February 28, 2023

[lizlynch]

Deployment Time: 2:30 PM PST

Features & enhancements

Item	Description
Enhancement	For the improved editor UI (preview), you can now can search by the various subtopics that are on the page to help you find something that you might have forgotten the location of. For example:
Enhancement	For the improved editor UI (preview), you can now search tasks and views by their type to help you find things more easily. For example:
Enhancement	Show app name on delete confirmation modal in My Apps, as suggested by users in the AppSheet Community.

Bug fixes

Item	Description
Bug	Do not apply search filters to detail, form, or onboarding views in split configuration. This addresses the issue where the detail form may disappear when in a split configuration where a search term was specified.

Rollout changes

Item	Description
Bug	For Desktop UI (preview), fixed inconsistent expression results in Desktop forms. Certain expressions were producing different results in Desktop mode, specifically those that involve searches (e.g. SELECT() or LOOKUP()) over the same table currently being edited in the form. With Desktop mode off, the pending changes in the unsaved form are not included in the result. With Desktop mode on, they were being included. After this change, they will again be omitted from the result. Note: As part of this rollout, there is a fix for INPUT() modal form not showing changed values. The value would appear to revert to its initial state after focus leaves the input. This issue has been fixed. New: Deployed to 100% of free users and 75% of paid users. Previous: Deployed to 100% of free users and 50% paid users. Update: Fixed a bug with auto-reopen where the form would reopen in an error state.
Enhancement	For desktop UI (preview), there is an update to detail views. For some backgrounds, we wanted to follow UX best practices around legibility for out-of-the-box detail views, and also provide some consistency and better alignment with detail views that are organized with SHOW type columns. There are two main changes: New non-card header - in a detail view if there are headers, a header image, or prominent actions specified and Use card layout is not toggled. For example: Multi-columns + cards if view width > 768px (Previously this was only enabled if SHOW type headers were present) Actions, headers, and header image are in the "header column" Ref lists break into their own cards For example: If you have any comments on these changes, please let us know! New: Deployed to all users. Previous: Deployed to 100% of free users and 75% paid users.

Preview announcements

Preview feature releases enable you to try out new app features that are not yet fully supported. See Product launch stages.

• No new preview features were released today.

What's currently available in Preview?

The following tables summarize the preview features that are currently available.

Item	Description
Feature	AppSheet databases (Preview) The new AppSheet database feature is now in preview release. An AppSheet database is a first-party, native data source for organizing and managing data powering AppSheet apps. An AppSheet database provides an easy and efficient way to build data models for any AppSheet app without needing to use an external data source solution such as cloud-based spreadsheets or databases. For more information, see: Community announcement AppSheet databases
Enhancement	Navigation improvements in AppSheet app editor (Preview) The app editor includes navigation improvements, currently in preview, to facilitate the configuration of specific features. For example, the new Settings section in the left navigation gathers together all app-wide settings and makes it more intuitive for all app creators to find these types of settings. For more information, see: Community announcement Summary of navigation improvements in the app editor (Preview).
Enhancement	Additional usability improvements in AppSheet app editor (Preview) The app editor includes navigation and app setting improvements, currently in preview, to facilitate the configuration of specific features. The navigation improvements now include a secondary navigation panel that lets you quickly scan all of your components. In addition, there are more direct links in your View component to the table, column, or action that you want to check or edit. Finally, error and warning messages are more prominently displayed in the app. For more information, see: Further usability improvements: Simplifying the navigation in the editor Summary of improvements in the app editor (preview).
Feature	AppSheet apps for desktop users (Preview) The new desktop design, currently in preview, is optimized for desktop browsers, presenting a more complete view of information with a consistent organization and structure. The new desktop design lets users navigate their apps more easily and access information in context, and provides an efficient way to edit existing records without losing context. The legacy desktop design, enabled by default, provides an experience similar to the mobile and tablet device. For more information, see: Community article Optimize the user experience using the new desktop design (Preview)

The following features require opt-in to the AppSheet preview program. The AppSheet Preview program lets app creators try out new app features that are not yet fully supported.

Item	Description
Feature	Chat apps with AppSheet (Preview) Create and publish Chat apps using AppSheet. Chat apps are web applications or services that run in Google Chat. By creating a Chat app with AppSheet, you enable users to interact directly with your app in Google Chat rather than clicking out to view the AppSheet app in a separate window. See: Community announcement Chat apps
Feature	Table view Table View now supports freezing the first column while scrolling horizontally. For details, see Freezing the first Column of a Table View - in Preview Program.
Feature	Chart Editor App Creators can now make use of our new chart editor and the new and improved charts it can create. Learn more.
Feature	Detail views Rich text formatting is now available in Detail views. For details, see this announcement in the community.

[dbaum]

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@lizlynch wrote:

For the improved editor UI (preview), you can now search tasks and views by their type to help you find things more easily.

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Thank you! This has been long needed. Given the new editor UI's segregation of linked and unlinked automation components, including tasks, I hope this can soon be extended to unlinked tasks in some fashion.

[dbaum]

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@lizlynch wrote:

Features & enhancements

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FYI, this section is truncated on the right:

[Denzil_Snyman]

Thank you, I also can now use new editor suddenly.

 @lizlynch Please have team look into this. 

Was occurring a few days before this release, mobile works fine though. Desktop mode  save issue, herewith my scenario... 

 If I try cancel or refresh, it seems to have completed saving my main form details, however my grouped save actions for looping and creating child records is what seems to have failed on desktop mode.

It created one of my child rows and stuck there. 

 

 

[lizlynch]

@Denzil_Snyman - Escalating. Thank you for reporting!

[lizlynch]

@dbaum - I passed on your feedback to the team! I also fixed the cropping issue on the page. Apologies for that!

[Koichi_Tsuji]

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@lizlynch wrote:

For desktop UI (preview), there is an update to detail views. For some backgrounds, we wanted to follow UX best practices around legibility for out-of-the-box detail views, and also provide some consistency and better alignment with detail views that are organized with SHOW type columns.

There are two main changes:

1. New non-card header - in a detail view if there are headers, a header image, or prominent actions specified and Use card layout is not toggled.
   For example:
   
2. Multi-columns + cards if view width > 768px
   (Previously this was only enabled if SHOW type headers were present)
   • Actions, headers, and header image are in the "header column"
   • Ref lists break into their own cards

For example:

If you have any comments on these changes, please let us know!

New: Deployed to all users.
Previous: Deployed to 100% of free users and 75% paid users.

---

This new release is breaking up the existing new desktop UX. The header section with background is broken. Better to roll back.

In addition to the header for details view wiht image, the detail  view with background image are also  brokern completely.

It used to be looking like this.

 But now it looks ugly.😥

 the texts  for header are pushed upwards..... which is not original behaivior for the existing and available UXs.

@lizlynch 

@takuya_miyai 

[Koichi_Tsuji]

Yesterday, I mentioned and shared that the latest release on new desktop just brought new problems here and there for new UX.

We rather frequently see the strange error message when we fire action, which used to work fine before (until the day before yesterday)

Surely better to roll back to avoid any further interuptions.

 

[amyplin]

@Koichi_Tsuji hello, thanks for sharing these new problems with us. For the strange error message when an action is fired, could you let me know which app you're seeing this in and enable support so we can take a look? Thanks!

[Koichi_Tsuji]

sent private message.

I dont wanna share our private app IDs etc. I also reported to Aurthur already privately. Please discuss first internally.

[SkrOYC]

May I suggest you to not change the header's size and alignment when using it without a header image? It actually makes no sense to have such a small header. For just text I prefer it to be the old way with big text aligned at the center.

Thanks

@lizlynch @Arthur_Rallu 

[SkrOYC]

Also, when we use a header image and no header text, the gradient is also applied. So seems like a half baked feature that was rollout ahead of time, please take a look asap.

@lizlynch @Arthur_Rallu 

[amyplin]

@SkrOYC The gradient does not show if you don't have any header columns configured, my guess is your view has header columns configured but no content in them - we can look into a fix that checks the actual content!

[SkrOYC]

To be clear, I see a gradient in a header when using just an image without text

I can see the gradient more clearly when the image is being loaded

[amyplin]

@SkrOYC In the editor, you don't have any Header Columns configured for this detail view?

[SkrOYC]

I double checked and there was a column set as header, I removed it, now works as expected.
Thanks for the patience

[benhare]

@dbaum Glad you like the search changes, the embedded/unembedded component stuff (or some kind of fix for it) is something on our radar to do.

[Skip2MiLu]

@amyplin & @Koichi_Tsuji 

I actually appreciate the new default Desktop multicolumn layout implementation. 

Some points to note.

1. I believe I would have mostly kept the Desktop Multi column layout toggle on. However it bothers me that there is seperate card for the header column  / main image / actions. 
   This card will always be small, and there will always be a large blank space under it that is wasted.
   It really needs to be located on top of each other vs seperated, to ensure that there is not always wasted space under it. 
   Unfortunatly I would mostly need to go switch this toggle off on most of my view purely for this reason. 
   Please consider adjusting it as recommended.
   
   
2. The new header location implementation on the desktop view however is a lot better option vs how it was located on top of the image.
   Please consider implementing the same in the mobile view!
   Compare how the Desktop view looks vs the mobile view on pictures below.
   The mobile view should look the same as the Desktop view....a much better implementation that looks a lot more professiona. 

[dbaum]

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@Skip2MiLu wrote:

The new header location implementation on the desktop view however is a lot better option vs how it was located on top of the image.
Please consider implementing the same in the mobile view!
Compare how the Desktop view looks vs the mobile view on pictures below.
The mobile view should look the same as the Desktop view....a much better implementation that looks a lot more professiona.

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💯

[Rifad]

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@lizlynch wrote:

New non-card header - in a detail view if there are headers, a header image

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The main image is not properly formatting in desktop view. In mobile view it works perfect. @lizlynch 

[Rifad]

@lizlynch  Desktop UI can be used in amazing ways if minor changes mentioned here can be updated. Many users want to see important data in tables below and miss out important details sometimes. When we already have space on both side why is this being limited ?

Soo much unwanted space below first column after actions also. All these space can be utilised in amazing ways.

[dbaum]

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@lizlynch wrote:

I passed on your feedback to the team!

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Thanks a lot for today's release that enables searching unlinked tasks by type. Very helpful!

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@lizlynch wrote:

For the improved editor UI (preview), you can now search tasks and views by their type to help you find things more easily.

---

@lizlynch, please document the relevant keywords supported for searching by type. For example, in the task search "Send" and "Call" don't return tasks whose task type name in the UI includes those words (e.g., "Send an SMS", "Call a webhook").

[benhare]

@dbaum No that's just a bug - "Send an SMS" should be searchable w/ "Send" (and "Call a webhook" w/ Call etc), I'll have a fix for that up soon. Thanks for mentioning that!