Quick and simple tips for every Quickbase application
Quickbase can really change the game for your business by democratizing software development and putting the power of tool creation in the hands of the business teams that need them the most. It's also very versatile, so you can use it for anything from a fully loaded CRM to a dead-simple To Do List app. Here are some of our favorite tricks that we use in just about every application.
Document your app with field comments
Over the lifetime of an application it is very easy to forget what the reason for a field is used, especially if it doesn't have any tool tips or is only used a portion of the time. To compensate for this, just use the Comments section of the field settings every time you create a new field. Something I like to record in the comment section of every new field is the Date Created, Created By, and Details. Details stores the broader context of the field and how it is intended to be used.
Log your edits to text fields
Did you know that you can store a running history of every change made to a text field? By checking the Log the edits to this field checkbox in the field settings of any text field, each record will record the changes made to a text field over time, as well as the user's name and date that it was changed.
Here are my personal favorite logging settings:
- Show the name and date on their own line
- Show new entries at the bottom of the field
- Show full names instead of user names
- Show the time addition to the date
Group your reports into similar categories
Tired of looking at an unorganized mess of common reports? Grouping your reports according to role or use-case can be immensely powerful, especially for tables with many different reports.
To organize your reports into existing groups or create new ones, just click the Organize button in the Reports & Charts section of your table view, then click Done Organizing.
Use Radio Buttons instead of Drop Downs
Drop Down select fields have many uses and are great most of the time, but sometimes you need a different way to show users what options they have on the form. This is where radio buttons come in. A radio button on the form is just a multiple choice field with some form options changed. To change your drop down field on the form to a radio button, highlight the form element and check the Display choices as radio buttons check on the right hand side of the Form Builder.
Don't get stuck on problems that don't matter
Always remember that perfect is the enemy of great. Sometimes you won't be able to solve a problem exactly the way you want to on your first go. Publish something that will work for 80% of your users and come back to it later with a fresh set of eyes. Or better yet, reach out for help. Quickbase Community is a great place to find others who have been in your position before, or perhaps somebody that you can help. If you're really stuck and need a hand right away, reach out to us for expert level support.
