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Kuovonne's Guide to Airtable
  • Pages
    • Kuovonne's Guide to Airtable
      • Fields
        • Overview of fields types
          • Editable Field Types
          • Computed Field Types
          • Field Types by Formula Data Type
          • Field Types in Scripting
        • Specific field types
          • Formula fields
            • Demystifying Formulas (DareTable 2022)
          • Rollup fields
          • Select fields
          • Attachment fields
            • Uploading Attachments
            • Attachment Size
            • Attachment URLS
            • Thumbnails
        • Converting Field Types
        • Naming fields
        • Metadata fields
          • Simple Metadata Fields
          • Data Validation
          • Additional Dependencies
          • Original Record URL (Thumbprint) Field
          • Column Divider Fields
          • DareTable 2023 Presentation
        • Field dependencies
      • Formulas
        • Formula Field Reference
        • Writing Formulas
          • Using AI to Write Formulas
          • General tips for writing formulas
          • Testing for Blank Values
          • Drafting Formulas in Parts
          • Function versus Operator
          • Typing Special Characters
          • Commenting Formulas
          • Formulas to avoid
        • Formatting Formulas
          • Basic Rules
          • Nested IF formulas
          • SWITCH Formulas
          • Operators
        • Specific Formulas
          • Ranges of Numbers Values
          • Comma Separated List of Fields Values with Optional Fields
          • Earliest / latest date across columns
          • List Fields Values (one per line) with Optional Fields
          • Rounding a date to the half year
          • Url of Interface Page for a record
          • Removing varying items from a list
        • Data Type Conversion in Formulas
          • Text to Numbers
          • Numbers to Text
          • Data type conversions with Dates
        • Troubleshooting Formulas
          • Formulas that won't save
          • Hiding or showing #ERROR!
          • Troubleshooting date/time/duration formulas
          • Troubleshooting numeric formulas
          • Troubleshooting formulas with lookups
          • Troubleshooting text formulas
      • Automations
        • Triggering automations
          • Triggering automations for typed values
          • Triggering automations on existing records
        • Sending Emails
          • Ways to send emails
          • Using links in emails
          • Emailing Attachments
        • Accessing updated record values
        • Third party automations
        • Managing automation runs
      • Templates
        • Templates for record values
        • Templates using field values
      • Controlling Access
        • Sharing a base
        • Access control considerations
        • Techniques for limited access
          • Airtable interface
          • Share link access
          • Synced table
          • Prefilled forms + Automations
          • 3rd party portal
          • 3rd party webhook
        • Preventing base duplication
      • Specific Solutions
        • Most recent form submission for ermail
        • Email digest of a person’s records
        • Sum of Multiple Select choices
        • Link to multiple records based on select choices
        • Dropping Lowest Score (top 4 of 5)
        • Identify the position of a record in a linked record field (top 4 of 6)
        • Sequential Numbering of Records
        • Ending a list of rollup items with ", and"
        • Table ID in a formula
        • Latest/earliest date across several fields
        • Associating People with Records
        • First Tuesday of the Previous Month
      • Miscellaneous
        • Web API Calls for External Integrations
        • Getting paid to work with Airtable
        • Hiring a consultant
        • Airtable Communities
        • Making major changes to a base
      • Suggestion for this guide

Basic Rules

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Grammar Rules

Spacing and punctuation

No space between a function name and its opening parenthesis.
Use a comma between parameters in a function.
Do not use a trailing comma after the last parameter in a function.
White space (spaces and new lines) between parameter values is neither required nor limited.
White space (spaces and new lines) between the parenthesis of a function and its parameters is neither required nor limited.

Quotes

Enclose hardcoded text in straight quotes (' or " ), not curly quotes ( ‘ ’ or “ ” ).
Emoji are text and need to be encased in quotes.
Do not put quotes around numbers that you want treated as numbers.
Alternate the quote style: "I've got a single quote" or 'She said, "Hi!"'
Use curly quotes in the hardcoded text instead of straight quotes. You may need to copy/paste in the curly quotes, as the editor will straighten any quotes that are typed directly.
Use \ to escape the quote: 'I\'ve got a single quote' or "She said, \"Hi!\""

Stylistic Guidelines

Writing field names:
Always use curly braces around field names, even when field names do not need curly braces

Deciding when to use a multi-line format
If a line would wrap after you have comfortably expanded the editor, you need a multi-line function.
If a parameter is a function that takes its own parameters, use a multi-line format for all parameters.

Basic rules for writing multi-line functions
Function name and opening parenthesis on line by itself.
One parameter per line with a comma at the end (except after the last parameter)
Indent parameters indented from opening function
Use the same indent level for all parameters of the same function
When nesting functions as parameters, nest the indent
Closing parenthesis on line by itself, at same indent level as function name.

Exception: Functions that no Parameter:

When using a function that takes no parameters, treat the function the same as you would a single field when deciding if you should use a multi-line syntax. This lets you use a single-line format in some cases.
"https://example.com/" & RECORD_ID()

Exception: Functions that take a Single Parameter:

When nesting a function inside a function that takes a single parameter, such as TRIM() or VALUE(), you may combine the two functions on a single line and stack the closing parenthesis on the same ending line.
TRIM(CONCATENATE(
{field 1} & "\n",
{field 2} & "\n",
{field 3} & "\n"
))
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