Adding the ability to set formula response type - returning native values.

packages/builder/src/components/backend/DataTable/modals/CreateEditColumn.svelte

@@ -371,6 +371,7 @@
     delete editableColumn.relationshipType
     delete editableColumn.formulaType
     delete editableColumn.constraints
+    delete editableColumn.responseType
 
     // Add in defaults and initial definition
     const definition = fieldDefinitions[type?.toUpperCase()]
@@ -386,6 +387,7 @@
       editableColumn.relationshipType = RelationshipType.MANY_TO_MANY
     } else if (editableColumn.type === FieldType.FORMULA) {
       editableColumn.formulaType = "dynamic"
+      editableColumn.responseType = FIELDS.STRING.type
     }
   }
 
@@ -767,6 +769,25 @@
         </div>
       </div>
     {/if}
+    <div class="split-label">
+      <div class="label-length">
+        <Label size="M">Response Type</Label>
+      </div>
+      <div class="input-length">
+        <Select
+          bind:value={editableColumn.responseType}
+          options={[
+            FIELDS.STRING,
+            FIELDS.NUMBER,
+            FIELDS.BOOLEAN,
+            FIELDS.DATETIME,
+          ]}
+          getOptionLabel={option => option.name}
+          getOptionValue={option => option.type}
+          tooltip="Formulas by default will return a string - however if you need a native type the response can be coerced."
+        />
+      </div>
+    </div>
     <div class="split-label">
       <div class="label-length">
         <Label size="M">Formula</Label>

packages/frontend-core/src/components/grid/cells/FormulaCell.svelte

@@ -1,5 +1,21 @@
 <script>
   import TextCell from "./TextCell.svelte"
+  import DateCell from "./DateCell.svelte"
+  import NumberCell from "./NumberCell.svelte"
+  import BooleanCell from "./BooleanCell.svelte"
+  import { FieldType } from "@budibase/types"
+
+  export let schema
+
+  $: responseType = schema.responseType
 </script>
 
+{#if responseType === FieldType.NUMBER}
+  <NumberCell {...$$props} readonly />
+{:else if responseType === FieldType.BOOLEAN}
+  <BooleanCell {...$$props} readonly />
+{:else if responseType === FieldType.DATETIME}
+  <DateCell {...$$props} readonly />
+{:else}
   <TextCell {...$$props} readonly />
+{/if}

packages/server/src/utilities/rowProcessor/index.ts

@@ -163,33 +163,33 @@ async function processDefaultValues(table: Table, row: Row) {
 
 /**
  * This will coerce a value to the correct types based on the type transform map
- * @param row The value to coerce
+ * @param value The value to coerce
  * @param type The type fo coerce to
  * @returns The coerced value
  */
-export function coerce(row: any, type: string) {
+export function coerce(value: unknown, type: string) {
   // no coercion specified for type, skip it
   if (!TYPE_TRANSFORM_MAP[type]) {
-    return row
+    return value
   }
   // eslint-disable-next-line no-prototype-builtins
-  if (TYPE_TRANSFORM_MAP[type].hasOwnProperty(row)) {
+  if (TYPE_TRANSFORM_MAP[type].hasOwnProperty(value)) {
     // @ts-ignore
-    return TYPE_TRANSFORM_MAP[type][row]
+    return TYPE_TRANSFORM_MAP[type][value]
   } else if (TYPE_TRANSFORM_MAP[type].parse) {
     // @ts-ignore
-    return TYPE_TRANSFORM_MAP[type].parse(row)
+    return TYPE_TRANSFORM_MAP[type].parse(value)
   }
 
-  return row
+  return value
 }
 
 /**
  * Given an input route this function will apply all the necessary pre-processing to it, such as coercion
  * of column values or adding auto-column values.
- * @param user the user which is performing the input.
+ * @param userId the ID of the user which is performing the input.
  * @param row the row which is being created/updated.
- * @param table the table which the row is being saved to.
+ * @param source the table/view which the row is being saved to.
  * @param opts some input processing options (like disabling auto-column relationships).
  * @returns the row which has been prepared to be written to the DB.
  */

packages/server/src/utilities/rowProcessor/utils.ts

@@ -10,11 +10,13 @@ import {
   FieldType,
   OperationFieldTypeEnum,
   AIOperationEnum,
+  AIFieldMetadata,
 } from "@budibase/types"
 import { OperationFields } from "@budibase/shared-core"
 import tracer from "dd-trace"
 import { context } from "@budibase/backend-core"
 import * as pro from "@budibase/pro"
+import { coerce } from "./index"
 
 interface FormulaOpts {
   dynamic?: boolean
@@ -67,7 +69,18 @@ export async function processFormulas<T extends Row | Row[]>(
           continue
         }
 
+        const responseType = schema.responseType
         const isStatic = schema.formulaType === FormulaType.STATIC
+        const formula = schema.formula
+
+        // coerce static values
+        if (isStatic) {
+          rows.forEach(row => {
+            if (row[column] && responseType) {
+              row[column] = coerce(row[column], responseType)
+            }
+          })
+        }
 
         if (
           schema.formula == null ||
@@ -80,12 +93,17 @@ export async function processFormulas<T extends Row | Row[]>(
         for (let i = 0; i < rows.length; i++) {
           let row = rows[i]
           let context = contextRows ? contextRows[i] : row
-          let formula = schema.formula
           rows[i] = {
             ...row,
             [column]: tracer.trace("processStringSync", {}, span => {
               span?.addTags({ table_id: table._id, column, static: isStatic })
-              return processStringSync(formula, context)
+              const result = processStringSync(formula, context)
+              try {
+                return responseType ? coerce(result, responseType) : result
+              } catch (err) {
+                // if the coercion fails, we return empty row contents
+                return undefined
+              }
             }),
           }
         }
@@ -117,12 +135,13 @@ export async function processAIColumns<T extends Row | Row[]>(
           continue
         }
 
+        const operation = schema.operation
+        const aiSchema: AIFieldMetadata = schema
         const rowUpdates = rows.map((row, i) => {
           const contextRow = contextRows ? contextRows[i] : row
 
           // Check if the type is bindable and pass through HBS if so
-          const operationField =
-            OperationFields[schema.operation as AIOperationEnum]
+          const operationField = OperationFields[operation as AIOperationEnum]
           for (const key in schema) {
             const fieldType = operationField[key as keyof typeof operationField]
             if (fieldType === OperationFieldTypeEnum.BINDABLE_TEXT) {
@@ -131,7 +150,10 @@ export async function processAIColumns<T extends Row | Row[]>(
             }
           }
 
-          const prompt = llm.buildPromptFromAIOperation({ schema, row })
+          const prompt = llm.buildPromptFromAIOperation({
+            schema: aiSchema,
+            row,
+          })
 
           return tracer.trace("processAIColumn", {}, async span => {
             span?.addTags({ table_id: table._id, column })

packages/types/src/documents/app/table/schema.ts

@@ -115,6 +115,11 @@ export interface FormulaFieldMetadata extends BaseFieldSchema {
   type: FieldType.FORMULA
   formula: string
   formulaType?: FormulaType
+  responseType?:
+    | FieldType.STRING
+    | FieldType.NUMBER
+    | FieldType.BOOLEAN
+    | FieldType.DATETIME
 }
 
 export interface AIFieldMetadata extends BaseFieldSchema {