William Porter
Exec summary: I wish that SmartSuite would do one of the following:
  • Enforce field validations (especially 'require a value') in grid view; OR
  • Allow me to disable new-record creation in grid view (meaning that new-record creation would immediately open an expanded record view form).
Without one or the other of these, SmartSuite's field-level validation options are (sadly) toothless.
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EXPLANATION
The "requires a value" setting for a field is NOT enforced in grid view. This is true even of the Record Title field. If you configure the title field to "auto generate", even if you also require a value in that field, you can, in the grid, create a record, and leave the title field blank, and SmartSuite will not complain.
It WILL complain if you leave the title field set to the default of "manual" entered values. But that's the only field in the grid that works this way. And in the expanded record view, and of course in forms, the required-value option IS enforced.
After I noticed this, I dashed off a note in the intercom to say this seems like a bug to me. This morning Emma responded to say that they don't enforce required values in grids on purpose, because it's possible that a required-value field might be found only on a form and not in the grid. Well, yes, that's true, if the developer is not careful.
But it doesn't seem to me a good defense of this non-policy. The point of setting field-level validation (as opposed to form-validation) is to ENSURE that the validation occurs. Requiring a value in the Last Name field (say) but allow users to create records in the grid that lack last names is pretty much the same thing as NOT requiring a value in the field. Pointless.
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THE DESIRED ALTERNATIVES
  1. Enforce validation in grid view and let the chips fall where they may. What happens if user creates a record in the grid and a required field isn't accessible there? Well, SmartSuite should squawk at the user ("'Last Name' requires a value") and then suggest opening the expanded view to find and fill the offending field. Lock the solution on that record until user either enters the required value OR cancels the record.
  2. Alternatively, allow developer/creator to disable new-record data entry in grid view. That would mean user clicks on the + button (or types shift-enter) and instead of creating a new row and going to the Title field, SmartSuite would create a new row and open immediately into the expanded view form. There, field level validation could and should be enforced. If user hits cancel, the record/row would not be saved.
It would be awesome to have BOTH of the options above. And it would be a major distinguisher from the Competitor Who Shall Remain Nameless. But if I had to have one and not the other, I'd vote for #2 (ability to disable data-entry in new rows).