What are Views?
Knack uses pages and views to organize the way data is viewed in your app. A view is a visual element that displays your records on your live app pages.
What do Views look like in the live app?
Tables, forms, calendars, maps and reports are all examples of views. Views are what display your records on your live app pages:
How do I access Views?
You access your views by clicking on the Pages tab in the top left and then clicking one of your pages from the left menu. The views for that page will display in a list to the right.
Each view works with records from a single object in your database. These views are how your users will view, add, and edit the records in your database.
Manage Views
Add Views
Add a new view to a page by first selecting the page from the list on the left, and then selecting the type of view from the toolbar at the top of the page:
This will open a new window with a list of available objects for that page. Select an object and click the button to add the view:
Knack will always present you with the correct list of objects and views to add to your page. For example, a start page can always display views for any object, but child pages can display only certain views for a specific object.
Multiple Record Options
When adding a table, list, or other views that displays multiple records you’ll be presented with options to automatically add links to view details about or edit each record that view is displaying:
Just check off which links you want to add. Once you add the view, you’ll see child pages have been automatically added for each link you selected.
Adding Views to View Connected Records
If your app is using connections, you can add views to display connected records to any page displaying details about the parent record. For example, in our CRM example app, you can select a table view on a Contacts details page to add a new table displaying Notes connected to that Sales Rep. Select the Table view on any details page and then select the connected object from the options listed:
Use Object Fields in a View
Each view includes options to add object fields so that your users can view relevant information about your records on your live app pages. Forms, tables, lists and details views, for example, allow you to add object fields from a list in the Fields section of the Settings page:
Edit Views
You can edit a view by clicking on the gear-shaped icon for that view:
This will open the view in edit mode:
Each view has various sections you can edit. Click on each section from the left menu to update those respective settings. After you’ve completed any changes, click the big Save Changes button at the bottom.
Copy and Move Views
Views can be moved or copied from one page to another. This can be done by clicking on the gear-shaped icon on the view and selecting Copy from the dropdown menu:
Views can also be copied or moved in the View Settings page:
Views can also be moved by dragging them from their original page and dropping them on a new page.
Note: Only the pages where the view can be moved or copied to will be highlighted in the Pages list. These will be pages created using the same or a connected object to the view being copied or moved will be available. For example, if you have a Company object and a Notes object that aren't connected, a company Details view will not be able to be moved or copied to a page displaying a note Details view.
Delete Views
Delete a view by clicking on the “trash can” icon in the settings dropdown:
You’ll be asked to confirm the delete. Please note that deleting views is destructive. Any child pages that are connected to that view will also be automatically deleted.
View Types
The following types of views are available to add to your pages:
Object Views
These views work with a specific object from your database:
When you add a view, you first select the type of view, then the object you want that view to work with. The view types include:
- Form: Insert or edit an object record.
- Details: Display a single record in a flexible layout.
- Table: Displays multiple records from an object in rows and columns.
- List: Also displays multiple records from an object, but in a more free-form display. Instead of rows and columns, a list can display fields in more flexible layouts.
- Search: Presents different options for searching object records. The results from the search can display in a table or a list.
- Calendar: Display multiple records in a graphical calendar or list. Users can navigate by day/month/week.
- Map: Display multiple records on a Google map using address fields.
- Report: Display aggregate and summary totals about records in pivot tables, charts, and graphs.
- Ecommerce: Payment method views can then be used to facilitate future payments, whether it’s the user paying themselves or an account administrator charging the user on their behalf.
More Views
These views don’t work with a specific object but have special features:
- Menu: Display links to pages in your live app as well as external sites.
- Rich Text: Display static rich text and content.
Login Views
A login view adds user authentication to a page by displaying a login form. If User Registration is set to Open or Approval, this can also include a registration form for new users.
Login views can only be added by adding a login to a page.
When a new page is added with a required login, this view will automatically be created to control that login:
Click here to learn more about login and registration views for your app pages.
How To Guides
Here are our top how-to guides for using views in your live app pages:
- Show records connected to the logged-in user.
- Show records connected to the logged-in user's company or other groups.
- Keep track of edit logs with a Version Control History for Records.
- Create a Multi-Part Form
- Use an Edit Form to Create Records If They Don't Exist
- Track When Records are Created and Updated
- Create an Admin User Role to View All Records