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Before you create a copy or import button, you should understand how the button works and the limitations for the Copy master & detail records option.
Creating a copy or import button using the Copy master & detail records option involves:
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Adding the copy or import button to reports and additional forms
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Ensuring application users can use the copy or import button
Creating the copy or import button
You can either:
To create a button to copy a master record and its detail records:
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Open the application to which you want to add the copy button, then click Home.
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Click Settings, then click App management.
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Click Copy master & detail records.
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Choose the table in which the master records exist from the Choose a table list. A Formula - URL field for the copy button is added to records in this table.
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Under Choose what to copy, select Copy the current master record and its detail records.
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Select a field from the Choose a field to use as the name of the new master record list.
The name of the new record will be "Copy of field value."
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Click Show Advanced Options if you want to indicate from which relationships detail records are copied or disable the recursive copy of detail record descendants. Quickbase can copy up to ten levels of detail records. If your application has more than ten levels, specify which relationships to copy and/or disable recursion to reduce the number of levels being copied:
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Click the Copy detail records from these relationships list, then select those relationships.
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Uncheck the Copy all descendants of the detail records to disable recursive copying.
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Enter the text to appear on the copy button in the Name the button section. You also can accept the default name: "Copy this master record".
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Click Create Button.
A dialog box appears, telling you that the new field for the button was created.
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Click Go to field list.
The master table's field list opens and contains the new Formula - URL field for the copy button.
Depending on how the master table's forms are configured, the copy button may be added to its forms:
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If the forms are configured to automatically add new fields to the forms, a button appears on the forms.
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If the forms are configured to ask you before you add new fields to the forms, a dialog box appears asking if you want to add the field to the forms.
Click Yes to add the button to the forms, or Not right now if you want to add it later (read how).
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If the forms are configured to do nothing when new fields are added, the button does not appear on the forms. You can add the button to the appropriate forms later (read how).
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If the button was added to forms, edit the forms so that the button displays when the form is used only for viewing records. Edit the form and select the field for the button. Select view from the Display when this form is used for: list.
You can also move the button up or down on the form from this tab.
To make changes to the form later in the Form Builder:
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Open the table with the form that you want to edit from the Table bar on any application page.
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Access the form (the easiest way to do this is to click New <record>), then click Customize this form on the Page bar.
After you save your changes, the example form looks like this:
Apps in an account on a plan other than Quickbase Essential have access to multiple forms. An alternate method of editing a form is to:
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Click Settings, then click Forms, then open the form you want to change.
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Click the name of the form on the list to edit the form. (Read more about editing forms.)
To create a button to import specific detail records to a master record:
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Open the application to which you want to add the import button, then click Home.
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Click Settings, then click App management.
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Click Copy master &detail records.
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Choose the table in which the master records exist from the Choose a table list. A Formula - URL field for the import button will be added to records in this table.
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In the Choose what to copy section, click the Always import detail records from a specific master record.
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Click the Choose the master record from which to import detail records link. Select the master record and click OK.
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Click Show Advanced Options if you want to indicate from which relationships detail records are copied or disable the recursive copy of detail record descendants.
Quickbase can copy up to ten levels of detail records. If your application has more than ten levels, specify which relationships to copy and disable recursion to reduce the number of levels being copied: -
Click the Import detail records from these relationships radio button, and then select those relationships.
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Uncheck the Import all descendants of the detail records to disable recursive copying.
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Enter the text to appear on the import button in the Name the button section. You also can accept the default name: "Import detail records".
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Click Create Button.
A dialog box displays, telling you that the new field for the button was created. -
Click Go to field list.
The master table's field list opens and contains the new Formula -URL field for the copy button.
Depending on how the master table's forms are configured, the copy button may be added to its forms: -
If the forms are configured to automatically add new fields to the forms, the button appears on the forms.
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If the forms are configured to ask you before adding new fields to the forms, a dialog box displays asking if you want to add the field to the forms. Click Yes to add the button to the forms, or Not right now if you want to add it later (read how).
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If the forms are configured to do nothing when new fields are added, the button does not appear on the forms. You can add the button to the appropriate forms later (read how).
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If the button was added to forms, edit the forms so that the button displays when the form is used only for "view". Edit the form and select the field for the button. Select view from the Display when this form is used for: dropdown.
You can also move the button up or down on the form from this tab.
Testing and troubleshooting the copy or import button
After you add a copy or import button to a master table and its forms, test it in your application to make sure that it works correctly. (If you did not add the button to the table's forms when you created the button, add it to at least one form before testing it.) When you click the button, you either receive a message confirming the number of records that were copied, or an error message. If the copy is successful, check that all of the records that you expected to be copied were copied.
Common issues and possible solutions include:
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Detail records from a specific relationship are not being copied. Make sure that the report link field for that relationship appears in the master table.
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You receive a looping error. Remove the looping relationships from the copy by specifying which relationships to copy or import in the Advanced Options settings in Copy Master and Detail Records. You can also disable recursive copying of all detail records in the Advanced Options.
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The copy fails because you have tried to copy more than ten levels of detail records. Remove some relationships from the copy by specifying which relationships to copy or import in the Advanced Options settings in Copy Master and Detail Records. You can also disable recursive copying of all detail records in the Advanced Options.
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The button copies or imports successfully for some application users but not for others. Ensure that all users who can access the button have the necessary permissions in the master and details tables (read more).
Once you figure out what went wrong and how to fix it, it's recommended that you delete the existing Formula - URL field for the button and create a new one. If you would rather edit the existing field (if, for example, you have already added it to reports and forms), create a new button with a different name that behaves correctly and then copy the text in its Formula - URL field and paste it into the Formula - URL field for the existing button. Save your changes, and then delete the new button.
To make changes to the form later in the Form Builder:
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Open the table with the form that you want to edit from the Table bar on any application page.
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Access the form (the easiest way to do this is to click New <record>), then click Customize this form on the Page bar.
After you save your changes, the example form looks like this:
Apps in an account on a plan other than Quickbase Essential have access to multiple forms. For these apps, here's another way to edit a form:
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Click Settings, then click Forms, then open the form you want to change.
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Click the name of the form on the list to edit the form. (Read more about editing forms.)
Adding the copy or import button to reports and additional forms
Now that you have a working copy or import button in the master table, and possibly the table's forms, you can add it to reports and additional forms.
The Formula - URL field for the button is created as a default column for reports. If you create a new report that uses default columns, the button appears on the report. Or, specify the field when selecting custom columns for a report. You can also edit existing reports to include the button. (Read about creating and editing reports.)
Depending on how the master table's forms are configured, the import button may have been added to its form when you created its Formula - URL field. If it was not created, or if you want to add the button to additional forms, simply edit the forms and add the button. On the Form Builder Elements tab, set the button to display when the form is used only for view. (Read more about editing forms).
Ensuring application users can use the copy or import button
Note: Customizable roles are not available to accounts on the Quickbase Essential plan.
Make sure that all users who can view forms and reports with the copy or import button have the right permissions to copy the records:
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If you create a copy button, all roles that can access those forms and reports with the button need to be able to add records to the master and details tables.
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If you created an import button,all roles that can access those forms and reports with the need to be able to add records to the details table.
Users receive an error message when they try to use the button if they don't have the right permissions. (Read more about roles.)
If you want to restrict use of the button to certain roles, use custom forms to associate forms with the button with those roles (read how).