How to display today's date on Interface Dashboard

[Ashley_Jackson]

Simple thing I'd like to do: Display the current date (and possibly time) on an Interface screen (blank template).  I created a field in the base that shows the date, but there's no way to display a single field.  I looked at the text object but there's no way to enter a formula in that object.

Anyone accomplish this before?  TIA!

[CJSmith · Accepted solution]

Hi @Ashley_Jackson, I've run into a similar situation before. Essentially, Airtable needs to know which record to reference before a record-specific element (like this date/time field you want to display) is available as an element.

While this isn't the most elegant solution, this is a workaround I've used in the past.

1. Add the Record Picker element from the Add Element menu (preferably somewhere buried far below the interactive components of your interface, where nobody will mess with it). 
2. Ensure it's not editable and defaults to any record that contains that current date/time field.
3. Go back to the Add Element menu. You should now have a second option in the left column (Add element) for the Record Picker element you just added to the interface. Click on it, and you'll be able to drag any field as a single element into your interface.

Hope this works, let me know if you have any questions!

[Ashley_Jackson]

Hey CJ, thanks for the help! Quick question… will the record picker element have to remain in the interface for this to work or can I delete it once I’ve got the date field displaying? Thanks!

[CJSmith]

You got it! And yes, unfortunately it would have to remain in the interface. Unless your users are extremely nosy, I've found that adding 6 or 7 blank text elements to the bottom of the interface and putting the uneditable record picker below those will keep it out of sight. Even if a user were to interact with the record picker, it's not connected to anything editable, so nothing would happen. Aesthetically, not optimal. Functionally, it gets the job done.