Governing linked input table data entry
1. Governing linked input table data entry
2. DEMO script
Great job setting up a linked input table to nominate loan officers for promotion. Now that you understand how to create linked input tables and add columns to them, let’s talk about controlling how data is entered into the input table. In Oakmark Bank's Loan Approval app, perhaps they want to see when and by whom each application was approved or rejected, and perhaps you, as a developer of the app, want to control who can add data to the input table. Let's address these one at a time. First, we might want to easily see who has done any editing to our linked input table. Adding columns from the ‘row edit history’ menu allows us to add columns which automatically populate with timestamps and user emails whenever a change is made to a row. Let’s add both. Now at a glance we always have visibility as to who was making changes to this table and when. What about controlling who can add data in the first place? Next to the linked input table title, there’s a drop-down menu displaying the current data entry permissions for this input table. This drop-down is only visible when in Draft mode of a workbook, and it can be configured two ways - ‘editable only in draft’, or ‘editable in published version’. There are two versions of editable in published - we’ll talk about those in a moment. How you configure this drop-down determines when data can be added to the linked input table. Leveraging ‘only editable in draft’ for controlled edits If we set it to ‘only editable in draft’ and visit the published version of the workbook, we cannot add any data to the input table. Depending on our permissions, we could filter the input table, but we can’t add or update data. We can’t edit the table by clicking on it, and we also can’t use workbook controls to populate the input table. In a later video we’ll discuss action sequences which can be used to add data to input tables indirectly - but keep in mind that an input table ‘only editable in draft’ would not be able to accept it. Re-entering draft mode, we see that as developers, we could add an entry, publish the workbook, and then see that change reflected in the Published version. ‘Editable only in draft’ is a good setting to choose when end users should not be allowed to make changes to a linked input table under any circumstances or when edits should be very tightly controlled. Leveraging ‘Editable in Published’ to capture ad hoc inputs If we change the drop-down to ‘editable in Published’, publish the workbook and then view the published version, we now see an ‘Edit Data’ button on the input table. Users may click this button to add data to rows, although they cannot add any new columns to the input table. Making linked input tables editable in the published version is a good choice when you want workbook users to add data directly to the input table. We saw earlier that there are 2 permission levels for editing a published linked input table. The ‘Explore’ option will restrict users with “Can View” access to the workbook from making changes to the input table.The ‘All users’ option allows anyone with access to the workbook to make edits. Sigma developers should carefully consider which data entry permissions best fit their use case. Now it’s your turn. In the next exercises, you’ll pick up where you left off with your app for nominating loan officers for promotion.3. Let's practice!
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