# Write an array column (via Lookup) to Google sheet **URL:** \ **Category:** Report a Bug\ **Created:** [July 24, 2020, 8:13pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/write-an-array-column-via-lookup-to-google-sheet/13062 "2020-07-24T20:13:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 18
**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:** [July 27, 2020, 3:17pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/write-an-array-column-via-lookup-to-google-sheet/13062/18 "2020-07-27T15:17:56Z")
I have a similar use case but not necessarily for writing back to the sheet. I have lessons and for each lesson I have a formula to build a single `` row tag for an html table (yeah yeah, I know…html…). In another sheet that is dynamically built from a query, I use a query in one of the columns to go to the lesson table and take all of those preformatted lesson html tr rows and join multiple together while wrapping it in `` tags. This final html table is what I display in the app. This could easily be done with dynamic markdown tables as well, but right now markdown isn’t functional enough for me. If I could do something with a type of lookup column to pull back multiple rows of column data concatenated as a single string, then wrap it with a template column, then I could accomplish the same thing entirely within Glide without the need of a query in the sheet. This would remove one of the two columns left in my sheet that slows it down considerably (currently use a completely separate helper spreadsheet…not a sheet tab…entire spreadsheet to handle the background calculations of the two heavy columns. Using ImportRange to move data back and forth between the two sheets.). Maybe a new column type could be considered that functions like a lookup, but concatenates to a single string and where you could specify a delimiter, much like the number column let’s you specify units. I could see character limits being hit pretty quickly, so maybe some limits or a disclaimer would be needed? ![Screenshot_20200727-092028](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/glideapps/original/2X/d/d5a39ce7a867c170ff60b7bd134b1720bce93fdd.png) I know there have been several questions regarding multi select or attendance type apps that could have a dynamic list of participants, but save the results in a single row. I don’t know what the best method is to achieve this, but I’ve outlined some of my thoughts here: > [@Lookups from multiple realations](https://community.glideapps.com/t/lookups-from-multiple-realations/13087/9): > > @gvalero like @ThinhDinh mentioned in your other thread, there are probably several ways to approach that as far as how it should be treated. Do you save it as a comma delimited list (or some other type of delimiter)? Do you save it in an array of columns? Do you save it as a value per row? I have my own uses for what you are asking for as well, but at the same time as a programmer myself, I know that arrays are a completely different monster compared to single strings. I would hope that Gl… I also know it comes up a lot with ordering apps where a user may want to customize a food item with different toppings or allergy requests. Stripe doesn’t allow glide only columns, so I suppose people try to create an order record to use for that particular food order. Having to relate that order back to the food item, them back to a list of specific toppings or requests for that food item can get overly complicated when all that’s needed is a single column value that was built from a concatenated list. I don’t, just throwing in my two cents. --- _[View the full topic](https://community.glideapps.com/t/write-an-array-column-via-lookup-to-google-sheet/13062)._