Support accessing Comment component data from outside the Retool app or store in SQL database

I'm looking into using the Comments component, but I'm curious where the actual comments are stored, and whether they could be accessed from outside the Retool app, or whether there's an option to store them in the SQL database used a datasource for the app.
Thanks!

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Hey! The comments are stored in retool DB and currently doesn't have the flexibility to be stored in a connected datasource.

Thanks @Austin_Chen .
However, I don't see them in the Retool DB either. Is that a hidden table?

Sorry! My mistake. It's actually not exposed to users. If you have a specific use case I'd love to talk about it with you

The use case would be creating reports that include them, backing them up with the rest of the database, and potentially exporting them. After all, comments are user data just like the rest of the data used in the app.

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+1 for exposing the data to users, for the purposes @DaveF mentioned.

I'd also just expand (or potentially clarify) on his point about exporting them: exposing the comments to users presents the opportunity to not just export as in 'Export to CSV' etc. , but to integrate the comments component with users' stacks outside of Retool and streamline processes/operations.

3 Likes

+1 My main use case is... if comments aren't exposed, how are other people supposed to find them? They'd have to coincidentally click through to the exact item on which the comment was placed... in my application that's unlikely.

+1 should can be bind the data of customer.

+1 If anyone has got this working

:wave: Thanks for sharing your interest in this functionality here! I've attached each +1 to our feature request for this internally for the eng team's consideration.

In the meantime, current workarounds include using a Form with a List view, or creating your own custom component. If you do create a custom component, consider sharing it with others here in the forum by creating a Community Show & Tell post!

@Austin_Chen , my use case to save the user comments in our database, do we have any exposer kind of stuff like an API or something etc, to fetch the user comments , please let us know.

Thanks

+1 Great feature, but limited by the fact it's not otherwise accessible

:wave: all !

+1 for the ability to programatically read and write to the comments on a specific "reference"

Also, I'd like to suggest a workspace-wide "comment feed" component where one would be able to see all the comments on apps one has access priviledges to. This would be a nice addition to the navbar component to further push the "tool suite" capabilities of retool.

+1

+1

+1. Can't adopt comments without at least export + better visibility.

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+1 comment visibility via postgresql db would be great!

+1. Isn't this component useless if you can store and retrieve data to/from it?

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