Table Relationships in Gridfox

Table relationships in Gridfox allow you to link data between tables, making it easier to organise, manage, and retrieve connected information. Relationships are particularly beneficial when your data spans multiple related tables, allowing you to establish meaningful connections that reflect real-world interactions.

Types of Relationships

Gridfox supports two main types of table relationships:

1. One-to-Many Relationships

In a one-to-many relationship, a single record from one table (the “parent”) can relate to multiple records in another table (the “children”).

When to use:

• Linking customers to their orders (one customer, multiple orders)
• Assigning tasks to a project (one project, multiple tasks)

2. Many-to-Many Relationships

In a many-to-many relationship, records from one table can relate to multiple records in another table and vice versa.

When to use:

• Connecting employees to multiple projects, where each project can also have multiple employees
• Associating products with multiple suppliers and each supplier providing multiple products

How Relationships Appear in Gridfox

• Parent Dropdown: In a one-to-many relationship, a dropdown menu is presented for selecting the parent record.
• Multi-Select Dropdown: In a many-to-many relationship, Gridfox provides a multi-select dropdown to easily select multiple related records.
• Nested Tables: Child records are conveniently displayed in nested tables within the parent record for easy visibility and navigation.

Creating Table Relationships

Creating a One-to-Many Relationship:

1. Navigate to your parent table.
2. Click Add Column.
3. Choose Relationship and select One-to-Many.
4. Select the related child table.
5. Confirm by clicking Save.

Example: If you have a “Customers” table and an “Orders” table, create a one-to-many relationship by adding a relationship field in the “Orders” table pointing to the “Customers” table.

Creating a Many-to-Many Relationship:

1. Open either table involved in the relationship.
2. Click Add Column.
3. Choose Relationship and select Many-to-Many.
4. Select the related table you wish to connect.
5. Click Save.

Example: To relate an “Employees” table with a “Projects” table, you would set a many-to-many relationship allowing multiple employees to be assigned to multiple projects and vice versa.

Best Practices for Relationships

• Clearly define the nature of your data relationships beforehand.
• Maintain descriptive names for relationships for clarity.
• Regularly review your relationships to ensure they reflect your current data management needs.

By effectively utilising relationships, Gridfox enables a powerful and flexible approach to managing complex interconnected data, enhancing productivity and clarity within your projects.