Linking Two Tables

[Lauren_Thurman]

Hi all,

I’m looking for a way to link 2 tables - so that when information is added to table 1, it also populates on table 2.

This sounds so basic but I’m not sure what the solve is.

Do I need to link records? Do I need a lookup field? Who knows.

[Jeremy_Oglesby]

You need both linked records and lookup fields.

When you link a record from Table 1 (let’s call it A) to a record in Table 2 (let’s call it B), that gives A access to all of the data in B’s fields, and it likewise gives B access to all the data in A’s fields. To get the data from A out of Table 1 and into Table 2, you use Lookup fields.

So if those records are linked, in Table 2 you’d create a Lookup field that looks at the record linked from Table 1 (record A), and looks at the field of your choice (let’s say you want to pull the value from the “Date” field). That Lookup field will now show you the value in the field called “Date” from Table 1 >> Record A.

Hope that helps.

[Lauren_Thurman]

That does help; let me provide more context and maybe you can help.

Table A is a project intake database.
Table B is for project status/tracking.

So my goal is to link intake and tracking so that when a project is input - it appears on both. I think the hiccup is I’m not sure what column of records I need to link in order to make that happen? Since I’m not able to link to the first column where the project name is listed. Would I need to link all the columns I want to appear in Table B, to Table A?

Does that make more sense? I feel like there must be a work around, I just can’t wrap my brain around it.

[Jeremy_Oglesby]

Hmm… I’m going to suggest not using two Tables for this. I think you’d be better off just using a single “Projects” table.

Within the Projects table, you can have a field, or multiple fields, for tracking the status of that Project. Instead of working in multiple TABLES, you will work in multiple VIEWS, filtering those views to see only what you need to see at any given time.

For example,

• You can have a Kanban view for moving Project cards from one stage to another.
• You can have a Gallery view filtering to show only Projects in the “Proposal” stage, and with the “Image” part of the cards showing the proposal documents.
• You can have a Grid view filtering to show Projects in the “In Progress” stage, and with only the critical data input fields showing, so that you can easily tab across them to enter data