Formula Statements Disappearing

[Alba_Machado2]

When I enter this formula…

IF({Book Type Entry},{Book Type Entry}, “Book”, IF({Book Type Entry},“Advance Reading Copy”,“Advance Reading Copy”))

…the formula field accepts it and all seems well until I go to add more to the formula and see it’s been trimmed down to just this…

IF({Book Type Entry},{Book Type Entry}, “Book”)

…and when I close the customize cell popup I see that the information it was supposed to render for the second part of the formula is also missing.

How can I solve this problem?

[kuovonne]

When this happens it is usually be cause the formula is invalid.

Here is your formula written across multiple lines. Notice that your first IF statement has four parameters, but the IF statement can only take three parameters. The fourth parameter (your nested IF statement is being ignored.

IF(
  {Book Type Entry},
  {Book Type Entry}, 
  "Book", 
  IF(
    {Book Type Entry},
    "Advance Reading Copy",
    "Advance Reading Copy"
  )
)

On the other hand, the logic of your seems to be missing. Notice that your IF statement is only checking for the existence of a value in the {Book Type Entry}, it is not comparing it with a value. If you want to compare it with a value, you might want to use SWITCH or FIND or =.

---

Btw, did you ever find the missing records?

[Alba_Machado2]

I did find the missing records! Thanks! :slightly_smiling_face: Turns out, they weren’t missing, just scrambled. For some reason, after setting a filter and then removing the filter, the records were randomly sorted – not according to when they were entered nor any field. But I just sorted them alphabetically by book title and was able to match them up with the cells I was still copy/pasting into the table. A huge relief!

As for this formula, what I’m trying to do is make it so that the formula Book Type field renders exactly whatever is in the Book Type Entry field except for when it’s blank. When it’s blank, we need it to say just “Book”. I think I understand what you’re saying about the second IF nesting so it becomes a fourth parameter which will be ignored. But I get lost when you say the logic of my seems is missing and that I should use SWITCH or FIND

[kuovonne · Accepted solution]

Glad to hear that you found your records!

Alba_Machado2:

what I’m trying to do is make it so that the formula Book Type field renders exactly whatever is in the Book Type Entry field except for when it’s blank. When it’s blank, we need it to say just “Book”.

Okay, I wasn’t sure what you were trying to do with your formula. In this case you don’t really need to add to your formula. The trimmed down version should be sufficient.

IF({Book Type Entry},{Book Type Entry}, "Book")

If this doesn’t provide the result you want, could you please provide a screen capture and some examples?

[Alba_Machado2]

Wow! That was easy. I thought I was gonna have to type in every alternative to a regular book, like manuscript, pamphlet, periodical, etc. This gets it all.

How did you become such an AirTable genius? I’m learning way more from you and these real-life situations than I learned from reading the documentation

[kuovonne]

Alba_Machado2:

How did you become such an AirTable genius? I’m learning way more from you and these real-life situations than I learned from reading the documentation

Thanks! Lol. I read documentation. I was a technical writer in my previous career.