Conditional Details Pages
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Overview
Allow users to assign different detail pages based on conditions.
When a user expands a record from an interface, allow users to change which details page opens based on conditions of the expanded record.
Setting the conditions could work using a UI similar to the one conditional coloring uses.
Problem:
There are many instances where I have records that share 90% of the same info, but based on some differences - such as Type or Status, need to be interacted with differently.
For example, for my business we track furnishings and fixtures we refer to as "Items" for architectural projects. We need to ensure that certain pieces of information are recorded for each Item, but what pieces of information we need varies based on the Type of Item. There are so many different kinds of information that we need to record that we have as many as 120 different fields in our Items Table. ideally, we could show only those fields that apply based on a condition, in this case, the "Type" Field.
I.E. If an item is of the "Plumbing" Type we want to see fields like "Fitting Diameter" and "Finish", but for an Item of the "Lighting" Type we would want to see fields such as "Input Voltage" or "Socket Type".
Ideally we would be able to see all of the Items in one list, and simply have a different detail page open based on things like Phase or Type. At the moment, the only way to do this is to create a different interface page for each type of Item. This approach does not suit the way we need to organize the Items (Typically by Room), and we need to be able to see all the Items in one Grid or List, but be able to open a different Record Detail Page based on the "Type" Field.
Potential Solution:
In the attached images I included a simplified example of a Grocery Order Table.
The Orders have different Types, and for each Type I created a Details Page that shows only the relevant fields based on that type. ( I am not a Grocer so forgive my goofy and incorrect examples of data)
In the mock Interface Editor UI I made, users create different Record Detail Pages the same way they do now. They can then select an option for Conditional Detail Pages that functions exactly the same way that conditional color works:
Users can add Detail Pages they want to open under specific conditions, assign those conditions to each Details Page, and specify their priority order and defaults.
When a user clicks on a given record in an interface, which Record Detail Page opens is then dependent on the conditions assigned above.
Other Notes:
There are situations I have come across where this change would allow me to remove complex linked table set-ups that rely on automations to maintain and create links between records. I have one base where this change would remove around 200 automation runs per day, and significantly reduce the complexity of the base.
Conclusion:
Adding this feature would make a massive difference to Airtable's overall usability for my company, and would enable a wide variety of new use-cases that otherwise depend on more complex base structures.
