Field Types
Field Types are reusable type definitions that can be selected as the Field Type when adding a field to an entity. They live under Data Model → Field Types.
There are two kinds of field type:
Storage
Section titled “Storage”Defines a custom data type with constraints beyond what the base PostgreSQL types provide. For example, a “Currency Code” type based on Text with a regex constraint ensuring the value is always three uppercase letters.
Storage field types appear in the Field Type dropdown when adding a Value field to an entity.
Lookup
Section titled “Lookup”Defines a reusable reference configuration - pointing to a specific entity, component, or view, with a display expression and a selection UI mode. Lookup field types appear in the Field Type dropdown when adding a Reference field.
Lookup settings:
| Setting | Options | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Selection Mode | Dropdown, Advanced Search, Radio Group | How the lookup is presented to the user. Dropdown for short lists; Advanced Search opens a dialog with a full searchable data grid; Radio Group for small fixed sets. |
| Target Type | Entity, Component, View | What the lookup points to |
| Entity/Component/View | - | The specific target |
| Display Expression | SQL expression | What text is shown to represent a selected record. e.g. person_id or first_name || ' ' || last_name |
Field Types also follow the publish/unpublished pattern - changes must be published before they take effect in the live application.