Title: Efficient, evolving interface with Airtable
Last modified: April 30, 2017

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# Efficient, evolving interface with Airtable

 *  [mazoola](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mazoola/)
 * (@mazoola)
 * [9 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/efficient-evolving-interface-with-airtable/)
 * After a few weeks with Airpress, I’m pretty well pleased. It does more than just
   simplify the process of integrating Airtable and WordPress: It enables one to
   use WordPress to build a customized front-end to an Airtable database.
 * Airtable is one of a number of web-based, SAS database systems to appear in recent
   years, along the lines of RestDB or [now Google] Firebase (although not at the
   same scale as the latter). If I had to grossly misrepresent it in a short, pithy
   slogan, I’d probably say “FileMaker for the Web.” Like FileMaker, it’s easy to
   learn and easy to program, but it still manages to be powerful enough one can
   actually build something useful. (Actually, what it most reminded me of, in spirit
   more than substance, was Infocom Cornerstone. 😉 )
 * When I say “FileMaker,” though, I mean FileMaker 3 — or maybe 4. While the Airtable
   folks have been good about maintaining a steady stream of incremental enhancements
   and additional functionality, they are also serious about combating mission creep.
   As a result, there are still a number of capabilities missing from the base product.
   To address this issue, Airtable supports a full-featured and well-documented 
   API.
 * …which, unfortunately, kind of takes it out of the “FileMaker” realm as a lightweight
   tool for rapid prototyping and deployment. Sure, it’s nice to know what’s out
   there, in case a client should ask, but for my own purposes the benefit I’ll 
   gain from the app I hoped to create doesn’t justify the effort it would take 
   to program it at that level. If I can’t build it in the solution natively, I’ll
   either wait until I can, or I’l do without.
 * Airpress gives me a third option.
 * Now I can continue to use Airtable’s standard UI to build and administer the 
   database, but provide general user access through a custom front-end that can
   tailor user views, automate input, validate data, and support user authentication
   and privilege management far more flexibly than Airtable alone. As I’m building
   it using WordPress, I enjoy all the usual benefits of that platform; as much 
   Airpress functionality is accessible via shortcodes, minimal PHP coding is required.
   And even though I’m drawing screens using data retrieved from a third-party database
   server, Airpress’s efficient management of memory and API calls allows me to 
   do so with minimal lag.
 * To date, I’ve not encountered any conflicts between Airpress and other plugins.(
   At present, I’m using Elegant Themes’ omnibus ‘Divi’ theme, so this is no small
   matter.) While there *is* a slight delay when refreshing an Airpress-fed screen,
   I’m doing so while logged into WordPress admin, typically with several page edit
   windows — all using the Divi page builder — open, and with Airpress debugging
   enabled. I can’t claim to have tested thoroughly in a more production-like environment,
   but in the little I have, I’ve not seen a noticeable difference in response time
   between WordPress pages that use Airpress and ones that don’t.
 * Caveats: So far I’ve focused entirely on retrieval and presentation of existing
   data. As best I recall, my current implementation is handled entirely using shortcodes.
   That may no longer be possible as I move on to data editing and record creation
   and deletion. (Airpress provides a full-featured PHP API that supports creation,
   retrieval, update, and deletion of Airtable records; it also provides a group
   of shortcodes that supports a subset of its API functionality.) Documentation
   is scant and often lags the product; however, the plugin’s author typically responds
   to support questions quickly and clearly.
 * In fact, my satisfaction with Airpress in part reflects my satisfaction with 
   its author. Admittedly, this is a nascent plugin, and Chester has done an excellent
   job of working with its early adopters, letting their — _our_ — issues and needs
   help direct ongoing development. I’m not sure how well this will work once the
   number of installations increases ten- or a hundred-fold; by then, though, there
   should be fewer issues and, with luck, a fledgling user community.
 * Again, I give it 4 stars — and I see no reason to believe, with a little more
   functionality, it won’t soon merit 5.

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 * Last reply from: [mazoola](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mazoola/)
 * Last activity: [9 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/efficient-evolving-interface-with-airtable/)