Databases & Tables Guide

Master the powerful database and table features to organize, track, and manage structured data in your workspace.

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📖 Overview

Databases in Ascend allow you to create structured tables with typed properties, multiple views, filtering, sorting, and grouping. Think of them as spreadsheets with the flexibility of a database.

Key Features

• ✅ Typed Properties: Text, numbers, dates, select options, checkboxes, and more
• ✅ Multiple Views: Create different views of the same data with unique filters and sorts
• ✅ Drag & Drop: Reorder rows and columns easily
• ✅ Auto-Save: All changes are automatically saved
• ✅ Flexible Layouts: Resize columns, wrap text, hide/show properties

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🚀 Getting Started

Creating a Database

1. Navigate to Dashboard → Databases
2. Click the "New Database" button
3. Enter a name for your database
4. Click Create

Your new database opens with default properties: Name (text) and Status (select).

The Database Interface

Area	Description
Title	Click to edit the database name inline
View Tabs	Switch between different views of your data
Toolbar	Filter, sort, group, and manage properties
Header Row	Column names with property type icons
Data Rows	Your actual data entries
Add Row	Footer area to add new rows

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📊 Working with Properties (Columns)

Property Types

Type	Icon	Description	Example
Text	Aa	Plain text content	"Project Alpha"
Number	#	Numeric values	42, 3.14
Select	▼	Single choice from options	"In Progress"
Multi-Select	▼▼	Multiple choices	"Frontend, Backend"
Date	📅	Date values	"Dec 14, 2025"
Person	👤	Team member assignment	"John Doe"
Checkbox	☑️	True/false toggle	✓ or ✗
URL	🔗	Web links	"https://example.com"
Email	✉️	Email addresses	"user@email.com"
Status	●	Status with colors	"Done" (green)

Adding a Property

1. Click the "+" button at the right of the header row
2. Enter a property name
3. Select a property type from the suggestions
4. Press Enter or click away to confirm

Tip: The property type suggestions appear in a 2-column grid for easy selection.

Editing a Property

Click on any column header to open the property menu:

Option	Description
Edit Property	Change name or type
Insert Left	Add a new property to the left
Insert Right	Add a new property to the right
Sort Ascending	Sort A→Z or 0→9
Sort Descending	Sort Z→A or 9→0
Group	Group rows by this property's values
Hide	Hide this column from the current view
Wrap Content	Enable multi-line text (text properties only)
Delete	Remove this property

Resizing Columns

1. Hover over the right edge of a column header
2. The cursor changes to a resize cursor (↔)
3. Click and drag left or right to resize
4. Release to set the new width

Minimum width: 80 pixels

Reordering Columns

1. Click and hold a column header
2. Drag left or right to the desired position
3. A blue indicator shows where the column will drop
4. Release to complete the reorder

Both the header AND the data cells move together.

Hiding/Showing Properties

To hide a property:

1. Click the column header
2. Select "Hide" from the menu

To show hidden properties:

1. Click the "Properties" button in the toolbar
2. Toggle visibility for each property

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📝 Working with Rows

Adding a Row

Method 1 - Footer:

• Click the "+ New" button at the bottom of the table

Method 2 - Keyboard:

• Press Enter in the last cell to create a new row below

Method 3 - Context Menu:

• Right-click any row → "Add row below"

Editing Cells

1. Single click on a cell to select it
2. Double-click or press Enter to edit
3. Type your content
4. Press Enter to save, Escape to cancel

For text cells with Wrap Content enabled:

• Press Enter to add new lines within the cell
• Press Ctrl/Cmd + Enter to save and move to the next row

Selecting Rows

Action	How
Select single row	Click the checkbox on the left
Select multiple rows	Ctrl/Cmd + click additional checkboxes
Select range	Click first row, Shift + click last row
Select all	Click the checkbox in the header

Reordering Rows

1. Hover over a row to reveal the drag handle (⋮⋮) on the left
2. Click and drag the handle up or down
3. A blue line indicates the drop position
4. Release to complete the reorder

Deleting Rows

Single row:

• Right-click the row → "Delete row"

Multiple rows:

1. Select the rows using checkboxes
2. Click "Delete" in the bulk action bar that appears

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🔍 Views, Filters & Sorting

Understanding Views

Views are saved configurations of how to display your data. Each view can have:

• Different visible/hidden properties
• Different column widths
• Different filters
• Different sorts
• Different groupings

The underlying data is the same—views just change how you see it.

Creating a View

1. Click the "+" next to existing view tabs
2. Enter a view name
3. Configure filters, sorts, and visible properties
4. Changes are auto-saved to the view

Filtering Data

1. Click the "Filter" button in the toolbar
2. Select a property to filter by
3. Choose a condition (equals, contains, is empty, etc.)
4. Enter the filter value
5. Click "Add Filter"

Multiple filters:

• Add more filters to narrow results
• Toggle between AND (all must match) and OR (any can match)

Sorting Data

1. Quick sort: Click a column header menu → Sort Ascending/Descending
2. Multi-sort: Click "Sort" in toolbar → Add multiple sort rules

Multi-level sorting: Sort by Status first, then by Date within each status.

Grouping Data

1. Click a column header → "Group"
2. Rows are organized into collapsible groups
3. Click the group header to expand/collapse
4. Each group shows a count of rows

Example: Group tasks by Status to see all "In Progress" tasks together.

🔍 Searching Database Rows

You can search for the content of individual database rows globally using the Unified Search (Cmd/Ctrl + K).

1. Open the search panel with Cmd/Ctrl + K.
2. Type a value contained in one of your row properties (like a task name, project budget, or client email).
3. Select the Rows filter to see only individual data entries.
4. Clicking a row result will take you directly to the database and focus the relevant row.

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⌨️ Keyboard Navigation

Shortcut	Action
Arrow keys	Move between cells
Enter	Edit selected cell / Save and move down
Escape	Cancel editing
Tab	Move to next cell
Shift + Tab	Move to previous cell
Delete	Clear cell content
Ctrl/Cmd + Enter	Save edit and move down (in wrap mode)

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💡 Tips & Best Practices

Organizing Your Database

✅ Do:

• Use descriptive property names
• Choose appropriate property types (numbers for quantities, dates for deadlines)
• Create views for different use cases (e.g., "My Tasks", "Overdue Items")
• Use Status properties for workflow tracking

❌ Don't:

• Put everything in one text column
• Create too many properties (keep it focused)
• Forget to set up views before sharing

Performance Tips

• Large datasets: Use filters to show only relevant rows
• Wide tables: Hide unused properties to reduce horizontal scrolling
• Text content: Enable "Wrap Content" only when needed—it increases row height

Collaboration

• All team members with access see the same data
• Views can be personal or shared
• Changes sync in real-time

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🔧 Troubleshooting

Changes Not Saving?

1. Check your internet connection
2. Wait a moment—auto-save has a short delay
3. Refresh the page if issues persist

Column Resize Not Working?

Make sure you're clicking exactly on the column edge (between two column headers).

Rows in Wrong Order?

• Check if you have a sort applied (look for sort indicator arrows)
• Clear sorts to see the original order

Can't See a Property?

• The property might be hidden in the current view
• Click "Properties" in the toolbar to check visibility

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📚 Related Guides

• Keyboard Shortcuts Reference
• Page Interface Guide
• Team Roles & Permissions

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Last Updated: December 2025
Version: 1.0