When integrating data sources like Google Sheets, Airtable, or Supabase into Frontly, you can customize various settings to align the data with your app's requirements. These settings are categorized into three main sections: Basics, Fields, and Hidden Filters.
Basics
Title: Assign an internal name to your data source for easy identification among multiple sources.
Allow Public Access: Enable this option to display the data source on public Frontly pages. This does not grant direct database access but allows data visibility on pages that don't require user login.
To adjust page settings: Navigate to the desired page, click More, and toggle the Require Login option.
Fields
Default Field Order: Arrange the sequence of fields as they should appear in tables or forms.
Data Types: Define each field's data type—Text, Integer, Float, Date, or True/False—to control its presentation and validation.
Select UI Component: For text fields, preload a set of options for dropdowns or multi-select lists, facilitating user input with predefined choices.
Impact of Selecting Field Type
Choosing the appropriate data type for each field affects several aspects of your app:
Validation: Non-text data types enforce stricter validation rules. For example, a field set as 'Integer' will only accept whole numbers; entering 'Two' would be invalid. To accept such text inputs, set the field type to 'Text'. Click here to learn more.
Operators: The available filter operators depend on the field's data type. For instance, 'Date Before' and 'Date After' operators are applicable to fields set as 'Date' but not to those set as 'Text'. Using an incompatible operator will result in errors and may disrupt data displays. Click here to learn more.
Hidden Filters
Set predefined filters at the data source level to ensure consistent data conditions across all blocks accessing this source. This approach eliminates the need to configure identical filters in multiple blocks, enhancing efficiency and reducing potential errors.
Click here for a comprehensive guidance on setting up Hidden Filters
Additional Functions
Refresh Fields
Auto Detect Types: Automatically assigns data types and UI components based on field headers and data content. Be aware that this will overwrite previous settings, though manual adjustments can be made afterward.
Disable New Fields: Prevents newly added fields in the data source from automatically appearing in your app's blocks, including those introduced through data relations. This helps maintain control over the displayed data without the need to hide new fields manually.
Convert to Frontly DB
If you're using an external data source, this option lets you copy all existing fields and data into a Frontly-managed database (Frontly DB). This is useful if you want to take advantage of native features or transition away from third-party data sources.
Click here to check out everything new with the Frontly DB