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Create Database

Tutorial on how to create database collections and elements.

Time: 10 minutes

Vocabulary Note:

Collections are like database tables and elements are like the rows of the table. Yet they are are not bound to columns or fields, making them very flexible and adaptable to all sorts of data that needs to be stored and interacted with.

Company Requirements​

Our mock company is organized in different areas, each having specific activities and needs. For example, an employee from the technology division doesn't have to attest incurred expenses while visiting a client as a field service representative would have to do.

The areas within the company are:

  • board of directors
  • finance
  • cybersecurity
  • commercial
  • treasury
  • risk management
  • human resources
  • IT

A reliable way to implement this requirement would be to create a collection containing elements that represent each area. This arrangement will allow you to organize interdependencies with other elements, collections, and components of the Cotalker environment (e.g. surveys, users, tasks).

Tutorial Objectives​

Pre-Requistes​

Access Role​

Your user profile's access role must have at least the following permissions:

  • admin-access (permission to access the Administrative Panel)
  • admin-properties-write (permission to create collections and elements)
Vocabulary note:

In backend vocabulary, elements are referred to as properties and collections as property types.

Steps​

A. Create Collection​

I. Go to the Database panel.

database panel
  1. From the Main Menu Bar, press the Administrator button.
  2. In the Administrative Panel, select Database.
  3. The Database panel opens up with a list existing collections.

II. Open the Create Collection settings panel.

create collection
  • Press the + icon to open the Create collection settings panel.

III. Set up the new collection.

set up collection

Complete the settings as indicated:

  1. Name: Department
  2. Code: department_00
  3. Don't show this collection in the database section: Toggle on.
  4. Press Save. (You will be taken back to the collections list in the Database Panel.)
Notes
  • In step 2, Code is an identifier that must be unique and only allows lower case letters, numbers, and underscores.
  • The "database section" mentioned in step 3 is accessible to some users to view collections and elements without having to enter the Administrative Panel.

B. Create Elements​

I. Go to the collection's elements panel.

go to elements
  • From the Database Panel, press the list icon corresponding to the General Departments collection to go to the Elements panel.

II. Open the Create Element settings panel.

create element
  • From the Elements Panel, press the + icon to open the Create element settings panel.

III. Set up the new element.

set up element

Complete the settings as indicated:

  1. Name: Board of Directors
  2. Code: board_of_directors
  3. Press Save. (You will be taken back to the elements list.)
Remember

The Code must be unique.


IV. Create the remaining elements.

  • Repeat the process for all company areas:
    • board of directors
    • finance
    • cybersecurity
    • commercial
    • treasury
    • risk management
    • human resources
    • IT
Tutorial advice

Make sure to create all the elements representing company areas. We will be using them in the following tutorials.


Expected Results​

From the Database Panel, you should see the recently created _collection within the Collections table._

result collection

Within the Department collection, you should see all the elements you have created.

create collection

via GIPHY