Spreadsheet Filters vs Report Filters

Thane Knutson

I have a text column that has formulas and conditional formatting already added to it preventing me from changing the column type to a dropdown list.  It is spread across several years of spreadsheets making a larger conversion to a list time consuming. 

I have a request for Report Filters to have the drop down list similar to the spreadsheet level filters.  Is there an easy way to convert a column to another type in this scenario?  What's the likelihood of Report filters following the same format as spreadsheet filters to include their own checklist of items within a particular column? 

Shaine Greenwood

Hi Thane—

The likelihood is high, our Product team is looking at changing the Reporting UI to more closely reflect what we have in other areas (such as filter) and make the experience more consistent. I don't have an ETA on when we'll see this type of change in Smartsheet, but it's coming!

With that in mind, you have two options in terms of changing your column type:

1. Disable or delete your conditional formatting rules that are using that column; more info on that in the help center: https://help.smartsheet.com/articles/516359-conditional-formatting
   
   
   
   This is the easiest path, and your formulas shouldn't prevent you from switching the column type to Dropdown list.
   
    
2. Create a new Dropdown list column in your sheet next to your current column, then copy and paste all of the information into that new column. Then after you're confident that everything's been copied over, consider deleting the non-Dropdown list column.
   
   
   
   This option takes some time.

A few points of note on option #2:

• Your formulas will copy over to the new column, but cell references may shift.
• You'll need to change your Reports to point to the new column.
• You'll also need to change your conditional formatting rules to point to the new column. 

Thane Knutson

Thanks for the thorough reply.  I'm rolling with option #1 and looking forward to updates sometime.