I think it would be nice to have the option to hyperlink with different text showing, like any basic HTML hyperlinking. Like I can even do in this forum if I needed to.
Visually, having the url just there isn’t appealing.
There are two ways to display the data in a table on a web page - (i) embedding it, and (ii) rendering the content with the API. Which approach are you using?
We are embedding it, using the share form link, please see attached images. I appreciate your response.
Sorry for the delay, I wanted to create a sample for you.
I had a look at the RTF field type. This is a weak option at best. If you had a table with several thousand URL records, you would need to convert them manually (unless I’m missing something here). Also you are not be able to dynamically alter the link based on other criteria. This new field type doesn’t negate the requirement for a real HYPERLINK function.
Agreed, but the beta addresses some of the use cases mentioned in this thread, which is why I brought it up. I’d still like a url function for formula fields.
You’re not missing anything; using the rich-text field is simply one of many workarounds that one might use to transform what is otherwise a user-unfriendly display into something more friendly.
We must remember though, that Airtable is more like a database and less like a spreadsheet. We can hope and expect the tool to perform to our definition of spreadsheet, but there are specific design choices that the Airtable team made to address other data management requirements.
At the root of this topic is a design choice that is not entirely obvious and surrounds the lack of in-place transformations.
Most data systems that claim spreadsheet-like functionality support in-place transformations - i.e., a cell or column may contain both the data and a different rendering that is a function of the data. This is not possible in Airtable and why we tend to see a number of additional - seemingly redundant - rendering fields - i.e., data in one column and a transformed representation of that data in an adjacent column.
This is what I detest most about Airtable. It lacks the ability to perform in-place transformations and computations.
We don’t need a hyperlink function - rather, I believe we need the pervasive ability to perform in-place transformations for all fields. This will eliminate many issues that are well-documented in this community and things such as transforming a URL into a clickable name value will become inherently possible.
The rich text field type is a good workaround for displaying text for static links. I’m not clear whether this works for formulae, though. Eg. if you’re programmatically building a link in a formula field, I think you’re stuck with an ugly long link (no ability to set the display text) - as far as I can see!
