Fields
Fields are what you record about each thing. Each field is a column in the entity's database table, so every change to a field changes the table, at once.
Open an entity and choose Design. The Fields tab lists the entity's fields, including the built-in ones every record has (ID, Created, Created by, Last changed, Last changed by).
Adding a field
Add field asks for:
- Name, as people see it, and the key, as programs and links see it.
- Type: what kind of value it holds. See field types for all 19 and their settings.
- Required: a record cannot be saved without a value. This is checked whenever a record is saved; records saved before stay as they are until someone edits them.
- Use as the heading of records: makes this field the entity's heading.
Most types have settings of their own, such as the most characters a text may have, the currency of an amount or the entity a related record field points to.
Changing a field
Select a field in the Fields tab to change it. You can rename it, change its key, its settings, whether it is required or unique, and even its type.
When a change affects values already stored (a new type, a shorter maximum length, fewer decimal places, making a field unique), Qorekit first shows what would happen:
- how many records use the field;
- how many values cannot be converted, for example text that is not a number when a short text field becomes a whole number field;
- for a unique field, how many values are used by more than one record.
Values that cannot be converted can be cleared as part of the change (Clear the values that cannot be converted), or you can go back and fix those records first. Duplicate values must be made unique before a field can become unique. Nothing changes until you choose Apply change.
Which types a field can change to
| From | To |
|---|---|
| Short text | Long text, whole number, decimal number, money, date, date and time, email, web address, phone |
| Long text | Short text and the same types as short text |
| Rich text | Long text (the formatting is removed) |
| Whole number | Short text, long text, decimal number, money |
| Decimal number, money | Short text, long text, whole number (decimal only), decimal number, money |
| Date | Short text, long text, date and time |
| Date and time | Short text, long text, date |
| Email, web address, phone, yes or no, automatic number | Short text, long text |
Choice, related record, user, file and image fields keep their type. To change one, add a new field and move the values over.
Unique fields
Each record must have a different value makes the database refuse a second record with the same value. It also counts records in the trash. Email addresses are compared without regard to upper and lower case.
Order
Drag fields to change the order in which they appear in forms. With the keyboard, use the arrow keys, Home and End.
The trash for fields
Moving a field to the trash hides it everywhere, but keeps its column and every value in it. Fields in the trash, at the bottom of the Fields tab, lists them: restore one to bring it back as it was, or delete it permanently to drop the column and all its values, which cannot be undone.
Files of a field in the trash are no longer served; they come back with the field.