Convert multiple text date entries from 1 record into multiple calendar date records

[Emily_McLain]

I want to parse text date entries from a single record into calendar date entries so that a calendar view can be used to visualize the dates.

We have our sales records entered by product, so each individual product gets a separate entry, with multiple “dates”. For example: Email Ad | 1/1, 1/2, 1/3 (etc). The “dates” are referencing another table with text records created for each day of the week that product can be sold. I want to be able visualize all of the dates that product is sold on, and see which record it is. So on a calendar I would see 1/1: COMPANY A, COMPANY B 1/2: COMPANY B, COMPANY C (etc)

an example of a sales entry:

I am trying to set up an automation whereby as soon as a product is entered with the dates added, new records for each date are created on another table (so first entry is 1 product with 5 dates, then the automation creates 5 matching records for the 5 dates as individual calendar dates, so the calendar view can be used). So, what I need is a way to parse those text dates as individual dates on a calendar.

Does this make sense? Is such a thing possible?

[TheTimeSavingCo]

Hi Emily, yeah, should be doable, might be doable without a script even, but I’m sure I fully follow what you’d like the end result to be

Could you provide an example of an end result by any chance?

[Emily_McLain]

Hi Adam!

Yes. So I would start with a single record in my Sales table, with multiple dates selected

and then that is exploded out into separate records on a different table (I’m calling it Sales Visualization for now) so that there is one record for each date, using a date column instead.

So that a calendar view can be used to show those products on a calendar on the date they’re scheduled.

Ideally I want it to be automatic once a post is made, via an automation and have those new records linked back to the original Sales record. Currently we use a google sheets doc to create a chart of all the scheduled ads, so this is search of a replacement, using the data we are already inputing into Airtable.

Thank you for any help you can provide!

[TheTimeSavingCo]

Hi Emily! Yeap, that’s very doable, I’ve put something together here for you that can get you started

The idea is to create a unique comma separated list and use an automation to paste that into a linked field, forcing Airtable to create the records

From there, you use lookup fields to display the linked Client and Product in the original Sale record, and use another automation to link the records in Sales Visualization to Client and Product as needed

You can also hire me to set it up for you too!