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Connection Between Data Documents

A Data Document is a living, breathing record that can be connected to other data documents.

This allows for a flexible and organized structure, enabling you to create complex relationships between different data documents.

Connected Data Documents

Connections within the same document​

A cell in a data document can be connected to another cell in the same data document.

Connecting a cell to another cell allows you to create a dynamic relationship between the two cells. This means that if the value in one cell changes, the value in the connected cell will also change automatically. This works similarly to a formula in a spreadsheet, where the value of one cell is dependent on the value of another cell.

For example, if you have a cell say (A1) that contains the price of a product and another cell (B1) that contains the quantity of that product, you can connect the two cells to create a formula that calculates the total cost in another cell (C1).

This way, if you change the price or quantity, the total cost in (C1) will automatically update.

To set up a connection between two cells in the same data document, you can use the following formula for C1

=A1 * B1

Here's an example of how this looks in AnyDB: Connected Cells in Same Data Document

Connecting Different Data Documents​

You can also connect to other data documents in the same database or even in different databases or even in different teams (as long as you have access to both the data documents when setting up the connection).

This allows you to create a dynamic relationship between the two data documents. This means that if the value in one data document changes, the value in the connected data document will also change automatically.

While you can refer to the data in other cells in the same document simply by using it's Cell Reference, say A1 or B1, to connect a cell in one data document to another cell in another data document, you have provide what is called an Absolute cell reference.

tip

Relative References vs Absolute References

  • Relative Reference: Refers to a cell in the same data document. For example, A1 or B1.
  • Absolute Reference: Refers to a cell in another data document. For example,
**T@TEAM_ID!D@DATABASE_ID!O@DOCUMENT_ID!A1**

here's an example of how this looks in AnyDB (a very long set of numbers, but you can see the pattern):

T@6808086b6968594cfc00acee!D@6812cec40ce5e4364a4ecd44!O@6814103b0ce5e4364a4ee1b6!A3

To make working with these references easier, you can copy the absolute cell reference from the cell by right-clicking on the cell and selecting Reference and then selecting "Absolute" option in the menu.

Copying the absolute cell reference for a cell

Then simply go to the other data document and paste the reference in the cell you want to connect to by typeing = and then pasting the reference string.

Pasting the absolute cell reference for a cell in another Data Document

As you press enter, the cell will be connected to the other data document and you will see the value of the cell in the other data document. Now if the value in the other data document changes, the value in this data document will also change automatically.

Other References

While this absolute reference is the most common way to connect to other data documents, you can also use other references like:

  • Selecting a cell from a specific data document with a specific template
  • Selecting a cell from a child data document
  • Selecting a cell from a child data document with a specific template
  • Selecting a cell from a parent data document
  • Selecting a cell from a parent data document with a specific template

and more.. Refer to the AnyDB Formula Reference for more details on how to use these references.

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