update linked record with fillout ?

[Raphael_de_Bern]

Hello everyone,

I have a specific need that I can't seem to solve. Basically, my database includes training dates with multiple participants. At the end of the module, we ask the trainer to evaluate each participant on at least 5 criteria.

So, for each training, there are 5 or more associated criteria. And each registration is linked to an evaluation form to which each criterion is attached, which are rated on 5 stars at three points in time: "beginning of the training," "middle of the training," and "end of the training."

I need to send a form that groups all the evaluation forms of the session as a linked record. And then I need to be able to click on these evaluation forms and then on each criterion on which I can add a rating at the beginning, a rating in the middle, and a rating at the end (3 columns in the rating format).

I tried using fillout, but it seems it's not possible to update a linked record, which is very restrictive. I'm coming from miniextensions, and this problem was solved by them; I would like not to have 2 tools and to consolidate everything on one. Do you have any ideas or solutions?

[o_elsiefy]

I have a cool trick for using forms to update multiple things across different tables, but I'm not sure I get what you want to do.

If I understand correctly, you have a table with the names of the participants, and you have another table with the evaluation forms that the trainer fills out. Each participant will have 3 forms linked to them, beginning, mid and end.

Here's where I lose you, once the forms are filled and linked to the participant sheet, what do you need to do?

[ScottWorld · Accepted solution]

Hi @Raphael_de_Bern ,

You’ve stumbled upon the one big limitation of Fillout’s advanced forms for Airtable!

Even though you can update Airtable records using Fillout, you can’t update linked records.

Be sure to submit this as a feature request to them using the chat bubble on their website. (I seem to remember them mentioning that they’re working on adding this feature.)

In the meantime, one clunky workaround might be to just have Fillout URLs for each of your linked records, meaning that you would have to go to 3 different Fillout forms to update each one of the linked records.

Also, a dedicated Airtable portal like Noloco’s portals and interfaces for Airtable could handle this for you, but that would be another app that would cost money.

[Raphael_de_Bern]

Hello @ScottWorld and @o_elsiefy for your kind answers ! 

I finally realized that I could select the evaluation sheet via a linked record on a form, which then redirects to another form with the linked records of the criteria to be evaluated, and redirects again to a form to evaluate the criteria.
This makes the process complicated, but it will suffice for now until they launch the updating linked record feature 😄

So I did it and it's now 2:24pm in France, let's sleep!