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Ability to copy Single Select & Multi-select list options

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Jody_Poland
5 - Automation Enthusiast
5 - Automation Enthusiast

If would be great to be able to copy single select & multi-select list options from base or table to another.

Within the same base, I know that I should use the linking function. In some cases I do, but most of the time, I want the ability to color each option for a visual reference so I end up using single or multi-select over again with the same options.

7 Comments
Matt_Bush
Airtable Employee
Airtable Employee

Itโ€™s possible to copy single select & multi select options from one field to another base or table as a side effect of copying and pasting cells.

First, in a grid view on your source table, click the field header for the select field (which selects all cells in the field), and press Cmd+C or Ctrl+C to copy the cells.

Then, in a grid view on your destination table, create a new field. Select the topmost cell in the field, and press Cmd+V or Ctrl+V to paste. So long as the destination field is empty and Single Line Text type, pasting a range of cells will also replace the field type and options to be the same as the field you copied.

You can then hit Delete or Backspace to clear the values you just entered in. Even after clearing the values, the type and options for the field that you pasted will remain.

Jody_Poland
5 - Automation Enthusiast
5 - Automation Enthusiast

Thank you so much Matt. Could you reply with how to close this resolved ticket?

Samir_Ghosh
6 - Interface Innovator
6 - Interface Innovator

Correct me if Iโ€™m wrong, but this does not copy Select options that have no rows with that selection yet.

Stephanie_Druck
4 - Data Explorer
4 - Data Explorer

Itโ€™d be awesome to have the ability to copy the options in a multi or single select field with the click of a button, much like how you can copy filter settings from another view!

Gary_Kavanagh
5 - Automation Enthusiast
5 - Automation Enthusiast

I was surprised to see this worked, but itโ€™s only a temporary solution if your intent is for the options to stay synced across tables even as the single select field of the original is added to or modified. In the absence of support for look up fields to be used for color coding records, a feature I feel should really exist, Iโ€™m trying to copy a large single select list to another table, but this work around doesnโ€™t seem like a viable way to maintain keeping single select list consistent and color coded in the same way as the original changes. I mean maybe an automation could deploy this work around to create a new field every single time on a child table when the original changes, and copy and delete all the data every single time, but that seems like a really clunky work around to just try and keep a list usable for color coding across tables.

Alexey_Gusev
12 - Earth
12 - Earth

Hi
Use this to add options and update color. Change table and fields name

const [T1,F1,T2,F2]=['SourceTable','Field1','DestTable','Field2'];
const id_out=({id,...rest})=>({...rest})
await base.getTable(T2).getField(F2).updateOptionsAsync({'choices':
base.getTable(T1).getField(F1).options.choices.map(id_out)});

by way, workaround for single select is that you can generate a list of unique values for every field and also check duplicates and their quantity.

image

image

just donโ€™t press โ€œSaveโ€, press โ€œCancelโ€. Note that primary field should be duplicated first for such action.

Gary_Kavanagh
5 - Automation Enthusiast
5 - Automation Enthusiast

Thanks for the tip, currently I donโ€™t have access to scripting it is disabled by my companyโ€™s policy by default, but working on getting individual approval to use scripting and will try this out when I get a chance.