Creating a Data Set

Data Sets are created from the Library. You must be an Administrator or hold the Library.Creator permission.

Creating a Data Set

  1. Open the Library from the main navigation menu.
  2. Select the folder you want the Data Set to live in. (Leave no folder selected to create it in Unfiled.)
  3. Click the Data Set button in the Create New section at the bottom of the sidebar.
  4. Enter a Data Set Name — this is what template authors will see when they link a control to it. (Maximum 200 characters.)
  5. Optionally enter a Description (up to 1,000 characters).
  6. Optionally attach a CSV file to populate the Data Set immediately (see below).
  7. Click Create Data Set.

A name is always required, except when you attach a CSV file — in that case, leaving the name blank uses the file name instead.

The Data Set opens straight away so you can start adding fields and records.

note

The folder you create the Data Set in controls who can see and edit it. See Folders for how folder permissions work.

Starting from Scratch

If you do not attach a CSV file, the new Data Set is created with:

  • A single Text field called Name
  • No records
  • The default All Records View

From there, use Add Field and Add Record to build it up. See Fields and Records.

Starting from a CSV File

Attaching a CSV file is usually the fastest way to get started, because it creates the fields and the records in one step.

In the Import from CSV (optional) area of the New Data Set dialog you can either:

  • Drag and drop a .csv file onto the upload area, or
  • Click the upload area to browse for a file.

CheckFlow then:

  1. Reads the first row of the file as the field names.
  2. Detects the type of each column from its values — so a column of dates becomes a Date field, a column of email addresses becomes an Email field, and so on.
  3. Creates one record per remaining row.

The maximum CSV file size is 5 MB, and the file can contain at most 50 columns and 10,000 rows.

For the full set of CSV rules, type detection behaviour and error messages, see Importing and Exporting CSV.

The Data Set Page

Clicking a Data Set in the Library opens its own page. This is where all editing happens.

Top Toolbar

ButtonDescriptionWho sees it
Back to LibraryReturns to the Library, in the folder the Data Set lives in.Everyone
ConnectionsLists the template controls currently linked to this Data Set. See Connections.Everyone
Export CSVDownloads the currently selected View as a CSV file.Everyone
Import CSV (Replace)Replaces all records with the contents of a CSV file.Edit permission
SettingsChange the Data Set's name and description.Edit permission
Delete Data SetPermanently deletes the Data Set.Administrators only

View Tabs

Below the toolbar is a tab for each View, starting with All Records. Click a tab to switch the grid to that View's filters, sorting and visible columns. A + tab creates a new View.

Grid Toolbar

ButtonDescription
Add RecordAppends an empty record to the bottom of the grid and puts the cursor in its first cell.
Add FieldOpens the Add Field dialog.
View ConfigOpens the configuration panel for the currently selected View.
Delete SelectedAppears once one or more records are ticked. Deletes them.

The record count is displayed as 123 / 10000 records so you can see how much headroom you have.

If you only have View permission on the folder, the grid is displayed without the toolbar and with the message "Read-only — you do not have edit permission on this Data Set's folder."

Renaming a Data Set

Click Settings in the toolbar, change the Name and/or Description, and click Save.

Renaming a Data Set does not affect any linked controls — links are held against the Data Set itself, not its name. Template authors will simply see the new name.

Deleting a Data Set

Only Administrators can delete a Data Set.

  1. Click Delete Data Set in the toolbar.
  2. Confirm the deletion.

If the Data Set is linked to one or more template controls, CheckFlow shows a warning listing the affected templates:

This Data Set is linked to the following Templates: … Deleting it will disconnect those controls. Existing checklist responses are preserved.

You can cancel, or confirm to delete anyway. If you confirm:

  • The links are removed from every version of the affected templates.
  • Those controls revert to being manual controls with no items, so the template author needs to re-configure them.
  • Answers already given in existing checklists are not affected — they are stored as snapshots, not as references. See Using Data Sets in Checklists.
tip

Use Connections before deleting to see exactly which templates and controls will be affected.

Moving and Archiving

A Data Set is a Library item, so it supports the standard item actions from the Actions menu on its Library row:

  • Move to Folder — moves the Data Set to a different folder (you need Edit permission on both folders).
  • Move to Unfiled
  • Archive

Unlike Templates, Articles and Files, a Data Set has no inline expand panel in the Library — clicking it opens the Data Set page directly. Its Library row shows the field count, the record count and the date it was last updated.

Related Pages