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Build Alloy table

Learn about building a native Alloy table, simplifying data management, and creating apps with step-by-step guidance and best practices.

What is an Alloy table?

An Alloy table is a built-in table of AppAlloy. It is designed to facilitate structured data management directly within the AppAlloy platform.

Alloy tables offer data synchronization with zero delay. It is ideal for use cases including customer relationship management (CRM) systems, inventory management, and project tracking where data is dynamic and requires frequent updates.

How it works

Alloy tables function as built-in databases within your AppAlloy application. You build the table by adding new columns one by one, setting the column headings, and assigning each column a data type.

With Alloy tables, you have full access to manipulate tables and data right in the data tab of the app editor. There is no need to switch to another tab to work with a table like when you use an external data source.

The data synchronization between your tables and your app is still seamless and even better. It is updated in real-time for every change made on the table and every update made with the app, with no delay.

How to set it up

To add a new table:

  • Go to tab Data, on the section All Tables, click the + icon

  • Choose Alloy Table.

  • Name your table & click Save.

The first column is added with the type "Single line text" and set as the display column by default.

What is the display column?

When you create a view from the table, AppAlloy will generate a collection layout with each row turning into an item of the collection. The data of the display column is chosen to be the title of the item by default.

A table only has 1 display column.

Manage table

Change table name

To change the name of a table:

  • In the table view, click on the table name

  • In the Name field, enter a new name for your table

  • Click Save

Manage table accessibility

In the Data tab, you have full control over the accessibility to the data in a table for your users. Click on the table name to open the accessibility control board.

For your team members, you control if they can:

  • Add new data

  • Edit data

  • Delete data

For public users, in case you share the Mobile Web app link with public sharing, you allow them to:

  • View the data

  • Add new data

  • Edit data

  • Delete data

This configuration has effects both on the work in the Data tab as well as the way users can access and interact with data while using the app.

Click Save to save all of your updates.

Adjust column size

Within the data tab of AppAlloy, you also can adjust the column size for your convenience view:

  • hover your cursor on to the vertical line between two column headings until you see it turn into the col-resize style

  • click and hold on while dragging it right or left to change the column size.

Change column order

To manage the horizontal sorting of columns in a table:

  • Hold your cursor on a column heading

  • Drag the right or left to change the column position within the table.

Delete the table

To delete a table from the data tab of AppAlloy:

  • In the table view, click on the table name

  • Choose Rename

  • Enter a new name for your table, and click Delete

Managing the data

Add new column

To add a new column to your table:

  • On the right side of the last column, click the + button, or

  • Click on the heading of one existing column, then choose to add a new column to the left or right.

Then, configure the settings of the new column:

  • Choose a data type for the new column.

  • Name the new column.

  • Check the box "Use as display column" if you want the new column to be the display column.

A column with one of the following types can be the display column:

  • single line text

  • phone number

  • email

  • barcode

  • address

  • Click Save to add the new column to the table.

Add new row

To add a new row, you have 2 options:

  • Click the inline + button under the last row of the table

  • Click the + Add rows button near the bottom of the data tab interface.

Manage data type

AppAlloy supports several types of data from the basic to the advanced ones.

Manage data type

Detecting the data type is important since it relates to the building of record view and form view which contain different component types to show and collect data.

You can change the data type of columns, except the display column. To change data type:

  • Open the table, and click on the column headings.

  • Click on Type and choose a type from the drop.

When the type of data changes, the component to show and collect the data for the column will be changed in the form view and record view that ensure the data accuracy.

View all the components and fields available here:

Design Record Components

Edit data

To edit data, simply click a cell and enter a new value.

Small tip: You also press Tab on the keyboard to switch the cell horizontally while editing

Search for data

You can search for a value throughout your table with the search on the left above the table.

The results will represent the rows that have at least 1 cell containing the search value.

The search bar works with the following column types:

  • Single line text

  • Long text

  • Phone number

  • Email

  • Barcode

  • Photos

  • Files

  • Single select

  • Multiple select

  • Relation

Sort data row

Sorting data rows can help you manage a large collection of records more efficiently by organizing them based on a data column by numerical or alphabetical order.

To add the sorting criteria:

  • On the table view in the Data tab, click the Sort button

  • Click + Column and choose a column from the table

  • Add more columns if you want, the logic of sorting will applied one by one from the top to bottom

Over the sorting criteria, you also have the control to:

  • Change the order

  • Switch the sorting mode as ascending or descending

  • Remove

Filter data row

You can set filtering conditions to filter the row with a wanted data value.

  • Click the Filter button above the Alloy table

  • Choose + Add condition or + Add condition group

What is condition and condition group?

  • Condition: A single criterion that defines a filter. It consists of a column, a condition type, and a condition value.

  • Condition Group: A set of conditions grouped together. You can link multiple condition groups using logical operators (OR or AND) to refine your filter further.

To add a condition

  • Click + Add condition

  • Choose a column as the filtering criteria

  • Choose the condition type that best suits your needs such as equals, contains, greater than, less than, etc.

  • Input the specific value or range of values that will be used for filtering.

If you need to apply multiple filters:

  • Click the “Add Condition” button and modify the same steps as the previous one

  • Configure the relation between conditions using :

    • "and" to require all conditions must be true, or

    • "or" to require any condition must be true.

the relation is configured by once to be applied for all the following

To add a group filer

  • Click + Add condition group

  • Within the group field, click the + button on the right end to add a new condition to the group

  • Configure the condition of the group with the same steps as the single condition configuration.

  • Configure the relation between a single condition-group, group-group, and condition-condition inside a group using the:

    • "and" to require all conditions must be true, or

    • "or" to require any condition must be true.

the relation is configured by once to be applied for all the following

Delete data

You can delete data from a cell, a whole row, or a whole column.

In the view of your table:

  • To delete data of a cell, click on the cell, and press "Backspace" to delete.

  • To delete a row, go to the last cell, and click the trash bin button to delete.

  • To delete a column, click on the column headings, click Delete, and click the Delete button.

Please note these actions cannot be undone.

Special note

The export of Alloy tables is currently not supported. In case you may have a plan to bring the data file around for other essential tasks of your work, consider using an external source instead.

Troubleshooting issue

Changing data type causes data loss

This situation often happens when you just import data into the Alloy table and then change the column's data type immediately while the new data is not saved into the database yet.

Try to import the data again. On this next try, please wait for about 1-2 minutes until the saving of your data is complete. Then, you can change your data type.

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