Relate Data

Create a relationship between tasks and time records to know who performed which task and how much time was spent.

At the end of this step, the Record form will be linked to the Task table, allowing you to view the associated task directly in the record listing.

Prerequisites

Before starting, check if you have already completed:

• The creation of the Task form with the name field.

• The creation of the Record form with the basic fields for hours worked.

• The configuration of the corresponding tables in the Database.

tip

For more details on how to relate data, see the Interface Guide: Relationships.

Up to this point, you have created a task management system and a time record, but each list still works in isolation.

It's important to link them so that each time entry clearly indicates which task was performed by a collaborator and during which period.

In this step, you will:

• Create a select type field in the Record form.
• Configure the field to relate to the Task table.
• Update some data to see the relationship working in practice.

select Type Field

Add a field that will allow you to select the task associated with each time entry.

1. In the Build environment, open the Record form and access the field management.

2. Create a new field with the following settings:

• Field Title: Task
• Column Name: task_id
• Type: select

3. Enable the Required option to ensure that every entry is associated with a task.
4. Keep the Unique Values option disabled, as there will be many records for the same task.

note

We suggest the name task_id to maintain a consistent naming pattern throughout the data model.

Use the _id Suffix

The name of the field that references another record should end with _id.

This pattern makes it easier to identify that the field represents a relationship with another table and makes the data model more organized.

warning

Avoid using generic names like task or ref_task for relationship fields. Standardizing with _id helps avoid confusion when you are analyzing data or creating integrations.

Configure the Relationship Link

Configure the Link, which is responsible for relating the task_id field to the tasks table.

1. In the newly created field (task_id), scroll to the Link configuration section.
2. Click Add.
3. In the window that opens:

• Select the task option.
• Then, select the name field.
• Close the window to apply.

Upon completion, the Link will be defined as:

task:name

This means that:

• The relationship will be made with the task table.
• In the interface, the value of the name field of the task will be displayed when selected in the Task field.

Click the Save button to save the field configuration.

tip

Whenever possible, use a descriptive field (such as name) to display related information, instead of a technical or numeric identifier.

Update Records

With the relationship field configured, adjust the data to view the result.

1. Access the Record form view.
2. Note that the results table now has a new column called Task, which will initially be empty.
3. Edit some records:

• Click on a row in the results table to open the edit form.
• In the Task field, select the corresponding task.
• Click Save to save.

After saving:

• The Task column in the results table will now display the name of the associated task.
• Each Record will be clearly related to a Task, allowing for a more complete analysis of the time spent on each activity.

note

If there are many records without a defined task, consider updating in batches or defining a temporary default task, according to your data policy.

Expected Result

The Record listing should display:

• A Task column populated with the names of the associated tasks.
• Each row representing a time record with its respective task, making it easier to identify where the time was spent.

Next Steps

In the next topic, you will see how to create a Service to expose this data and use it in other parts of the application, such as reports or custom interfaces.