Is it okay to create Multiple Lists of the same Data Type?

Need help Database
1

Hey All,

Question best practice question if anyone has opinions or experience on what works best. Is it best to avoid creating multiple lists of the same data type.

My goal is to have a Parent record that grabs lists of all data added to individual child records, and provide a total of work done.

For example:

I have a Data type called Project Totals that acts as a Parent and a Data Type called Shift that acts a child record.

Project totals is connected to multiple Shift records and gathers lists of things completed in the Shifts.

Within Shifts, there are multiple sets of data I capture (Tasks completed, hours completed, breaks, etc…)

As a practical Example a Project Total is created and:

  1. It has multiple Shifts connected to it (Shift Record 1, Shift Record 2, etc…).

  2. Each Shift Record captures amount of hours work, count of sign-off’s complete, etc… for that shift.

  3. All of these shift data points are Sum’d then updated in the master record as a cumulative total.

Is it okay to use multiple lists of the same data type like in the data base below?

Example of Data Structure:
Data Type Shifts (Child) has the following fields:
Project Totals (Parent): Project Totals
Hours Worked: Number
Sign-offs Complete: Number

Data Type Project Totals (Master) has the following fields)
Shifts (as a list): List of Shifts (Primary field Shift Name)
Hours Worked: List of Shifts (Primary field Hours Worked)
Sign-offs Complete: List of Shifts (Primary Field Sign offs Complete)

Data:
Shift Record 1
Project Totals: Project Total A
Hours Worked = 30
Sign offs Complete = 15

Shift Record 2:
Project Totals: Project Total A
Hours Worked = 30
Sign offs Complete = 15

Project Total A:
Shifts (as a list): Shift Record 1, Shift Record 2
Hours Worked: 30, 30
Sign-offs Complete: 15, 15
Hours work Total = 60 (Sum of Shift Records Hours Worked)
Sign offs Complete Total : 30 (Sum of Shift Records Sign off complete)

2

Yes, it works. You can set the field as a list of a data type, regardless of whether the data type is native or self-created.

2 Likes
3

Thank you @ada!

Yes, it does work.

I suppose my question is more so - is it best practice to do so?

I see two options:

  1. Create several Lists of the same Data Type and define each list’s primary field on the back-end and use each list separately on the design page to display data.
  2. One List of the data type and then on the front end always use that lists “connection to (x Data type)'s field”.

Not sure what’s the cleanest way for database development! :man_shrugging:t3: