PRING Help

Warning when a template's field was removed from the app

Created: Updated: Estimated time: 5 min

If you delete a field that a template uses from the app form, or change its field code, that item comes out blank in the document. PRING does not stop the export; it warns you. The template list shows a badge, the editor shows a warning and marks the rows, and users see a confirmation before export. Fix the mapping or restore the field with the same code and the warning goes away.

Steps

  1. 1. Find the badge in the list

    On the Templates tab of the settings screen, look for a template with "N field(s) not in the app" under its name. Hover over the badge to see the missing field codes.

  2. 2. Open the template and read the warning

    Press Edit on that template and go to "3. Cell mapping". Above the Mapping list a warning "Some fields are not in the app" lists the missing codes, and the matching rows are marked "Not in the app".

  3. 3. Fix the mapping

    Press Edit on a marked row (or click the cell on the grid), choose a field that exists in the form under "Field to insert", and press "Apply this mapping". For an item you no longer need, press "Remove mapping" or the row's Delete. For a subtable column, click the first cell and choose the column fields again.

  4. 4. Or restore the field

    If you deleted the field by mistake, create a field with the same field code in the kintone form and press Update app. Reopen the settings screen and the warning and marks disappear. If you only changed the field code, changing it back also fixes it.

  5. 5. Save and check that the warning is gone

    Press Save. When the warning, the marks and the list badge are gone, you are done. For a Word template, fix the rows of the merge-field table that say "This field code does not exist in the app".

  6. 6. Know what users see before export

    If it is not fixed, users see "Some fields are not in the app" with the missing items before the export. In the record dialog and the aggregate dialog they choose Cancel or "Export anyway". In bulk output, press Start once to see the warning and press Start again to continue.

How it works

When you save a template, PRING remembers the field codes the mapping uses, including subtable columns. When the settings screen opens and just before each export, it compares them with the app’s current form.

  • On the settings screen it shows a badge in the list, and a warning and marked rows in the editor
  • Before export it asks the user to confirm (record screen, aggregate and bulk output)
  • It never blocks the export itself; missing items are blank

Frequently asked questions

Does deleting a field cause an error when saving or exporting?

No. kintone does not let a plugin block a field deletion, so PRING does not stop saving or exporting. It warns you instead, and the item comes out blank in the document.

The document has a blank but there is no warning. Why?

When PRING cannot read the form (for example, missing permission) it exports without a warning. The check before export compares against the live form, so make sure you pressed Update app after changing the form.

Which field codes are never reported?

Built-in items that start with $ (such as $id, the record number) are not in the form, so they are skipped. Subtable columns set to Skip or Leave empty are skipped too.

What happens when a user presses Export anyway?

The document is produced with only the missing items blank. Everything else is filled as usual. PRING also keeps the missing field codes in its output record as missing_fields, so give them to support if you ask for help.