Category: Question and Answers
Updated

This solution is summarized from an archived support forum post. This information may have changed. If you notice an error, please let us know in Discord.

List widget that uses an array that sometimes could be empty

Issue

I am encountering an error with my List widget that says "This data identifier evaluates to an empty array. Please use an identifier that evaluates to a valid value." Even though this error occurs when the List is empty, I believe it is a bug in Appsmith that needs to be fixed. Nonetheless, to solve the problem for now, I can hide the List if the query's response is empty. Appsmith has opened a GitHub bug to address the issue.

Resolution

The error message "This data identifier evaluates to an empty array. Please use an identifier that evaluates to a valid value" occurs when a list widget is fed an empty array. To avoid this error message, add a visibility condition to the widget that hides it if the query response is empty. This approach will ensure that the user does not see an empty list.

However, this error message is a bug in the Appsmith platform and should not occur when an empty array is passed to the widget. The Appsmith development team is aware of this issue and has opened a bug report to fix it. Users can subscribe to the bug report to stay updated on its progress.

In the meantime, users can use the above solution to avoid the error message and ensure that their app functions properly.