Allow freeform within a formula?

1

Hey!

Does anyone know if it’s possible to use a allow ‘freeform’ in a cell when a formula is applied?

Basically I’d like to use an IF statement, where the true case always returns a certain value, but the false case leaves the cell as a free canvas.

I’d like to be able to pick any date, except for when a row contains a certain value.

I know I can do a workaround - kindof, by using the new rows function, but I’d like to change it in hindsight aswell!

2

Hi @Stan_Schalij,

If I correctly understood your question, unfortunately a formula cell remains a formula cell no matter what, therefore you can’t edit its value.

I’m afraid you have to play with your workarounds (as I’m doing, as well :grimacing:)
Cheers

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3

Another workaround is to have

  • The formula column that calculates the date
  • The manual override column that’s an input
  • The third, “final” column that calculates to =DateOverride.IfBlank(DateCalculated)

You can actually implement it with just two columns (one input and one formula that would use your original formula if the input is blank).

I don’t like this solution though. It promotes bad discipline and non-Coda-but-Excel way of thinking. I found out that this encouraged some team members to implement this mindlessly whenever they felt like they needed to override individual cells in a formula column. Keeping a column an input one and populating it with a “New rows” formula, then updating previous rows with e.g. a button if needed, would be a better approach IMO.

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I came from the world of Filemaker Pro and find this to be one of the must frustrating Coda limitations. I love so many things about Coda but it lacks a few (very) key features, and this is one of them.

My workaround for this is to use a button to push the formulated value into the field that is viewed by the user.

For example, I have a report that I use which presents timecodes in HH:MM:SS:FF format, but I need a HH:MM:SS format. I created a formula that strips the frames from timecodes and rounds them up or down accordingly. However, I want users to be able to go in an update the values of these timecodes manually if changes are made between reports.

Since the formula override is not an option, my solve was to make a button that runs the correct formula and then sends that value to a separate field which is modifiable, and this is the field that is seen by users. I’m sure there is a more elegant solve out there but this does the trick for me.

5

Some more thoughts on this here - feel free to add your implementation ideas as they may inform how Coda goes about adding something like this.