Table extension functionality allows for inheriting fields from a parent table. Tables are extended by administrators and developers while creating tables.
Table extension is used for a set of records to share information with each other.
In the use case listed below, the Task table has multiple extensions:
| Original table | Extended tables |
|---|---|
| Task |
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An extended table is called a child table, and the original table is called a parent table. A child table in its turn can also be extended, i.e., a child table can have child tables itself.
| Info |
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When a child table is created, its list and form views are copied from a parent table, taking into account views of sections and related lists. You can set up these views later. Refer to the Form Layout and List Layout articles to learn more. |
Table extending causes the following:
- Cross-table linking between the new table and the extending one
- System fields are created in the new table (like the sys_id field).
Necessary Tools
| Tip |
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Role required: admin. |
Instance administrators can use the All Tables tool to understand the relationships between the tables. To perform this, please complete the steps below:
- Navigate to System Definition → Settings → All Tables.
- Select the table you want by typing its title in the search bar.
- Navigate to this table.
- The value in the Parent field is the title of the parent table, the one the current table is sharing fields with.
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Also, the parent table can be known if you have previously configured your list layout to display the Parent field. For more information, please refer to the List layoutLayout article. |