Two data fields not associating to each other

[lizzcordeiro]

I am creating a directory of tools where users can create posts for each tools page, but the Post data type is not automatically associating itself to the Tool data type , so when I set up the repeating group nothing appears. I have confirmed that there is a posts field in the Tool data type that is “list of posts”, and there is a tools field in the Post data type that is “name of tool”. So each tool should be able to have many posts, while each post is associated to a single tool. When I look at the Post data, I can see the tool associated to each post. When I look at the Tool data, I don’t see any posts, unless I add them manually one at a time.

Tool & Post data types:

Tool post I manually added for Xano:

No posts showing for Xano. Note the posts showing for Pipedrive, which I manually associated to it:

[adamhholmes]

@lizzcordeiro

but the Post data type is not automatically associating itself to the Tool data type

What do you mean?..

Why would the Posts datatype automatically associate itself with another datatype?

[georgecollier]

@adamhholmes

Why would the Posts datatype automatically associate itself with another datatype?

I think this idea actually comes from people who have used Airtable. When I first used Airtable, I created a column for table links, not realising that it automatically creates a list of things (i.e if you create an Item with an Order, then the Order would automatically have an array of Items). There might well be other platforms that do the same

[lizzcordeiro]

Because in the Post data type there is a field to select the associated tool. By extension, when I look at each tool row, I should see a list of associated posts in the “list of posts” field.

[adamhholmes]

Well, that’s not how it works… you need to associate data yourself.

[lizzcordeiro]

I’m confused because I have a tool field in the post data type - I thought that by selecting the tool, that creates the association between tool and posts. I don’t understand any other way to create associations between data types.

[adamhholmes]

@lizzcordeiro

I’m confused because I have a tool field in the post data type - I thought that by selecting the tool, that creates the association between tool and posts.

Well, it does. But not in the way you’re thinking it does.

Adding a Tool field, and assigning a Tool value to it, does just that - it doesn’t assign any Post value to a Post field on the Tool datatype… why would it (and how would it know what value to assign).

It’s up to you to assign values (including associated data items) to fields.