Creating table manager

Once you have available your database tables, you can link your new tables (or previously existing ones) to lists ready to be shown and managed from the front-end. Click 'New' to manage a database table with this list, typing its name and choosing one database table.

Click 'Save' and you will be able to access 'Fields' and 'Config' menu buttons.

Fields

Here you can configure the options for the front-end management of your fields.
- Type a 'frontend name' for each column that will be used as the title of the field.
- Choose a edit type among the set of types available to configure the input field:

• Text: It displays a single line text field
• Textarea: A multiple-line text area field
• Date: A calendar helper to choose a date
• Number: Simple text field with only numbers allowed
• Combo from SQL:
  
  A combobox to choose one option. The options available will be recovered from a sql query you must type at the popup area. You can enter any valid query to your db, for ex:
  select id, username from #__users
  will fill your combo options with all user names from your joomla database. You must select a pair of values that will be used as 'value' and 'label' for each option.
  ( #_ is replaced by your joomla db prefix )
• User ID: It will save automatically the ID of the logged-in user which is adding the record
• User Name: It will save automatically the name of the logged-in user which is adding the record
• Autoincrement: It will save automatically an integer counter of records
  
• Calculated: It will save automatically a calculated expression where you can use other values from the same record. You can use any valid php expression to calculate required value, and use your other columns starting the column name with a $ sign. For ex:
  $column1+$column2+30
  will save the sum of column 1, column 2 and 30 at this calculated column.

- Choose if that field will be included at the input form, and its default value.
- Show/hide columns using the 'visible?' parameter, and add a custom css class to style them as needed.
- Show/hide the option to order the table using each colum header.
- Set if the column will be included when export option is used with the 'exportable?' switch.
- Include a filter for the column setting one of the filter types available:

• Text: A default input text to search using free text
• Combobox: Will show all values from the column to filter using one of them
• Date range: (only available for date columns) , will show a couple of date fields to allow date from/to filter

Also you can set a different order of the columns from default used at database using the arrows next to each row.
In case you introduce any change at your db table after you have saved the table manager mapping, you can refresh the columns using the 'reload' icon from the menu toolbar.
Once the table link is created you can select any of your lists and access the data manager from your backend.

you will see the table content, together with search, order and pagination functions. You can add, edit or delete records from the table using the menu options.