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Introduction ​

Customize how your data tables, fields, and relationships appear throughout your platform with simple settings that create professional, intuitive interfaces.

What is Table Configuration? ​

Table Configuration lets you:

  • Improve user experience - Create intuitive, user-friendly labels and descriptions that make sense in your business context
  • Organize information effectively - Control field ordering and presentation to match your workflows
  • Maintain professional presentation - Ensure consistent, polished interfaces across your entire application
  • Adapt to business needs - Quickly adjust how data is presented as your requirements evolve

How Table Configuration Works ​

Table Configuration covers three main areas, each with its own focused documentation:

Table Display Configuration ​

Control how your tables appear in navigation and how individual records are represented in lists and relationships.

  • Display names - Customize how table names appear in navigation, breadcrumbs, and page titles
  • Display fields - Choose which field represents records in lists, references, and relationships

Field Configuration ​

Customize how individual fields appear and behave in forms and throughout your application.

  • Display names - Set user-friendly labels that appear in forms and column headers
  • Descriptions - Add helpful context and guidance for form fields
  • Field positioning - Control the order in which fields appear in forms and displays
  • Reference field filtering - Control which records appear in reference field dropdowns

Reference Field Filtering ​

Create intelligent, context-aware reference field dropdowns that show only relevant records.

  • Static filtering - Apply permanent filters like showing only active records
  • Dynamic filtering - Filter options based on other field values in the same form
  • Complex logic - Combine multiple conditions with AND/OR operators for sophisticated filtering

Relationship Display Configuration ​

Configure how relationships between tables appear in forms and interfaces.

  • Relationship names - Customize how relationships appear in forms and interfaces
  • Relationship context - Ensure relationship labels make sense from both sides of the connection

Configuration changes have immediate, application-wide effects:

  • Navigation and identification - Table display names appear throughout the application in menus, breadcrumbs, and page headers
  • Data representation - Display field configuration determines how individual records are identified in lists, dropdowns, and relationship references
  • Form usability - Field display names and descriptions create intuitive, self-explanatory forms
  • Interface consistency - Proper configuration ensures a professional, consistent experience across all areas where your data appears

Configuration Structure ​

Your platform organizes configuration data into these main areas:

Applications → Tables → Fields and Relationships

  • Applications contain multiple Tables
  • Tables contain multiple Fields and Relationships
  • Tables can reference one of their Fields as the Display Field
  • Relationships connect Tables through specific Fields

Using Table Configuration ​

Accessing Configuration Settings ​

Table configuration is managed through your platform's settings interface:

  1. Navigate to Settings

    • Open your Simple Platform instance
    • Look for "Settings" in the left navigation menu

  2. Access Configuration Tables

    • Within Settings, you'll find the configuration tables that control how your applications appear and behave
    • Each configuration table provides both a list view (to browse all records) and individual record views (to edit specific entries)
    • Changes made through these interfaces are immediately reflected across your platform

Finding Records to Modify ​

When you need to configure specific tables or fields:

Locating Table Records

  1. Navigate to Settings → Tables
  2. Browse or filter records by application
  3. Search by name (internal name) or Display Name (current display name)
  4. Click on any table record to open its editable record view

Locating Field Records

  1. Navigate to Settings → Table Fields
  2. Filter by table to show only fields belonging to your target table
  3. Browse the field list and check positioning values
  4. Click on any field record to open its editable record view

Locating Relationship Records

  1. Navigate to Settings → Table Relationships
  2. Filter by source table to find relationships originating from your table
  3. Review relationship details including type and table connections
  4. Click on any relationship record to open its editable record view

Examples ​

Team Management System ​

Before: "user" table, "usr_email" field, "user_orders" relationship After: "Team Members" table, "Email Address" field, "Customer Orders" relationship

Staff immediately understand the system structure and complete tasks 25% faster.

Product Catalog ​

Before: Technical field names confuse non-technical staff After: Clear labels guide product entry with helpful descriptions

Product entry becomes 60% faster with significantly reduced training time.

Customer Support ​

Before: Database terminology creates confusion during ticket management After: Business-friendly labels match support workflow terminology

Support agents work 30% more efficiently with clearer, intuitive interfaces.

Best Practices ​

Display Names: Use clear, professional language that makes sense to your users. Maintain consistency across related tables and fields.

Field Organization: Position required fields early in forms. Group related fields together and use descriptions for complex fields.

Testing Changes: Verify changes appear correctly across different interface contexts. Test with actual users to confirm improvements.

Next Steps ​

Ready to start configuring your tables? Choose the area you want to focus on:

Take your table customization further with these advanced features:

  • Custom Views - Add custom buttons and actions to your tables for enhanced functionality
  • Smart Input - Use AI to help create records faster and more accurately
  • View Actions - Design effective action buttons for your custom views