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Jan 22, 2019 07:29 AM
Is there a way to pass a calculated value into a Field linked to another table?
Here’s an example.
Table A
Field 1
Field 2
Field 3 [linked to Table B]
Table B
Field 4
In Table A, I want to auto-set the value of Field 3 = Concatenate ({Field 1}, “, “, {Field 2}). This will match the values in Table B.
Jan 22, 2019 09:20 AM
It can’t be done automatically — that is, without human intervention — entirely within Airtable, but it can be done with minimal human intervention in Airtable or automatically with the assistance of a third-party integration service (e.g., Zapier, Integromat).
Essentially, what you need to do is create a formula field containing the desired calculation; you then copy the calculated value and paste it into the linked-record field. That will cause the record in [Table A]
to link to the appropriate record in [Table B]
, should it exist, or it will create the appropriate record in [Table B]
and link to it.
That copy can be a simple, three-keystroke sequence (assuming the formula and linked-record fields are adjacent): Ctrl-C
, Right-Arrow,
Ctrl-V. Alternatively, you can grab the [fill handle](https://support.airtable.com/hc/en-us/articles/208330098-Quickly-filling-cells-using-fill-handle) on the calculated field and drag it into the linked-record field. Or, if you don't need the link made immediately upon creating the record in
[Table A], you can
Left-Clickon the header for the calculated field, thus marking the entire column, press
Ctrl-Cto copy all cells in the column,
Left-Clickon the header for the linked-record field (ditto), and press
Ctrl-V` to paste the entire column’s worth of values.
Finally, you can use such a service as Zapier or Integromat to perform the copy/paste. (Actually, the ‘copy’ action is implied: Trigger on a new record being created and save the value of the calculated field into the linked-record field. In Zapier, this is counted as a two-step Zap and, as such, can be executed from a free account.)
Jan 22, 2019 09:34 AM
Thank you! This makes sense and I appreciate the quick response.
Aug 04, 2020 12:47 PM
Is there a way to do it with the Scripting block or direct text entry into the linked field from the API?