Missing Feature Alert: Creating Multiple Things from a List in Bubble

Need help Database
1

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share my frustration about the fact that Bubble does not currently have a built-in feature for creating multiple things from a list. As someone who has experience working with databases, this seems like a very basic feature that should be included in any database management system.

As it stands, the only way to create multiple things in Bubble is to use a repeating group and add a button that creates a new thing for each item in the group. This is a cumbersome and time-consuming process, and it can be difficult to manage if you’re working with a large number of items.

Many responses from the forum suggest using the API to create multiple things from a list. While this is a valid workaround, it is not optimal for several reasons. Firstly, it requires moving to a paid plan, which may not be feasible for all users. Secondly, it requires doing multiple calls to the database instead of a single SQL statement call, which can be slower and less efficient.

I really think that Bubble should add a feature that allows users to create multiple things from a list, similar to the “INSERT INTO” command in SQL. This would make it much easier to manage large datasets and would save a lot of time for developers.

I’m curious to know if anyone else has had similar frustrations or if there are any workarounds that I’m not aware of. Please let me know your thoughts.

Thanks!

2

Yes.

One other solution is to use List Shifter to iterate over a repeating group and create a thing for each item. Not native, I know, but Keith created List Shifter because Bubble’s native list functions are lackluster.

3

Always appreciate the shoutout, @rico.trevisan!

Of course there are many other approaches to front-end looping (as in my Floppy plugin’s “Step Mode”). Though note that iteratively doing database operations like Create a New Thing in the front end is a bit fraught with peril (the items appear to be created instantaneously in the page, but they take time to create in the database and you can easily exceed capacity in this way or get into situations where the user leaves the page before the operations are actually complete).

My List Popper plugin (from List Popper and friends) is helpful in creating recursive backend workflows that create or modify things, which is often a better approach.

More advanced users might also explore using the Bulk Create API endpoint (see the Bubble docs).