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Question

One field that can be a reference field for multiple tables

I have 3 tables that I'm trying to link

device1
device2
approval

Two of my tables are different kinds of devices each of these devices can have an "approval" which is my third table. I've linked device1 to the approval table using device name as a reference field in approval table.

However I want to know if I can use device name again as a reference field for device2 table? i want that field to be populated with input from several tables.
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    You cannot (and should never) give the same Field Name to a field in the same table twice.  This causes Users no-end of confusion when building reports. 

    That is not to say that on a Form Layout, you cannot change the Label Text of a field to match another, when a User is viewing an Approval from Device 1 versus an Approval from Device 2.  However, your Related Reference fields should indicate the source-table, even if they have similar names (Device Name - Table X and Device Name - Table Y) for example.

    By default if you add a field with a name already in the table, Quick Base will append the next sequence number to it (2, 3 etc) because no field should be duplicated.  There are some situations where a duplication has been "allowed" but as an Admin or a User you should never want the same field name to represent two different data sources.
    Laura Thacker | laura@intelligentdbs.com | (626) 771 0454
    If you need to have the same field be the reference field to lookup from another table, you can make a mirror field.

    ie a formula text field with the formula of

    [Device Name]
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