Create a table
A table stores structured data inside Vince Platform. You decide the columns, choose how rows are identified, and then fill the table by uploading an Excel file or by writing to it from a workflow. For an overview, see Tables. For guidance on design choices, see Designing tables.
You need write access to tables to see the Create Table button.
Create the table
- Go to Tables in the main navigation.
- Click Create Table. The Create new table window opens.
- Enter a Table name. It is required, must be different from your other tables, and cannot be changed after the table is saved.
- Choose the Update type. It controls how new data is combined with what is already in the table, and cannot be changed after the table is saved:
- Upsert (default) — update rows that match on the primary key and add the others.
- Append — add the incoming rows to the existing ones.
- Replace — replace all existing data with the incoming data.
- Decide whether to tick Enforce data types. When it is on, values written to the table must match the column types, and records with the wrong type are rejected. Leave it off if the table should accept any shape of data.
- Click Add column and fill in the column (see below). Repeat for every column you need.
- Click Create.
The button stays disabled until the table has a unique name, at least one column, a name and display name on every column, and at least one primary key.
Define the columns
Each column is one row in the Columns list:
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Name | The column's identifier, used by workflows and the API. It is required, must be unique within the table, and cannot be changed after the table is saved |
| Display Name | The label people see in the data viewer. It is required |
| Type | What kind of data the column holds |
| Primary key | Tick it for the column or columns that identify a row |
Drag the handle at the start of a row to change the column order. Use the trash icon to remove a column you added by mistake.
Choose a column type
| Group | Types | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| Basic types | Text, Number, Integer, Boolean | Names and codes, decimal numbers, whole numbers, yes/no values |
| Date types | ISO Date Time, M3 Date | Full date and time values, or dates in the compact format used by Infor M3 |
| Special types | Computed | A value calculated from other columns |
| Other types | Object, Array, Email, UUID, IP v4 | Nested values, lists of values, and values with a fixed format |
An Array column holds a list of values in one cell, for example several item numbers on one order row. An Object column holds a nested group of values.
Choose the primary key
The primary key is the column, or combination of columns, that makes each row unique. Tick Primary key on every column that is part of it. When data is written with the Upsert update type, rows with the same key are updated instead of duplicated.
- At least one primary key is required.
- Key columns can only be chosen while you create the table. They cannot be changed later.
- Primary key columns are also registered as the table's required columns when you save. Other columns cannot be marked as required in the editor.
- Key columns are shown with a key icon in Columns info.
Computed columns and allowed values
Tick Advanced configuration to add an Advanced column to the list. There you can:
- Enter a calculation for a Computed column, for example
firstname & ' ' & lastname. - Enter a list of allowed values for a Text column.
After saving
The message Table configuration saved successfully. confirms that the table was created, and it appears in the list with 0 rows. From there you can fill it:
- Open the ⋮ menu and choose Upload excel to import a spreadsheet. See Importing data from Excel.
- Write to it from a workflow with a Table step.
To start from an existing structure instead, choose Copy table in the ⋮ menu. The new table starts as Copy of the original name, and you can change the columns and key before saving.