Data Types

The Data Types section allows you to define custom, reusable data structures—primarily Enumerations (Enums)—that can be used across your entire data model.

Instead of defining the same list of options (like “Draft”, “Pending”, “Published”) repeatedly for every table that needs them, you can create a single Data Type and reference it wherever needed.

Creating a Data Type

To create a new custom data type:

1. In the Data Model sidebar, locate the + Add Table button.
2. Click the dropdown arrow next to it.
3. Select Add Data Type.

Common Use Cases

As seen in the sidebar examples (e.g., attendance_status_enum, grade_type_enum), Data Types are ideal for standardizing business logic across the application.

• Standardization: Ensure that a “Status” field has the exact same options in the Students table as it does in the Applications table.
• Maintenance: If you need to add a new status option (e.g., changing “Archived” to “Deleted”), you update it once in the Data Type definition, and it automatically applies to all tables using that type.

Examples

Data Type Name	Potential Values
course_status_enum	OPEN, CLOSED, IN_PROGRESS, CANCELLED
grade_type_enum	A, B, C, D, F, INCOMPLETE
resource_type_enum	VIDEO, PDF, QUIZ, ASSIGNMENT