# Your Best Practices, Dos & Don'ts for Newbies, pls? Thks 🙂

**URL:** https://community.glideapps.com/t/your-best-practices-dos-donts-for-newbies-pls-thks/35011
**Category:** Ask for Help
**Created:** [November 24, 2021, 1:56pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/your-best-practices-dos-donts-for-newbies-pls-thks/35011 "2021-11-24T13:56:07Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![L.M](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/l.m/32/46371_2.png) [@L.M](https://community.glideapps.com/u/L.M)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2021, 1:56pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/your-best-practices-dos-donts-for-newbies-pls-thks/35011/1 "2021-11-24T13:56:07Z")

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Hi 🌸all  
I’m defending my student project thursday 25 afternoon, featuring one last time my Glide prototype and working on the next & last project already, so, sorry if I’m not reactive to your answers, I do read them a little.

I’d like next to share with my app a short list of Best Practices with Glide.  
Apart from joining this Community, of course 😊  
Like :

- The Dos & Don’ts you’d like to avoid to newbies especially. 🚩
- What you wish so told you before 🤦‍♀️
- The limits of the free plan & its implications
- Anything else you can think of
- Easy plugins or third-party tools

Target readers: newbies who may be less “technical” than myself 😁  
Thks 🌸& catching up later, after my exam.

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### 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: [November 24, 2021, 2:42pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/your-best-practices-dos-donts-for-newbies-pls-thks/35011/2 "2021-11-24T14:42:29Z")

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> [@L.M](#):
>
> - The Dos & Don’ts you’d like to avoid to newbies especially. 🚩
> - What you wish so told you before 🤦‍♀️

Here are a few things off the top of my head:

- [RTFM](https://docs.glideapps.com/all/) 😉
- Use [Column Grouping,](https://docs.glideapps.com/all/reference/data-editor/managing-columns#column-grouping) it will make your life easier.
- Devise your own consistent [column naming scheme](https://community.glideapps.com/t/what-kinds-of-columns-are-missing-in-glide/33473/101), and stick with it.
- [Find All Uses](https://docs.glideapps.com/all/reference/data-editor/managing-columns#find-all-uses) is your new best friend.
- ~~Unless you’re _absolutely_ certain that you’ll never need it, always start a new app with a Google Spreadsheet.~~ _Edit: This one is no longer important since Glide added the ability to add a Google Spreadsheet to a project at any time._
- Learn about Glide [Computed Columns](https://docs.glideapps.com/all/reference/data-editor/computed-columns). Once you understand how to effectively use them you can start unleashing the true power of Glide.
- Avoid Spreadsheet formulas like the plague. Let go of them, they are holding you back. Except in a very few cases, you don’t need them any more. If you think your formulas are way too complex and can’t possibly be done in Glide, refer to previous point ⬆
- Always use [Custom Actions](https://docs.glideapps.com/all/reference/actions/custom-actions)
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Everybody has been where you are at some point.
- Don’t be afraid to jump in and answer questions. Helping others find solutions to their problems is a great way to learn. You won’t always get the right answer, but who cares?
- Be nice to others.
- [RTFM](https://docs.glideapps.com/all/) 😉

I’m sure I could think of a lot more, but that will do for now 🙂

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### Author: ![AyS\_0908](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/ays_0908/32/27349_2.png) [@AyS\_0908](https://community.glideapps.com/u/AyS_0908)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2021, 4:06pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/your-best-practices-dos-donts-for-newbies-pls-thks/35011/3 "2021-11-24T16:06:08Z")

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Same as @Darren_Murphy.

I may add: start with drawing your “tables scheme” on the paper to clearly identify your needs

- tabs
- fields per tabs

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### Author: ![L.M](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/l.m/32/46371_2.png) [@L.M](https://community.glideapps.com/u/L.M)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2021, 5:54pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/your-best-practices-dos-donts-for-newbies-pls-thks/35011/4 "2021-11-24T17:54:34Z")

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@Darren_Murphy & @AyS_0908  
Thks, guys 🌸  
I’ll let you know when I’ll share those tips in a kinda list (once translated in French) in my prototype next month, with a mention like “powered by Glide’s Int’l Community Experts” 😉  
If it’s OK for you?  
It will be updated little by little.  
The English Int’l prototype will come later in 2022.

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### Author: ![Robert\_Petitto](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/robert_petitto/32/25193_2.png) [@Robert\_Petitto](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Robert_Petitto)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2022, 11:56pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/your-best-practices-dos-donts-for-newbies-pls-thks/35011/5 "2022-01-09T23:56:03Z")

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> [@Darren\_Murphy](#):
>
> Unless you’re _absolutely_ certain that you’ll never need it, always start a new app with a Google Spreadsheet.

This one is less important now that we can add sheets after the fact.

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### Author: ![Robert\_Petitto](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/robert_petitto/32/25193_2.png) [@Robert\_Petitto](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Robert_Petitto)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2022, 11:56pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/your-best-practices-dos-donts-for-newbies-pls-thks/35011/6 "2022-01-09T23:56:59Z")

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Such a good list.

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### Author: ![nathanaelb](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/nathanaelb/32/43079_2.png) [@nathanaelb](https://community.glideapps.com/u/nathanaelb)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2022, 12:10am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/your-best-practices-dos-donts-for-newbies-pls-thks/35011/7 "2022-01-10T00:10:01Z")

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Darren’s list could be pinned or highlighted somewhere.

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### 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: [January 10, 2022, 12:45am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/your-best-practices-dos-donts-for-newbies-pls-thks/35011/8 "2022-01-10T00:45:00Z")

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Hola,  
My basic and useful advice is structure, sort and relate your tables on a paper on your desktop before starting your development.

It’s is called _ **Database Normalization** _ when you work with DBMS formally. A better explanation about this concept can be read here: [https://www.studytonight.com/dbms/database-normalization.php](https://www.studytonight.com/dbms/database-normalization.php)

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### Author: ![Eric\_Penn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/eric_penn/32/73888_2.png) [@Eric\_Penn](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Eric_Penn)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2022, 3:16am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/your-best-practices-dos-donts-for-newbies-pls-thks/35011/9 "2022-01-10T03:16:13Z")

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I heard @Mark say something very profound and it stuck with me.

It’s always best to get something working first and then later you can optimize. Shooting for the best version on your first attempt can lead to troubles… something like that 😉

I see this one a lot:  
A form will add a new row to your sheet. That’s it’s purpose, to add a new row. Do not use an add row action on submit in your form. This will cause two rows to be added to your sheet, not one.

For when space bar won’t cut it

> **[Empty Characters, Whitespaces & Blank Unicode Characters](https://emptycharacter.com/)**
>
> Empty Characters, Whitespaces & Blank Unicode Characters

Great for working with images. Easily create transparent images

> **[LunaPic.com Photo Editor tool](https://www10.lunapic.com/editor/)**
>
> Free and Easy to use online image effects. Try the effect.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![L.M](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/l.m/32/46371_2.png) [@L.M](https://community.glideapps.com/u/L.M)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2022, 8:16am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/your-best-practices-dos-donts-for-newbies-pls-thks/35011/10 "2022-01-10T08:16:49Z")

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> [@Eric\_Penn](#):
>
> It’s always best to get something working first and then later you can optimize. Shooting for the best version on your first attempt can lead to troubles… something like that 😉

That’s the very principle of an MVP in a Lean Prototype Cycle: you build as quickly as possible the minimum features that can bring the highest value to the final target (users, customers) to get their feedbacks and iterate to test, learn, build again until they’re happy and you’ve found a fit together.  
But you still need to anticipate enough for maintenance, quality & of course scope & scaling potentials. So as not to lose the time later you first had the illusion to have spared at the beginning.  
Preparation is often better than “improvisation”. Even if the more you know, the smarter & knowledgeable you “improvise”.

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### Author: ![L.M](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/l.m/32/46371_2.png) [@L.M](https://community.glideapps.com/u/L.M)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2022, 6:55am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/your-best-practices-dos-donts-for-newbies-pls-thks/35011/11 "2022-09-17T06:55:21Z")

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phew! The topic is still open!  
I have time to integrate these best practices in my app.  
Thks.