URL--Text to Display Feature

[Samantha_Allema]

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.

[Bill_French]

kuovonne:

Could you elaborate please?

I am simply suggesting that if you create a link in a rich-text field [manually] and then examine how Airtable actually stores it in the field (using the API or a script block), you will be surprised at the “markdown” it actually uses.

This is because (I think) the rich-text field is actually Airtable’s own version of markdown and rich-formatting design - it’s markdowny-like, but not actually Markdown. And this would explain why copy/paste actions will not behave as you might expect.

kuovonne:

I copy Markdown source text into a rich text field, the markdown syntax is escaped and shows up as plain text.

Correct, but all editors do this right? Including the one we’re using right now. How should this (or any rich-text editor) respond when handed something like this text when pasted or typed?

# This is a test...

It should probably escape it from any assumption of implied formatting, right?

[kuovonne]

Bill.French:

This is because (I think) the rich-text field is actually Airtable’s own version of markdown and rich-formatting design - it’s markdowny-like, but not actually Markdown.

Airtable has documented that it is a variation on Markdown, not actual Markdown. Documentation also says how the rich text fields are handled in the API and calculated fields. I have not found documentation that says how copy/pasting to/from a rich text field is handled.

Bill.French:

kuovonne:

I copy Markdown source text into a rich text field, the markdown syntax is escaped and shows up as plain text.

Correct, but all editors do this right? Including the one we’re using right now. How should this (or any rich-text editor) respond when handed something like this text when pasted or typed?

# This is a test...

It should probably escape it from any assumption of implied formatting, right?

Well, when I copy bold text between Excel and Word, it stays bold. That’s not the case when going between Airtable and Word. In Word and Excel, I also have the option to paste text as plain text or as formatted text. But Word is a word processor. I don’t expect Airtable to have as robust text editing features as Word.

[Bill_French]

kuovonne:

Well, when I copy bold text between Excel and Word, it stays bold.

The same team build the rich-text systems used across all Microsoft products, so this is not surprising. And neither of those apps support Markdown without a third-party plugin.

[kuovonne]

Word and Excel was just an example. Copy/pasting bold text among MS Word, MS Excel, Google Docs, and Google Sheets all works the same. Bold text is retained. If I copy bold text from a web page and paste it into any of the above apps, the bold text is retained.

On the other hand when I copy/paste rich text to/from MS Access sometimes the text is bold and sometimes it isn’t. MS Access of rich text is also very limited, and is not true rtf, just as Airtable rich text is not true Markdown.

I get it that rich text can be tricky to implement, and that copying/pasting from other apps with different encoding methods can have limitations. That is also why I appreciate clear documentation.

I haven’t thoroughly tested Airtable’s rich text, but I haven’t found any places where rich text does not behave as documented, including when using the API. I have found some aspects where the behavior is not documented and and the behavior might not be as expected or desired, but that’s a different matter than saying that the documentation is wrong.

[Bill_French]

kuovonne:

I haven’t found any places where rich text does not behave as documented, including when using the API.

Okay - this has not been my experience or @Jerry_Hall’s as evidenced in this thread. Furthermore, @dave_brand makes a fairly good case that the documentation doesn’t actually reflect behaviour as evidenced here.

Have you actually tried to update a rich-text field with script using a vanilla Markdown link?

[kuovonne]

Bill.French:

Have you actually tried to update a rich-text field with script using a vanilla Markdown link?

Yes, I’ve both created and updated a rich text field with both forms of links using the scripting API. In all four cases, it worked as documented. I have not done tests with the Standard API, blocks, or 3rd party integrations.

It looks like the two cases that you mention are slightly different from using the API: CSV import, and Zapier integration. I believe that neither of these use cases are documented, just as what happens with copy/paste is not documented. In fact, the behavior that they are seeing in these two cases is very consistent with the behavior that I see with copy/paste.

In the thread where rich text was announced, I specifically asked if there was a way to automatically convert long text that wasn’t rich text (but was valid markdown) to rich text, but my question went unanswered. For now, it looks like using a script is the way to go for batch conversions.

[Bill_French]

kuovonne:

I’ve both created and updated a rich text field with both forms of links using the scripting API

Just to be clear… you have used the API to update a long text field with Markdown enabled and the text pushed into the field looks like this and actually works?

[I'm an inline-style link](https://www.google.com)

I have tried this through many API pathways and it always fails to create the desired inline link. Alternatively, this format works via the API, Script Blocks, CSV imports, Zapier, and Integromat.

[I'm an inline-style link][1] [1]: https://www.google.com

I believe both of these formats are technically markdown, but Airtable docs actually specify the one that doesn’t seem to work as evidenced by this test.

I’m glad it’s working well for you but there are a number of users (including me) who are experiencing the opposite. I wonder if you have some magic in your script that no one seems to understand.

[kuovonne]

Bill.French:

I’m glad it’s working well for you but there are a number of users (including me) who are experiencing the opposite. I wonder if you have some magic in your script that no one seems to understand.

Sorry it isn’t working for you. I don’t have any magic in my script. I’m just following documentation.

let table = base.getTable("Table 10");

let markdownLink1 = `[Link reference][1] also works.

[1]: https://example.com`;

let markdownLink2 = `This is a [plain](https://example.com) link.`
let markdownLink3 = `[I'm an inline-style link](https://www.google.com)`;

await table.createRecordsAsync([
  {fields: {"RichText": markdownLink1}}, 
  {fields: {"RichText": markdownLink2}},
  {fields: {"RichText": markdownLink3}}
]);

[kuovonne]

Bill.French:

I believe both of these formats are technically markdown, but Airtable docs actually specify the one that doesn’t seem to work as evidenced by this test.

In that test, he isn’t using the API directly. He is using Zapier. Now using Zapier does require having an API key, but that is not the same as using the API directly. We don’t know how Zapier is interfacing with Airtable, beyond the fact that it uses the same API key as other APIs. If I recall correctly, there was a thread implying that Airtable might have a special API just for Zapier’s use. Since how Zapier deals with rich text fields isn’t documented, I don’t think it is fair to say that Airtable is not working as documented based on this specific use case.

[Bill_French]

kuovonne:

I’m just following documentation.

Cool. Maybe it was broken earlier this year while in beta and now it’s more consistent.

Can you show me a screenshot of Table 10?