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Intro to field types in database apps

#basics

Leo avatar
Written by Leo
Updated this week

Build your own powerful apps. Apps create and organize records. To give your records all kinds of context - add fields like: due date, task owner, helpful URLs, last modified timestamps, etc. Then use these fields to filter, sort, and search your data.

1. Basic fields

  • Single line text - Best for short content, such as titles, names or keywords.

  • Multi line text - Add text that can be formatted. Great for summaries, notes, and descriptions. Learn more about →

  • Single select - Choose one option from a list of tags. Useful for categorization. Learn more about →

  • Multi select - Choose one or more options from a list of tags. Useful for tagging items across multiple categories. Learn more about →

  • Date - Accepts a date or a date range (time optional). Useful for deadlines.

  • Member - Tag anyone in your Tape organization. Useful for assigning tasks or referencing relevant team members.

  • Files - Upload files and images for easy retrieval. Useful for storing documents.

  • Image - Display images in different layouts and sizes in your record.

  • Checklist - Create subtasks to break up the work of a record into smaller parts. Learn more about →

  • Number - Accepts numbers. These can also be formatted as currency. Useful for tracking counts, prices, or completion. Learn more about →

  • Link - Accepts a link to a website and opens the link in a new tab when clicked..

  • Location - Enter the address of a specific location and see it on a geographic map.

  • Email - Accepts an email address and launches your mail client when clicked.

  • Phone - Accepts a phone number and prompts your device to call it when clicked.

2. Advanced fields

  • Status - Track this item’s progress using status tags categorized by To-do, In Progress, or Complete. You can only have one status field per app, use a single select field instead. Learn more about →

  • Relation - Connect database apps. Useful for connecting records across your organization.

  • Calculation - Run all kinds of calculations and functions based on other fields within an database app, as well as fields within referenced database apps. Learn more about →

  • Unique ID - Generate a unique, automatically incremented number for each record.

  • Created on - Records the timestamp of an item's creation. Auto-generated and not editable.

  • Created by - Automatically records the person who created the record. Auto-generated and not editable.

  • Last modified on - Automatically shows the date and time that each record was created. Auto-updated and not editable.

  • Last modified by - Automatically shows the user by whom each record was last modified. Auto-updated and not editable.

3. Customize fields

a) Add a new field by clicking the +. This will bring up a menu where you can select a field type.

As you add a new field (click the "+" icon) or edit a saved field (click the "pen" Icon), the menu to the field settings opens. It gives you these options:

  • Change the field name for an individual naming

  • Customize General settings for each field types

    • Required field: decides whether entering field value in the field is necessary

    • Hidden if empty: the field will disappear if it has no value in it.

    • Always hidden: the field will not show up at the record

    • Show help text: to explain the valid uses for the field

💡Note: When you hide fields, they get aggregated in a single menu item at the top of the record. You can click this to easily show any hidden fields.

  • For some fields, select specific Field type settings - here a few examples

    • Single or multiple select field: Layout settings like dropdown list, inline or list

    • Date field: Include time, include end date, show in calendar

    • Checklist field: Show checklist items in focus, hide completed checklist items

    • Number field: Show thousand separator, Show unit symbol as prefix or Show unit symbol as suffix - this is a great way to give our number a intended use

b) After you created a field:

  • Rearrange fields: Change the order in which your fields appear in your record by using Drag & Drop. Now you can change the order for Unique ID, Checklist Created on, Created by, Last modified on, Last modified by and Attachment as they are own field types.

  • Delete field or Duplicate field: Click the "..." icon of each field types, this menu brings up these options.


4. Edit field values

Any data put into a field is called a value. There is a different way to edit values for each type of field in order to keep things simple. Here are just a few examples:

  • In Single and Multiple line text fields, you can add texts, numbers or special characters. Within multiple line you can give your text a layout. To open the menu simply highlight the text or type "/". Write ":" and start typing the name of an emoji to choose one e.g. :tada (=🎉 )

  • For Date fields, clicking to add data will bring up the date picker, where you can select the day relevant to the record - for example a due date or deadline.

  • For Single or Multiple select fields, you'll be prompted to add options by typing or by clicking on one option. Single allows you to select one option, multiple more.

  • In a Member field, you can tag yourself or members of your organization.

  • For Attachment fields, clicking on the field provided will prompt you to upload a file. You can also drag a file from your computer into the field to upload it.

  • Values automatically appear for these properties: Created on, Created by, Last modified on, Last modified by.

  • You can simply type (or paste) values for Link, Email, Phone, Number fields, just like you would for a text field.

  • Editing values for Relation and Calculation field requires multiple steps.


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