Project
Got a little project from a client whom wanted a solution regarding his Google expense sheet. It was getting a bit annoying, for him and the missus, to write all the expenses of a day down, or type it somewhere on their phone and/or either keep the receipts (if not lost, unreadable or thrown away)! Before all could be logged into their Google Sheet.
Question from the client arose: Since you are a webdeveloper, can you also make apps? Am I at the right place?
Problem
Mochiron! (meaning: of course!)
So I was looking into the project. Something like this could be made with Flutter, Google Apps Script and the concerned financial management expense sheet. It was fairly quick to get Google Apps Script and the sheet operational on the web. After this I would proceed further in Flutter, but that also came with some issues 1 | 2. However that was not the main issue. His wife is using an Apple iPhone…
How is that a problem?
For people who know how to code in Flutter, know this is not an issue, due Flutter supports Apple | Android & Desktop Environment. The issue is the Apple Developers license! Huh, nothing really wrong with that either.
What was wrong was that I do not code on an Apple device, which makes it, in return, ‘impossible’ to deploy it on her phone. ‘Impossible’ between quotation due you can deploy it for 7 or 10 days (I forgot the correct days) and after re-install again, and so-on-and-on, so how is this a solution? It is not! Neither would I be willing to re-install the app on the device every 7 or 10 days! Maybe this also explains why Microsoft developers carry an Apple MacBook to code on? Possible, right?
Anyway, I was given permission to just make it for Android instead.
Solution (one day later)
So what we do?
Was just enjoying a nice cup of coffee during my little break and I was just browsing the category list of on online course provider, to emerge my self (also) further in the Japanese language, and came accross Google Appsheet.
Which appeared to be a “Free to try for 7 days” and you would get certifications, oh nice right!
Anyway to make it short, it appeared to be the perfect solution for my client and would tick off the problem regarding the Apple device. Updated my client and time appeared not be an issue and I could proceed.
So yeah, I am not going to think about it and I finished the 3 courses for the specialization within the 7 days. Each of them came with it’s own certification, but if done all 3 than you got a special one.
[Google Cloud Building No-Code Apps with AppSheet Specialization]
Would not say it was hard to get, but for sure it was interesting and fun for me to learn, since it had online labs for a pragmatic feeling. 2 days later after finishing my last course I finished the app for my client!
- Works for Apple and Android (via the application: Appsheet in the respective stores)
- Via the app, they can update the sheet in a nicer UI/UX design (I have to say this, UI/UX and some beautiful design is very very limited, but still way better than a “sheet”. Just saying!)
- Shared the setup of this app with the client, due client had other kinds of sheets and also got interested in this approach.
- I personally find it nice to learn something new, so he was glad to hear that I could provide the formula’s and further online documentation so he could make his own app.
Most likely I will share the solution in how to create an app like this in Google Appsheet, but this will come another time.