gristlabs/grist-core

[Enhancement] Add API call to evaluate formula(s?) in the context of rows

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#732 opened on Nov 8, 2023

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 (4 comments) (1 reaction) (0 assignees)TypeScript (3,613 stars) (168 forks)batch import
enhancementgood first issue

Description

Within formulas in rows, I can follow references like $Person.Full_Name, if $Person refers to a reference column. Trying to do the same from within an API client is kind of cumbersome, even with the recently-added SQL API support (thanks btw!). It would be nice if I could just supply a few formulas when requesting records from a table, and the values of the formulas get computed and added as additional columns in the response.

Contributor guide

Tech stack
typescript
Domain
backendapi
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-2 days
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
stale
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
Understanding of Grist's APIFamiliarity with formula systemTypeScript proficiency
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
45
Research direction
Examine the existing API endpoints in Grist's source code, likely in the 'api' directory. Investigate the formula evaluation logic to understand how references and formulas are computed. Consider how to extend the current SQL API or create a new endpoint to accept formulas and return computed columns alongside row data.