‘add’. When they click add, the name and signature are combined in one column in the spreadsheet, then the name and signature field reset/clear.
The user can add as many names and signatures as they want.
The name and signature need to be in one column/cell because the user can input more than 1 signature, so the name needs to be matched with the signature so admin can attach the signature to the name of the person.
Else, I’d do have the ‘signature’ in an image array and the ‘name’ in a text array.
My main concern is formatting this on the spreadsheet. Will I need to create two separate columns and then a template column that combines the two columns?
The only issue with this is that Google sheets doesn’t recognize column types such as ‘relation’ and ‘template’.
What’s the best way to go about making this happen?
I guess the simple answer here is that you can create a column in your Google sheet that concatenates the values in the two columns (the Signature will appear as a URL in your Google Sheet).
But what you are trying to do seems a little odd, and I can’t help feeling that you’re making this way more complicated than it needs to be. Can you explain the bigger picture a bit more?
You mention that an admin needs to later match the names and signatures. I don’t understand why this would be necessary, as both would already be saved in the same row. Also, which name needs to be matched - is it the name that the user provides, or the name of the user that submits the form? And what is the purpose of this matching - how will this data ultimately be used?
When a user adds multiple signatures, are you expecting to save all those signatures in the same row in the spreadsheet?
Each time a user submits a name/signature pair, will the name be different, or are you expecting the user to enter the same name each time? If the same name, why not just add the name once, and then associate multiple signatures with the name?
Why is it important to have the names/signatures combined in the Google Spreadsheet? Will they be used outside your app?
This element of the form is for a risk assessment briefing so the user has to input the name of the person that has been briefed and then the person that has been briefed inputs their signature into the device.
I’ve attached an image if how this looks on paper.
Admin needs to see the name and signature to check who has been briefed on the hazards at the site/property, this is to ensure health and safety procedures/standards are met.
The name that the user provides will need to be matched with the signature.
When a user adds multiple signatures, this needs to be saved on one row for that one property/site. Employees will go to the site, they will be briefed on the hazards at the site, then they will sign the form to show they have been briefed on risks for that particular site.
This means they are able to work on that site/property.
The names will be different.
It’s important to have this in the Google Spreadsheet so a record can be kept, health and safety procedures are met and to protect employees and customers from harm.
Okay thanks, that helps a lot to understand. But I’ll still have more questions
Firstly, to directly address the question of getting both in the same column. What you could do is create a template column in Glide that combines the name and signature, and then write that to a basic column when the user submits the form.
BUT… this will get really messy…
You’ll need to ensure that you have enough columns prepared to cater for the maximum number of name/signature pairs expected
And every time a user submits a pair, you’ll need logic to figure which is the next available column
Most likely this won’t work with the Glide native form, so you’ll need to use a custom form
When you try to display these in the app, it’s going to be way more complicated that it otherwise would be, because you’ll need to coerce a variable number of columns into a list. It’s possible to do that, but requires a bit of jumping through hoops.
Also, Glide will save the signature as an image. And images appear as URL’s in your Google Sheet. So that’s probably not going to be very useful if an admin is trying to match names and signatures by eyeballing the Google Sheet.
Does this have to be a hard (printed) copy, or could they just view them in the app?
Is this absolutely necessary?
Because the really easy way to do this would be to just include a Property ID column in your sheet/table, and then save each name/signature pair on a separate row, with the name and signature in separate columns. Then you can easily get a list of names/signatures for any given property by creating a relation to the Property ID. This would drastically increase your row count, but it would be by far the simplest solution.
Honestly, my advice would be to consider doing all of checking of names/signatures inside Glide. You’ll still have the permanent record in the Google Spreadsheet, but managing it inside the app will be way easier.
Hi Darren, thank you so much for taking the time to respond.
This would make sense, but the images do need to be seen alongside the names.
Through Zapier I will be converting the data in Google Sheets into a PDF version of the Risk Assessment Form.
There are different forms on the app that need to be completed for 1 property, once all the forms are completed, this means the job is complete.
Zapier will convert the data from Google Sheets into a PDF that is called ‘Address of property/site’.
We need to be able to view the signatures and names on the form as evidence so that we can get paid for the job done at the property/site.
I hope this gives you more clarity.
I’ve tried using a custom form before, but it’s problematic because, unlike the Glide native form, it doesn’t allow values from the previous screen to pre-populate data needed in the new form.
E.g. If I click on an address, it might take me to the detail screen.
When I click on a button in that detail screen, it takes me to a form screen that has already been pre-populated with the Address, Postcode, etc due to the values in ‘Screen Columns’.
Is there a way for information to be pre-populated through a detail screen?
How can I write a Glide column to a basic column🤔
