Version as a base feature! (Similar to snapshot but more powerful)

[George_Copelan1]

We use airtable bases per client and naturally as all software or businesses evolve the system (in this case the most current client’s base is now more advanced or effective than the ones before it) which means we then need to go back and update all previous bases to match the same design/flow as the most up to date base.

What I’m proposing is two-fold (perhaps it’s even a Block)

1. That you can assign version milestones that take a snapshot of what your current base looks like and then as you edit the base, similar to how github works it can keep up with the changes and even notate them, similar to how your dynamic API directory updates (which is absolutely incredible, btw 🙂 )

For example:

• This base will be assigned the ‘template’ of CRM
• As soon as I assign it with that template, it now will be considered CRM v1.0
• As soon as I begin marking up edits that are taking place within the restructuring or re-labeling of that base.
  – Perhaps, I can open up a block that shows me a ‘version history’ broken down by base, table, view, and field.
• Once I’m ready to release a new version (take a snapshot), I can click a button that will ask me to either assign it as a new version or a minor update.
  – If it’s a new version it will jump to CRM v2.0
  – If it’s a minor update, it will simply jump to CRM v2.1
• When a user logins in and a recent update has been pushed, they will be able to review the ‘revision history’ so they can always stay in the loop with what things have changed (especially for their personal views)

Now that we’ve implemented this new ‘Template’ feature that you can assign to bases we can move on two my second request.

1. For people or businesses like ours (especially since you can’t link bases) that need to separate bases per account. It would be EXTREMELY helpful if you had the ability to update your bases version to the most recent update.

For example:

• If I have 5 clients bases all assigned with the template project management v1.7 and have been working in this 6th client’s base and made some significant tweaks to the views and how the base functions and everyone loves it (so I decided to push the updates to the template as project management v2.0 now I have two options…

  1. The current unfortunate way which is unrealistic for how much work is involved. This requires us to clone the most recent base 5 times and then copy and paste all of the old data into the new base (losing all history comments, etc) OR keeping meticulous notes of the adjustments made to the newest base (v2.0) and then going back to all the previous bases which could be way more than 5 for example and manually updating them, which is 100% not realistic in 99% of the use cases.
     OR
  2. The currently make-believe way that provides the simple and EXTREMELY helpful ability to go into each one of those 5 bases or even select them all from the main view and choose which version I’d like to update to and then it tells me what I might lose if that’s the case. (the second alert part is optional, I know what I’m getting myself into and I could always revert with a snapshot right 🙂 )

Hope this helps!! ❤️ Would love to speak more on it if you’re interested.

Happy Friday