AppSheet catalogue app. In the article, you’ll learn how to create a simple catalogue for your products using AppSheet.
You can build any app easily using AppSheet. In a previous post, I explained how to build a personal budget app using AppSheet.
For the tutorial, I’ll be creating a Teespring merch catalogue app.
In this case, I have a merch shop and I want to build an app that contains specific samples of T shirts and hoodies. I want to send them to clients and hope that after going through the catalogue they would order for some items.
So, in addition to images, you should also add links to the shop so that anyone who wants to buy can do so easily.
AppSheet catalogue app – building the spreadsheet
Step 1: Create data structure in spreadsheet
In this sample app, we’ll be creating five columns in the spreadsheet namely:
- Catalogue ID – the column that contains the unique rows of each item.
- Product description – to give customers an idea of the product in terms of the typeof T shirt, size or colour
- Design – a brief description of the design e.g. an explanation of the design or symbols
- Image – image of the products in my catalogue
- Shop link – the link to take the customer to the shop where they can pay for the item selected. I’m adding a link to take the customer to the platform to buy the T shirt. The image column is empty at the time of connecting my data to AppSheet.
Step 2: AppSheet catalogue app – connect data to Appsheet
You can create a new App from within AppSheet by selecting your data source.
If you’re using Google Sheet, simply click on Tools > AppSheet > Create an app.
This opens Appsheet for you. The next thing that happens is that AppSheet sets your new app.
If there are problems with your data structure, it will highlight the parts of your data that has problems.
If you followed the sample spreadsheet above you shouldn’t have any problem.
Once the data has been connected and the app built, you’ll see from the data section that there is only one catalogue table.
In the same data section, click on catalogue. The source would show the name given to the spreadsheet.
The qualifier is the sheet 1 that is, the first sheet of the spreadsheet and datasource is google because it’s a google sheet.
Step 3: AppSheet catalogue app – add image and brand your app
Add image to each of the items and save. Image can be captured from Android devices, iOS devices and from a web browser.
After saving the image, the captured images are inserted into the image column in your spreadsheet.
The captured image is saved in a sub-folder in the same location as the spreadsheet. The sub-folder is called {TableName}_Images by default.
Whenever you add a new image or update a record with an image, it must be synced to the backend before the browser tab is closed. Otherwise, you’ll lose the captured image content.
If you want to capture more than one image, make sure you create the columns Image1, Image2, Image3 etc in the spreadsheet.
Next click on view columns and in each column headed click on update behaviour – deselect editable because in this instance you don’t want it editable.
To complete the app building select UX > Brand.
Select the theme, primary colour, App logo and background image.
Finally, to check your app on a mobile device. Download the AppSheet app on Google Play or App Store. Share the app with users to test the app.
Conclusion
To build a catalogue app using AppSheet is very easy. AppSheet is a no-code platform for making apps. Small business owners and entrepreneurs can easily build apps to automate their business processes. Hope you found this tutorial useful.