Move Rows-Auto Field Error

alexis.ray89371

Hi,

I have 3 different projects I am recreating in Smartsheet. They are surveys that we send out and track scores. Since the process already existed I needed to create two sheets. Both sheets have exactly the same columns (I just copied the first one). The difference is that the first sheet has an Auto Created By and Auto Created Date columns. Whereas, the Archive sheet is all Text only columns. The reason I need them to be Text Only is because I have historical data that needs to go into the Archive sheet and I can't force values in Auto fields. I then wanted to setup a workflow in the main current sheet to move the rows to Archive when the status is Archive. It will not let me do this because it says I can't have the same name as a system column.

Does anyone know how to get around this?

Also, I do need the column names to end up with the exact same name because I will ultimately link both the current and archive sheets to Tableau.

Move Rows Error.PNG

CBRE Leadership Performance Survey-Archive.xlsx

Paul Newcome

If you remove all of the columns from the target sheet except for the Primary column, when the first row moves, it will create the necessary columns.

Paul Newcome

The reason you are getting the error is because the move row automation is trying to create a text/number type column on the target sheet that will house the data from the Created and Modified columns on the source sheet. Since you already have those column names there on the target sheet, it cannot create the new columns for the text/number version.

alexis.ray89371

Will I be able to copy data from an excel to the Archived copy? The issue is I have data that needs to go in the Archive sheet from an Excel and then the new data being submitted via form in the Current sheet to move over as well.

alexis.ray89371

Ok, I will try that and let you know if it works. Thanks for the feedback!

Paul Newcome

You should be able to copy and paste from Excel into the same sheet, but any new rows moved from the other Smartsheet will be populated at the bottom which could potentially mix the rows between your two data sources.

alexis.ray89371

I did as you suggested and the current sheet create the columns for the Archive sheet. But, when I copy and paste the historical data in the Archive sheet it doesn't populate the Created By and Created Date correctly. It populates me as Created By and Today's date. This is what I was trying to get around because I need the historical data to be populated in the Archive.

Paul Newcome

Make sure that the Created columns on the Archive sheet are actually text/number type columns.

alexis.ray89371

Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that. Changing them to text creates the error I attached previously. I just went ahead and created two additional columns with formulas to pull over the system column data and allow me to put historical data in it too. A little clunky, but it will do. 😄

Paul Newcome

That's odd that it is working that way for you. I have a very similar setup that works where I have a created and modified column being pulled from one sheet to another. It is pulling as text/number and capturing the static data. I was even able to add in an actual Created date column (system generated) on the target sheet (with a different name) to additionally capture when the row was moved over.

Either way... At least you have something working that is not going to require manual intervention on a regular basis. It may be clunky, but it works. 👍️