Calc issue in a step Create a row

[Thierry]

Hello,

I have an automation triggered by “EveryDay at” 5am

This automation begins with a cleanup of a DB (get multiple rows, iterates on each and delete it) and then it creates the relevant data for the day.

In order to prepare the data I summarize some columns of another DB and then create the row.

During creation, I use a formula :

(Year( Today())-200)*100+Month(Today()) the purpose is to create a value such as 2602 for this month (February 2026).

It happens to produce an error :

Failed to Run

Value error for field “Mois”: Ensure this value is greater than or equal to 0.

I don’t change anything in the automation and then press “Start Test Run” and it processes correctly without any error???

The answer is : [Test] ran successfully

Completed in 2.34 seconds.

I really understand where the issue is.

Another point is the way the formula appears.

When you look at the formula in the creation step it shows :

( Year ( Today() ) - 2000 ) * 100 + Month( ) )

It runs correctly during the test run.

What can I do?

[picklepete]

Hello @Thierry,

@Thierry

During creation, I use a formula :

(Year( Today())-200)*100+Month(Today()) the purpose is to create a value such as 2602 for this month (February 2026).

Can you confirm for me where this formula is being written? Is it on the database side, in a formula field? I just have to ask because the database and automation formulas don’t work the same way.

@Thierry

Value error for field “Mois”: Ensure this value is greater than or equal to 0.

What kind of field is “month”? If it’s a number, it’s looking like that formula is resolving to null, which would explain that error message.

@Thierry

In order to prepare the data I summarize some columns of another DB and then create the row.

Finally, could you confirm what you mean by the creation step? Is it the above, where the row is being created?

Thanks in advance, the more information I have, the easier it’ll be to diagnose your issue!

If you could provide some screenshots of your forms, that’d be great too.

Cheers,

Peter Evans

[Thierry]

Hello @picklepete

Can you confirm for me where this formula is being written? Is it on the database side, in a formula field? I just have to ask because the database and automation formulas don’t work the same way.

The formula is in the automation step, where you figure which data is given to the row

@picklepete

What kind of field is “month”? If it’s a number, it’s looking like that formula is resolving to null, which would explain that error message.

Month is a number. I don’t understand how this can work while testing and fail when the automation runs on itself triggered by 5am in the morning.

@picklepete

Finally, could you confirm what you mean by the creation step? Is it the above, where the row is being created?

Yes it is.

I look forward giving you screenshots

Thierry

[Thierry]

Here are the creens :

[picklepete]

Hi @Thierry,

A few observations:

1. Are you self-hosting or using baserow.io? If you’re self-hosting, which version are you running?
2. In the Mois formula, it looks like you have one too many ) at the end. If I replicate that, however, I get a syntax error, so I’m curious why it’s not happening for you…
3. The month function takes an argument, could you try month(today())?

Cheers,

Peter Evans

[Thierry]

@picklepete

Are you self-hosting or using baserow.io? If you’re self-hosting, which version are you running?

I use Baserow.io

@picklepete

• In the Mois formula, it looks like you have one too many ) at the end. If I replicate that, however, I get a syntax error, so I’m curious why it’s not happening for you…
• The month function takes an argument, could you try month(today())?

It is keyed correctly , I mean I used advanced mode and keyed it using the available menus like this :

Then, when I go back to the step later the “today()” mention is replaced by a single ) (in green without any error message) I mentionned it in my first message. Just like this new screen cap :

This is part of the issue I raised.

Cheers,

Thierry

[picklepete]

Thanks @Thierry, this is interesting!

@Thierry

Then, when I go back to the step later the “today()” mention is replaced by a single ) (in green without any error message) I mentionned it in my first message. Just like this new screen cap :

I think this bit is the crucial bit, if I’m following you correctly…

You start with the intended month( today() ), but you end up with month() ). When you say you go back to the step later, do you mean you leave the form → do something else → return to the form? So, somehow, the formula changes?

Cheers,

Peter Evans

[Thierry]

@picklepete

You start with the intended month( today() ), but you end up with month() ). When you say you go back to the step later, do you mean you leave the form → do something else → return to the form? So, somehow, the formula changes?

Yes it is. The screen shots were made 3 or 4 minutes one later than the other, I only clicked on another step of the automation and went back on it to make the screen cap.

Cheers,

Thierry

[picklepete]

Merci @Thierry, I can replicate the problem now! I’ll respond here when I have a workaround or solution for you.

Cheers,

Peter Evans

[picklepete]

Hello again @Thierry, thank you for your patience.

I’m afraid the problem is a little complex, so I’ve created this Github issue for you to keep track of it. We’ll hopefully have it resolved soon, and once it’s deployed, we’ll let you know here.

It turns out we have a problem with multiple nested parentheses in our formulas, causing the last functions to be removed (i.e. your last today() in month).

Cheers,

Peter Evans

[Thierry]

Hello,

Thank you for your feed back. What puzzles me is that it do not work fully automated, but when I click on “Start Test Run” without any prior change, it works fine!

I keep my DB updated this way up to now.

Cheers,

Thierry