This is a general how-to question for the easiest way to make an input widget using mostly Google App Maker's GUI interface and as little scripting as possible.
Let's assume a large reference table with 2 fields, ID and DisplayName, like Countries - (US, United States) etc. There are many other tables that have a Country field.
1 - Should you set it up as a related table with every other table that has an address in it or keep it as a separated reference source?
2- In App Maker, attaching table relations seems to make it easier to access record data from related tables, but when using an input widget to select from a related table, the dropdown list only shows a single "page" of data. How do you get it to show all of the data or at least be able to use pagination scrolls as a way to allow the user to get to all of the possible values?
3 - Is getting record data from non-related reference tables too complex for using a dropdown box? Is there a custom option of an input widget like the User Picker, but attaching it to any reference table? This would allow the user to start typing an entry and the widget would show all of the possible matches and bring back the entire selected record.
In general, I am looking for a best practice scenario for non-programmers using App Maker to accomplish this task. (or at least have it not be too overly burdensome for me to do it for them all of the time.)
Thanks Jeff
remove pagination from the datasource you are using as your country list (change the "query page size" on the datasource on the datasources tab for that table to 0).
Hmm, in a normal database situation I'd say yes, normalize away. In Appmaker.... eh... if the inputs are ALWAYS constrained and not free-typed, I'd leave them as text values. Joining appmaker tables is not the fun and joyous dream you might hope for, and joined tables (aggregate) have certain surprising restrictions (like not having built in sortability).