auto populate a column with NO formula

Dakota

Is it possible? Can you write a formula in column 5 to populate column 4?

I need Column 4 to just rewrite what is in Column 3, BUT the formula will need to be in column 5. And it only needs to it to be written if column 6 has text.

We testing and hoping for a new way to populate a sheets column.

Essentially, column 3 and 4 will be identical if column 6 has text. I've numbered the columns, I need column 4 to stay blank (no column formula or cell formula) except when column 6 has text present. If column 6 has any letter or number, I want column 4 to copy the text from column 3.

I tried the automation called sheet changes... it changes a cell value when specified criteria are met. but it doesn't allow me to use the same automation i would use if sending an email ie. {{Column 3 Issue text}}.

Ryan Sides

Hi @Dakota I may be over/under thinking this, but why are you not wanting column 4 to have a formula?

Dakota

Because we are pre-populating a form and we cannot have column formulas populate inside a form.

Ryan Sides

@Dakota ah ok. Other than populating the column through the Smartsheet API, I can't think of a way to do this. Maybe others here have ideas.

Genevieve P.

Hi @Dakota

What I would do in this instance is use a formula in Column 5.

You would write an IF statement to say that IF the Resolution has text, copy the cell data from column 3. However IF the Resolution column has no text, copy the cell data from column 4.

Then you could use column 4 in your Form but hide it in the sheet. That way your column 5 shows a combination of either column 3 data or column 4 data, depending on what column 6 has in it. Does that make sense?

Try something like this:

=IF(Resolution@row <> "", [Column 3 issue]@row, [Column 4 issue text]@row)

Cheers,

Genevieve