Comparing two tables (data types) and either import thing if doesn't exist OR update existing thing

Need help APIs
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Hi fellow no-coders,

Working on a SaaS (B2B) App where my users will need to regularly either import new records or update existing records.

Here is what I am trying to build:

  • My target table is called “ObjectsInApp”
  • I have created a temporary table named “ObjectsInApp_Loading” with the very same structure (i.e. both tables have exactly / strictly the same fields)
  • The user uploads a CSV file that is imported in the temporary table “ObjectsInApp_Loading”

So far, so good. This is in place and working.

Now, what I can’t figure out is:

How to compare each row (record / thing) of my target table “ObjectsInApp” to each row of the temporary table “ObjectsInApp_Loading” and do either of the following actions depending on the comparison result :

IF 2 records match THEN the value of the fields from “ObjectsInApp_Loading” will replace existing values in “ObjectsInApp” ELSE (i.e. NO MATCH) create a new record in “ObjectsInApp” using the un-matched record from “ObjectsInApp_Loading”

I’m thinking of some sort of backend recursive API to address this but I don’t know where to start to implement these conditions if at all possible to do this in Bubble…

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Do the objects have unique identifiers other than what is assigned by Bubble?

You can make a backend workflow , for this example called “edit-objects” , (does not have to be specified as running on a list) that has a key called “objects” and a value of ‘Do a search for all “ObjectsInApp_Loading”’. Make sure to check the box that it is a list.

Action Step 1: Create a “ObjectsInApp” WHEN Do a Search for “ObjectsInApp” (matching identifying fields of “objects” first item) first item IS empty.

Action Step 2: Make Changes to “ObjectInApp” WHEN Do a Search for “ObjectsInApp” (matching identifying fields of “objects” first item) first item IS NOT empty.

(Action Steps 1 and 2 should have identical conditionals except for changing the IS EMPTY to IS NOT EMPTY)

Action Step 3: Schedule API workflow “delete ObjectInApp_Loading” pass in the "objects"first item and set that workflow to take in one item and delete it.

Action Step 4: Schedule API workflow “edit-objects” (recursive) and pass in the same list of objects minus first item. CONDITIONAL only when “objects” minus first item count > 0.

From my experience and searching the forums, this recursive backend workflow method seems to be the best case for working with lists.

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Hi William,
Thanks for your guidance.
Your solution corroborates what I started to implement after reading this article.

Except for one thing though >> I didn’t find the need to use the minus first item (in step 4) since I have been deleting the first item from “ObjectsInApp” after processing it (unless I’m missing something or have been (too) lucky with my test file that only had a handfull of records ?). It all works fine now!

Also, for the records and the sake of others who might be having the same issue in the future, I found a promissing plugin to split large files into smaller files in order to cope with the 1000 records limit that Bubble has for csv data import. I haven’t installed or tested it yet but I’ll keep that in my mind for later.

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