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IvanWeiss's avatar
IvanWeiss
Qrew Captain
5 years ago

Creating Notes Table for CRM and Contacts

Hello, thanks in advance for the help. I am creating a project management app complete with CRM. I want to create a Notes table so a user can save notes on any particular object to track progress. I want this note to appear on related tables as well.

For example Acme Insurance has a new opportunity through a client Jay White.

In the notes form I save a new note that Jay reached out about updating pricing. I want that note to appear on the opportunity it is directly linked to. But if I see a page for Jay Whites contact info or the company Acme contact info or the project page linked to this opportunity I want that note to appear.

Seperately I might have a note to appear related to Jay White and it should show on related tables as well.

Best ways to do this? I am thinking a notes table with a relation to opportunities. Since I have that is the project table related automatically via the opportunity table? (A project is related to opportunities already in my app). And a relation to the contact and company as well?
Forms
Quickbase Automations
Relationships

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  • QuickBaseCoachD's avatar
    QuickBaseCoachD
    Qrew Captain
    5 years ago
    1. Can you describe your Key tables and their relationships.

    2. But regardless, the answer will evolve around the fact that you do not need to have a relationship to have a report link report on a form.  You just need to make a report link field and configure any two matching fields. So, for example if you have a great grandchild type note field, but though lookups it can know the Record ID# of the top level of your hierarchy, say Opportunity, then you can have all notes appear on the Opportunity record.
  • JayWhite's avatar
    JayWhite
    Qrew Trainee
    5 years ago
    Sure....

    So currently it as attached.  Keep in mind this app is in its infancy so much of it is not developed yet. 
    My thought and understanding is that the Notes table should stand alone and through the relationships it "inherently" has a relationship with companies, contacts, and projects because of the link to opportunities.  So I can see the notes on any of those related tables. But my other concern is at some point that Notes table is going to get massive with tens of thousands of records.  

    I also thought I would relate contacts and companies and projects to notes.  This way if I need a note related to a person but not a specific opportunity I am able to do that.  So if the related opportunity field is blank, it would not pull that note for an opportunity.

    I am just nervous as I continue to add more relationships to this note table (because I want to ultimately add a note on anything) all of these relationships are going to be very ineffective from a database speed side.


  • QuickBaseCoachD's avatar
    QuickBaseCoachD
    Qrew Captain
    5 years ago
    Re:
    I am just nervous as I continue to add more relationships to this note table (because I want to ultimately add a note on anything) all of these relationships are going to be very ineffective from a database speed side.

    Quick Base works pretty fast when dealing with the typical number of records which humans can enter, so if you had 100,000 notes that's really not a problem for Quick Base. And as for the relationships, well Quick Base is lazy so it does not do more work than it needs to when you click.  so you can have all sorts of crazy relationships and Quick Base does not get slowed down unless its needs to travel those relationships to render he record or reports on the screen.

    So design the app how you need it to work for the benefits of the users.

    This is not a million record issue where Performance is the Key design issue.  You need the functionality you need.
    • JayWhite's avatar
      JayWhite
      Qrew Trainee
      5 years ago
      Okay, thanks!  So is my logic appropriate?  One master table of notes and relations to each table that I want a user to be able to add a "note" to?  The only thing that is a struggle on that is I see on the forms it creates a "subtable" and they have to open the notes.  I was more or less hoping to be able to create an experience where the user can read them inline.  Much like the way we are communicating on this forum.  I can types notes directly, save them, and users read them and see who posted them and when.
    • QuickBaseCoachD's avatar
      QuickBaseCoachD
      Qrew Captain
      5 years ago
      On the form where you have the report link field probably called [Notes] set the form property to display the notes directly on the form.

      Was that your question - how to get those note records to immediately display on the form?
    • JayWhite's avatar
      JayWhite
      Qrew Trainee
      5 years ago
      Got it, that works.  Yes in part that was the question.  Plus just making sure that the relationships and number of records would not be an issue.