Connected tables: QBL v0.12

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This article contains information about a QBL (Quickbase language) object. QBL objects are the supported Quickbase schema elements you see textually represented in the YAML file generated by Quickbase when you export a solution. Each object has associated properties. Supported schema may differ by QBL version.

To use this version, specify 0.12 when making requests with the API. No other activation is required.

Tip

Quickbase strongly recommends using service accounts to manage connected tables. Although QBL v0.12 supports importing and exporting connected tables from different owners, service accounts simplify authentication and allow for improved collaboration and security.

Supported data sources

  • Quickbase

  • Admin Console Sync

  • Sample Data

Apps containing connected tables with unsupported connectors cannot be exported

Solution API rules for connected tables

This section explains rules for each solution API, including authentication handling, reference handling, and general behaviors.

Important

If the import or export of any resource in a solution fails, the request is stopped, and all resources revert to their original state.

Export

Authentication

Connected tables and their associated connections are exported as separate objects in QBL. Each connection is exported with the connection ID.

References

  • Recognizable references within the solution are exported as Logical IDs in the QBL, including:

    • Quickbase app references

    • Quickbase table references

    • Quickbase field references

  • References outside the solution retain their real IDs

  • Connection authentication details are not exported (user token)

Create

  • The user performing the create must provide the connection for the connected table

  • Imported connected tables retain their original schedule

  • Imported connected tables are on after creation

  • Only realm admins can create an Admin Console connected table

    • If the importing user is a realm admin, the import is executed with a placeholder connection. The placeholder connection can only be authenticated if there is no other connection to the same source in the realm.

    • If the importing user is not a realm admin, the import is not allowed

Authentication

  • Quickbase attempts to match a connection for the table. If the importing user owns a connection that meets the requirements, it will be used.

  • If the importing user doesn’t own a connection that meets the requirements, the table is created with a placeholder connection. A placeholder connection is a non authenticated connection—the user can provide authentication for it in the UI. Any table that uses that placeholder connection will then automatically connect.

  • If the Solution being created contains both the data source and destination for the connected tables, the connection is always created as a placeholder connection. The importing user can create a user token for the newly created data source table to authenticate the connection.

Update

  • The connection owner remains unchanged after update.

  • The state of the connected table (on/off) remains unchanged, unless the connection that was previously on is no longer valid after the update. In these cases, a message is returned.

Authentication

  • Quickbase attempts to match a connection for each connected table based on the criteria: Connection owner, type, source.

    • For existing connected tables, the connection remains unchanged during an update.

    • If a structural change is made to a connected table that requires a different connection (for example, the connection leads to a different data source), the same matching logic applies.

    • When a new connected table is created during an import, the matching logic is used to determine its connection.
      Note: During updates, Quickbase attempts to match the owner of the pipeline, not the user performing the update.

      • Placeholder connections are managed by the connection owner, not the user performing the update.

  • If a different value is specified for the connection ID parameter, Quickbase matches against the provided ID value, and not the one included in the QBL. This allows you to create connections before updating a connected table with QBL, and choose to use that connection.

Learn more about parameters

Connected table properties

The following tables list information about the properties of this object. 

Connected column - Big Int

Property Name

Required

Default

Allowed Values

Name

True

Any string

Connected column - Binary

Property Name

Required

Default

Allowed Values

Name

True

Any string

Connected column - Blob

Property Name

Required

Default

Allowed Values

Name

True

Any string

Connected column - Boolean

Property Name

Required

Default

Allowed Values

Name

True

Any string

Connected column - Char

Property Name

Required

Default

Allowed Values

Name

True

Any string

Connected column - Date

Property Name

Required

Default

Allowed Values

Name

True

Any string

Connected column - Decimal

Property Name

Required

Default

Allowed Values

Name

True

Any string

Connected column - Double

Property Name

Required

Default

Allowed Values

Name

True

Any string

Connected column - Float

Property Name

Required

Default

Allowed Values

Name

True

Any string

Connected column - Integer

Property Name

Required

Default

Allowed Values

Name

True

Any string

Connected column - Interval

Property Name

Required

Default

Allowed Values

Name

True

Any string

Connected column - Other

Property Name

Required

Default

Allowed Values

Name

True

Any string

Connected column - Placeholder

Property Name

Required

Default

Allowed Values

Name

True

None

Any string

Type

False

Text

Any string

Connected column - Serial

Property Name

Required

Default

Allowed Values

Name

True

Any string

Connected column - Small Int

Property Name

Required

Default

Allowed Values

Name

True

Any string

Connected column - Text

Property Name

Required

Default

Allowed Values

Name

True

Any string

Connected column - Time

Property Name

Required

Default

Allowed Values

Name

True

Any string

Connected column - Timestamp

Property Name

Required

Default

Allowed Values

Name

True

Any string

Connected column - Timestamp with time zone

Property Name

Required

Default

Allowed Values

Name

True

Any string

Connected column - Time with time zone

Property Name

Required

Default

Allowed Values

Name

True

Any string

Connected column - Tiny int

Property Name

Required

Default

Allowed Values

Name

True

Any string

Connected column - User defined type

Property Name

Required

Default

Allowed Values

Name

True

Any string

Connected column - Var binary

Property Name

Required

Default

Allowed Values

Name

True

Any string

Connected column - Var char

Property Name

Required

Default

Allowed Values

Name

True

Any string

Connected column - XML

Property Name

Required

Default

Allowed Values

Name

True

Any string

Connected data source - Admin console

Property Name

Required

Default

Allowed Values

Owner

True

Any string

ConnectionId

True

Any string

IsPlaceholder

False

False

true or false

Connected data source - Quickbase

Property Name

Required

Default

Allowed Values

Owner

True

Any string

ConnectionId

True

Any string

IsPlaceholder

False

False

true or false

Connected data source - Sample

Property Name

Required

Default

Allowed Values

Owner

True

Any string

ConnectionId

True

Any string

IsPlaceholder

False

False

true or false

Connected record set

Property Name

Required

Default

Allowed Values

ExternalSetId

True

Any string

Name

True

Any string

SetType

False

Table

One of: Table, Query

PrimaryKey

True

 Array of items of type:  Reference to ConnectedColumn