I’m looking to create a database workflow in Coda to manage “Customer Requests” for firefighter PPE sales. The process involves four types of item purchases: Stock, Custom, Hybrid, and Mixed. Each type has different data needs, making a single table complex with many empty columns.
Stocked include stocked items, as you might have guessed. This is simple and straight forward.
Custom involves complete cusomization - as if from the thread color to the pocket placement and zipper style, sizing, colors, fabric selections and the like. Head to toe, completely customized and build just for the individual customer.
Hybrid - Involves about half of the data. It’s still custom produced for the customer but the options have been vetted to limit options and reduce complexity.
Mixed - purchase of two or more of the aforementioned types in a single purchase or request
My goal is to streamline data entry by using views or conditional logic to show relevant data fields only. Since Coda doesn’t support “hide if empty” directly, I’m thinking of having different view types for different request categories and using buttons to switch views. I’m referring to view types as in Detail Layouts that have been customized. Not as in /display a view of customer requests table using the built in filter.
I’m struggling to wrap my mind around how to structure this, if it’s possible to simulate this “hide property/attribute if empty” concept, make it cohesive and user friendly, and also not have to separate into many tables. Most of the columns are already a subtable anyway.
I’m also struggling to understand how i might go about making this happen. I saw a video on Youtube by the coda guy (if you’re here, thanks for the videos!), about changing the layout view type dependent on a specific user, but I can’t wrap my mind around changing this to be reflected upon by the “type” of ROW, based on user input in that same row.
E.g. If I’m at an entry point, starting to enter the data, wouldn’t I:
A. Already be in the view anyway, so would I need another Layout view for when “blank” is selected in that columns drop down menu?
B. How do I structure those buttons to reflect that column type impacting how that row is viewed and in what layout?
C. Is it even possible to do this?
D. How would this work if switching between rows? Methinks you’d have to close that view, (like use a full screen, center, or right docked view VS. the detailed view that’s embedded into a doc as a view), and open another row instead of using a nav button (like the arrows) to move between records?
And now that I type that out, I’m not even sure if that’s a thing. But, I’ve been trying to type this out for hours and I just need to get it out of my head and if I try going back to verify that nav arrow comment, I will get distracted and not come back and submit this question.
The overarching goal is to create, in essence, a “container” to store all of the pieces of a puzzle for a very specific picture. This container follows the puzzle through all the rooms it could be built in, and is shared by all who may help put the puzzle together. In fact, the container may even need to hold partly assembled pieces for periods of time, for specific types of scenic pictures that require more contextual data. It also may need to contain notes from other people who’ve been involved. It will need to be large enough, and flexible enough to accommodate puzzle pieces of different sizes, shapes, and weights. But, given that a good chunk of (not most, but still a lot) the puzzles are small, lightweight, and simple pictures - it’s not necessary or conducive to use a refrigerator sized box to store each puzzle’s pieces within. You’d have to crawl into the box to get what you need each time.
The container itself needs to be adaptable. It should have a starting size with the ability for the user to alter the space within by only a few simple steps or clicks.
I’m open to any advice on how to simplify this process without creating inefficiencies. Also, I’ve been hard focused on this for probably 2 weeks, working hours at a time trying to work through it - so I am completely aware that I may be overlooking something simple or over thinking the situation. Any advice or direction - or concept that can be pushed my way, SOOOO appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
