Allow editing of column type when conditional formatting is disabled

ebrain

Currently, 'Column Type' can only be edited if it is not being used in a conditional formatting item. I understand there are probably computational limitations with the sheet trying to re-apply a format to an item type that no longer exists under a column that still exists (would probably crash/freeze), but the only workaround is to delete the entire conditional formatting, change the column type, then re-create the conditional formatting. If you're going from one data entry to the same exact data entry but under a different type, it would be helpful to only have to disable the conditional formatting. For example, in going from a dropdown selection of names to a contact list of names, the entry is the exact same and the conditional formatting should still apply.

SSFeatures

Hi @ebrain,

I think that this is a great idea! While I don't have a perfect solution to the problem, I do have a temporary workaround that can make this easier in the future.

I'm building a browser extension named SSFeatures ( https://ssfeatures.com ) which adds a lot of features into Smartsheet.

One of these features lets you copy and paste conditional formats. If you need to change a column type that is being used by a conditional format, with SSFeatures, you can do the following.

1. Copy the formats.
2. Delete the formats.
3. Change the column type.
4. Paste the formats back in.

This can save you a lot of time, especially if your column is being used by many conditional formats.

I hope this helps!