getCellValueAsAString

[Neil_Thorman]

Hello community - I’m a week on form ‘Hello World’ as far as scripting (and coding in general) is concerned so apologies if this is basic - one of my issues is knowing correct terms and without them it’s hard to search for answers.
I’m creating a script app that adds a record to a table called ‘Characters’.
The new record will incorporate some info from other records on the same table so to feel my way I’ve done:

dynastyNow = record.getCellValueAsString(“Dynasty”)

motherNow = record.getCellValueAsString(“Name”)

fatherNow = record.getCellValue(“Spouse”)

countryNow = record.getCellValueAsString(“Country”)

output.text(dynastyNow)

output.text(motherNow)

output.text(fatherNow)

output.text(countryNow)

It all works as expected except fatherNow - which returns: nothing if I use getCellValueAsString and ‘null’ if I use getCellValue.
It must be because the spouse field is a linked record field (the others are either single selects or single line texts- how do I interogate the linked record to produce the info I need?

[Justin_Barrett]

Neil_Thorman:

The new record will incorporate some info from other records on the same table

How exactly are you accomplishing that part? Your code fragment and explanation only tells part of the story. How did you go about getting the data for the record tied to the “record” variable? Are you 100% certain that you know which record it’s retrieving? Also, is this occurring in a script in the Scripting app, or as part of an automation? In general, more context would be very helpful.

[kuovonne]

Congratulations on beginning your coding journey!

Neil_Thorman:

It all works as expected except fatherNow - which returns: nothing if I use getCellValueAsString and ‘null’ if I use getCellValue.

It sounds like your record does not have a value for that field.

How are you obtaining the record? If you are using selectRecordAsync are you including a list of fields?

[Neil_Thorman]

Thanks guys - so this is a bit more code and context.
I’ve got two bits of code so far:

// Create a record in the Characters table
let table = base.getTable(“Characters”);

let rollConst = Math.floor(Math.random() *5) - 2
let rollCharisma = Math.floor(Math.random() *5) -2
let rollStren = Math.floor(Math.random() *5) -2

let sexRoll = Math.floor(Math.random() * 2) + 1
output.text(sexRoll)

if (sexRoll == 1) {
output.text(“It’s a girl”)
}
else {
output.text(“It’s a boy”)
}
let babyName = await input.textAsync(’ Name them!’)
let birthYear = await input.textAsync(‘What year is it?’)
//Integer numBirthYear = Integer.valueOf(birthYear)

let recordId = await table.createRecordAsync({
“Name”: babyName,
“Constitution”: rollConst,
“Charisma”: rollCharisma,
“Strength/Guile”: rollStren,
“Year of Birth”: Number(birthYear)
});

if (sexRoll == 1) {
table.updateRecordAsync(recordId, {“Sex” : {name: “Female”}})
}
else {
table.updateRecordAsync(recordId, {“Sex” : {name: “Male”}})
}
table.updateRecordAsync(recordId, {“Marital Status” : {name: “Single”}})
table.updateRecordAsync(recordId, {“Deceased” : {name: “Alive”}})

Above for me was proof of concept ie ‘so I can create a record and begin to populate it.’
I’ve also (seperately currentyl) the below:

let table = base.getTable(“Characters”)

let record = await input.recordAsync(“Choose a Lady”, table);

let roll = (Math.floor(Math.random() *5)+1) + (Math.floor(Math.random() *5)+1)

if (roll > 6) {

output.text(“Congratulations”)

}

else {

output.text(“Not this time”)

}

dynastyNow = record.getCellValueAsString(“Dynasty”)

motherNow = record.getCellValueAsString(“Name”)

fatherNow = record.getCellValue(“Spouse”)

countryNow = record.getCellValueAsString(“Country”)

output.text(dynastyNow)

output.text(motherNow)

output.text(fatherNow)

output.text(countryNow)

This latter is triggered by a button feild in an existing record and checks to see if (in this use case) a new character record should be created. I’ve shown myself I can read information out of the clicked record and assign it to a varible - excpet I can’t in the “Spouse” field. I assume because it is a ‘link to another record’ fiedl type. Ultimately, I’ll combine these two bits of code so that clicking the button checks to see if a new record shoudl be created; if it shold be then it’ll read some data from the clicked record and write it into the created record along with some randomy generated character stats (yea its for a game :grinning: ) Thanks again

[Neil_Thorman]

Hi Justin, your specific Q’s. It’s a scripting app. And re the record - I think in my first code chunk the reocrd I’m working with is the newly created one? In the second fragment - it’s an existing record
ie the one contianing the button that was clicked on to intiate the app? But this might be the problem - to read a sting into fatherNow from the field “spouse” I need to access the record linked to in the spouse feild I think - but how?

[Neil_Thorman]

Thinking it through my Q becomes: "how do I read the record Id of the record in a linked record feild’

[Neil_Thorman]

Leading me here:

How to access the ID of a linked record Scripting app

I’ve made this very simple little setup where I can select a name, and find the records that matches the selection. I can access the ID of a linked recored via lookups, but is there a way to directly access the ID of the linked records from my ‘Select Name’? let viewStaff = tableContact.getView(tableContactView); let choosePerson = await input.recordAsync('Pick a person', viewStaff); let personID = choosePerson.id; //have to use Id's when using linked records output.inspect(personID) //loadRep…

and leaving me not understanding the comment

“//have to use Id’s when using linked records”

But the trail is cold again at this point.

[kuovonne]

You refer to two different code fragments, but I only see one code fragment in your initial post.

Screen captures of the relevant fields would also help.

[Neil_Thorman]

Apologies this is the first snippet. I think I’m on the right lines regarding being able to read from my table - except the "Spouse’ field. I’ll post the second snippet seperately. In the screenshot below - when I click on the button in Anna’s record I’d like output.text(fatherNow) to display the word “Lothar”

let table = base.getTable(“Characters”)

let record = await input.recordAsync(“Choose a Lady”, table);

let roll = (Math.floor(Math.random() *5)+1) + (Math.floor(Math.random() *5)+1)

if (roll > 6) {

output.text(“Congratulations”)

}

else {

output.text(“Not this time”)

}

dynastyNow = record.getCellValueAsString(“Dynasty”)

motherNow = record.getCellValueAsString(“Name”)

fatherNow = record.getCellValue(“Spouse”)

countryNow = record.getCellValueAsString(“Country”)

output.text(dynastyNow)

output.text(motherNow)

output.text(fatherNow)

output.text(countryNow)

[Neil_Thorman]

This is the second bit. I’ve writtent them seperately till now so I can spot errors but the idea is to bring them together such that a click in a feild will determine if a new reocrd should be created and then create it with information read form the ‘clicked on’ record.

// Create a record in the Characters table
let table = base.getTable(“Characters”);

let rollConst = Math.floor(Math.random() *5) - 2
let rollCharisma = Math.floor(Math.random() *5) -2
let rollStren = Math.floor(Math.random() *5) -2

let sexRoll = Math.floor(Math.random() * 2) + 1
output.text(sexRoll)

if (sexRoll == 1) {
output.text(“It’s a girl”)
}
else {
output.text(“It’s a boy”)
}
let babyName = await input.textAsync(’ Name them!’)
let birthYear = await input.textAsync(‘What year is it?’)
//Integer numBirthYear = Integer.valueOf(birthYear)

let recordId = await table.createRecordAsync({
“Name”: babyName,
“Constitution”: rollConst,
“Charisma”: rollCharisma,
“Strength/Guile”: rollStren,
“Year of Birth”: Number(birthYear)
});

if (sexRoll == 1) {
table.updateRecordAsync(recordId, {“Sex” : {name: “Female”}})
}
else {
table.updateRecordAsync(recordId, {“Sex” : {name: “Male”}})
}
table.updateRecordAsync(recordId, {“Marital Status” : {name: “Single”}})
table.updateRecordAsync(recordId, {“Deceased” : {name: “Alive”}})

console.log(“Created a record!”);