Frozen Equation Frustration

App Development
1

This is an issue that I have faced for a few months now, and support has not been able to rectify it despite several suggestions. Essentially, equations (basic formula, Equation V1, Equation V2) will randomly freeze up and stop calculating on individual records (displaying a zero or a blank). In other words, I can create 500 records and 60 will freeze. This happens with imports and entering records individually. The only way to fix the issue is to resave the equation in the editor.

Here is an example. The basic Formula “Pull Code” reads a connection value “Program Code.” The pull code is then used by “Valid 2” to make sure that a 7 digit # is valid. In this scenario “pull code” has failed on 60 records causing “valid 2” to flag records as errors incorrectly. https://youtu.be/t-rpbdhY2d0

A bigger issue is that we use equations to recode survey responses to a numeric value (eg male = 0 and female = 1) so we can complete data analysis off-platform. As previously stated, when the equations freeze, they display a zero which can skew sample results and make it impossible to detect when an equation has frozen. We are locked into the numeric labeling convention since we have 10+ years worth of data labeled this way.

I have felt like I have had to play wack-a-mole with this bug and am desperate for a solution.

1 Like
2

Hello, I am having major issues here across multiple applications - did you ever receive a response or an update here?

2 Likes
3

Nope. The issue is primarily relegated to equations V2 and the rebuilt rollup equations. It is a mystery.

4

Honestly, I’ve given up on equations. I’m lucky that I’m still pretty early in my apps development so I can work around it, but my going solution at this time is to use a summary card on the page itself if I need to do roll-ups or calculations across records or connected records, then extract that value from the page and update the base if needed with javascript.

The best solution I can think of for you is to use record rules to set a separate value instead of relying on equations. For instance: If gender = male → genderData = 0, if gender = female → genderData = 1, as an example.