Child row automatically inherit parent value

stuartr_66

Hello - Is there any way to get a child row to auto-inherit the value of the parent? The column is called "Base" and contains values like UK, US etc which tells me where this resource is based. This info was provided on the original HR record which acts as my parent row. I then want the same value to appear on all child rows when added when that resource is assigned to a project.

I have tried =PARENT(Base@row) manually for the first child row which works, but if I then convert it to a column formula, all the values in that column disappear for all rows.

As a workaround, I can create a new field/column called eg "Base1" using the same formula "=PARENT(Base@row) ". As it references a separate row "Base" rather than itself "Base1" so it works fine. However, this isn't great and clutters the sheet. I wondered if there is something more elegant that would work for this? I have other questions but thought Id start with this, Thanks.

KPH

Hi @stuartr_66

The PARENT function is the correct one to use. The issue comes with converting it to a column formula. When you do that, the values entered on the original HR record are overwritten by the formula, and therefore return nothing, and subsequent child rows also return nothing. You can't do what you want in a single column. One extra column will be needed. You can always hide the column so that it doesn't clutter the sheet.

I typically create a separate column for the manual data and then use an IF in the column formula - IF the manual column is blank, evaluate a formula, if not use the data in the manual column.

Like this:

Hope this helps.

stuartr_66

Thanks @KP! That answers the question. ie that I do need that extra column after all. So thanks for confirming. .However, I do like your if blank then use formula 😁 so will use that moving forwards too.

As I mentioned I had some other questions (again parent-child related)

What I am trying to do is have my resource name as the parent, with all the projects that they are working on as children. So is there any way to auto-populate a value into the primary column child row based on a value in another column (also at child level) - again this is currently manual but would be great if it could create this automatically. So in the example below John Smith is the Resource who will be working on Data Warehouse project. The Project column is Green as its a drop down ensuring I dont get mispellings so I can then group by project assignment in timeline view). So once Data Warehouse is selected in project that the yellow cell (child row primary) is autopopulated with Data Warehouse? Again using =Project@row as a column formula then deletes most other info as with base column before. The difference here is that I can't create another primary column

Adam Murphy

You could create an automation to do this part, since you are using a dropdown field for Project (green) I would create an automation with a series of Condition Paths for each value in the dropdown list so that condition would be if green is "option 1", change yellow field value to "option 1", next conditional path would be if green is "option 2" change yellow to "option 2" and so on. You then have to keep your dropdown list and that automation's conditional paths in sync. Hope that makes sense and helps.

stuartr_66

Thanks @Adam Murphy that also makes sense thankyou. Ill give that a try.