How to add triggers to your Orca Scan sheet

You can use Triggers to add if-this-then-that logic to your sheets without code. Each Trigger is made up of:

By enabling Triggers, you can do things like:

Use triggers to automatically split complex barcode data, such as GS1 or VCard, into different fields, eliminating the need for repetitive data entry.

How to enable Triggers in your sheet

  1. Log in to the Orca Scan web app and use the bottom navigation bar to open the sheet where you want to add a trigger
  2. Click on the Triggers icon located in the top-right corner of the sheet
  3. Click Add from the triggers tab to begin the setup process
  4. Giving your trigger a clear, descriptive name is essential for easy identification and management. Choose a name that reflects the purpose of the trigger, for example, “Request damage details if the vehicle is damaged”
  5. Conditions determine when a trigger should activate. Define the specific scenario that must occur for the trigger to activate, for example, “Description contains Damaged”
  6. Set a trigger action; this is what you want to happen when the defined condition is met, for example, update a field, send a notification, or apply a rule
  7. Click Save to confirm and apply your settings

Tip: Test the trigger by scanning a barcode or entering data to see if it activates as intended

Conditions

Condition Description
Is Empty Field contains no value
Is Not Empty Field contains any value
Contains Field contains a particular set of characters
Does Not Contain Field does not contain a particular set of characters
Starts With Value starts with ‘x’
Does Not Start With Does not start with ‘x’
Ends With Ends with ‘x’
Does Not End With Does not end with ‘x’
Equals Field contains the exact value
Does Not Equal Field does not contain the specified value
Is Less Than Value is less than number provided
Is Greater Than Value is more than number provided
Matches Regex Field value matches a Regular Expression
Does Not Match Regex Field value does not match a Regular Expression
Contains GS1 AI Field value contains a GS1 Application Identifier
Exists In Barcode exists in lookup, sheet or data source
Does Not Exist In Barcode does not exist in lookup, sheet or data source
Condition
Is Empty
Description
Field contains no value
Condition
Is Not Empty
Description
Field contains any value
Condition
Contains
Description
Field contains a particular set of characters
Condition
Does Not Contain
Description
Field does not contain a particular set of characters
Condition
Starts With
Description
Value starts with ‘x’
Condition
Does Not Start With
Description
Does not start with ‘x’
Condition
Ends With
Description
Ends with ‘x’
Condition
Does Not End With
Description
Does not end with ‘x’
Condition
Equals
Description
Field contains the exact value
Condition
Does Not Equal
Description
Field does not contain the specified value
Condition
Is Less Than
Description
Value is less than number provided
Condition
Is Greater Than
Description
Value is more than number provided
Condition
Matches Regex
Description
Field value matches a Regular Expression
Condition
Does Not Match Regex
Description
Field value does not match a Regular Expression
Condition
Contains GS1 AI
Description
Field value contains a GS1 Application Identifier
Condition
Exists In
Description
Barcode exists in lookup, sheet or data source
Condition
Does Not Exist In
Description
Barcode does not exist in lookup, sheet or data source

Actions

Action Description
Show Show the selected field when trigger criteria is met
Hide Hide the selected field when trigger criteria is met
Set Value Apply custom value to selected field when trigger criteria is met
Clear Value Clear the value of the selected fields when trigger criteria is met
Set Readonly Users are unable to edit the value
Clear Readonly Users can edit the value
Notify Me Notify the user via email, in-app notification, or dialog.
Play Sound Play a success, warning or error sound
Move Row Move or update a row in a selected sheet when criteria is met
Copy Row Copy or update a row in a selected sheet when criteria is met
Action
Show
Description
Show the selected field when trigger criteria is met
Action
Hide
Description
Hide the selected field when trigger criteria is met
Action
Set Value
Description
Apply custom value to selected field when trigger criteria is met
Action
Clear Value
Description
Clear the value of the selected fields when trigger criteria is met
Action
Set Readonly
Description
Users are unable to edit the value
Action
Clear Readonly
Description
Users can edit the value
Action
Notify Me
Description
Notify the user via email, in-app notification, or dialog.
Action
Play Sound
Description
Play a success, warning or error sound
Action
Move Row
Description
Move or update a row in a selected sheet when criteria is met
Action
Copy Row
Description
Copy or update a row in a selected sheet when criteria is met

Advanced Condition Options

For more complex scenarios, you can use advanced conditions like Regular Expressions (RegEx) or GS1 Application Identifiers (AI):

Matches RegEx

Regular Expressions (RegEx) are powerful tools for detecting specific patterns in text. In addition to validation, they can be used to extract, split, or reformat data with the set value action.

Example

Given the RegEx pattern (\\d+)-(\\d+)-(\\d+)-(/d+)$ , you can match and extract groups of digits separated by hyphens.

Using the following as input:

**12345-67890-54321-98765**

You can reference these matched groups as $1, $2, etc., to extract specific parts of the string.

An example of how to use Regex in your triggers
An example of how to use Regex in your triggers

We love Regular Expressions, but they can be tricky. RegEx 101 is a great tool to use when writing and testing your expressions. If you need step-by-step guidance, RegexOne offers fantastic tutorials, or you can reach out to us!

Contains GS1 AI

GS1 (also known as Global Standards 1) is an international standards organisation that has set a series of standards for how information is encoded within a barcode.

These globally adopted standards help computer systems around the world make sense of physical objects as they move through the supply chain.

The Contains GS1 AI condition can be used to perform an action when a barcode contains a specific GS1 Application Identifier.

When used in conjunction with the set value action, values such as serial number, expiry date, etc, can be extracted from a GS1 barcode and moved into a relevant field/column.

How to Set Up Low Stock Notifications

Set up a low stock level for each specific Item:

  1. Create a minimum stock column
    • Add a new column Min Stock, and assign it a Data type of Number
    • Ensure to Save
    • Enter the minimum stock levels for each Item
  2. Add a trigger using the following:
    • If field - Quantity
    • Condition - Is Less Than
    • Condition Value - [Min Stock] (Use exact column name inside squared brackets [] )
    • Then - Notify me
    • Notify Via - Select a notification method

Now, whenever a product quantity falls below the Min Stock level, you will receive a notification with related product information.

How to Set Up Expiration Notifications for Scanned Products

Set these trigger conditions to be notified about expiry dates
Set these trigger conditions to be notified about expiry dates

Set up an expiry date for each product:

  1. Create an expiry date column
    • Add a new column Expiry Date, and assign it a Data type of Date
    • Ensure to Save
    • Enter the expiry date for each item
  2. Add a trigger using the following:
    • If field - Expiry Date
    • Condition - Is Less Than
    • Condition Value - $DATE:NOW
    • Then - Notify me
    • Notify Via - Select a notification method

Now, whenever you scan a barcode for a product that has expired, you will receive an immediate notification with the relevant product details.

Questions about triggers?

We’re always happy to help; chat with us live or drop us an email.


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