Fields
A field is one entry inside a record type: Quantity, Shift, Comment. You maintain
fields in the grid under Settings › Database, in the Fields view. Next to it is the
Data view, which shows the stored records.
Every field is a real column in the operational table. There is no hidden catch-all field and no free-form extra structure.
Adding a field
Section titled “Adding a field”Add field asks three things:
| Entry | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Field name | the name the field appears under everywhere, for example GoodParts |
| Type | one of the six data types (see Data types) |
| Required | whether a record without this value is refused |
The field name is unique within a record type. Capture, queries and tags address the field by that name.
Default
Section titled “Default”Default is the value a field takes when nothing was supplied. You can change it directly in the grid.
Making a field required later
Section titled “Making a field required later”If you switch a field to required while records without a value exist, TrakState refuses the change and names the count. Set a default first.
TrakState also remembers since when the rule applies. A record captured earlier and delivered later — from a device that was offline, say — is not judged by a rule that did not exist at the time.
Renaming
Section titled “Renaming”Renaming a field is harmless. Internally the column is named after an immutable id; no schema change runs, and nothing that points at the field breaks.
Hiding instead of deleting
Section titled “Hiding instead of deleting”Hide field takes the field out of capture: Out of capture. The data stays. The stored values remain readable, and the step is reversible.
Delete field cannot be undone. TrakState says beforehand how many records hold a value in that field.
Who writes here
Section titled “Who writes here”Written by: lists the capture masks and boards that write to this record type. Read it before you add or remove a mandatory field: adding a mandatory field or removing one reaches every one of them, including devices in the hall.
Columns that did not come from the grid
Section titled “Columns that did not come from the grid”If someone creates a column through the raw-SQL escape, the grid shows it as external. It is displayed but not editable — the interface hides no column that stands in your table.