The relational list field type is a very sophisticated and versitile tool for creating and managing data connections between databases.
It is a central building block in a wide range of systems and web applications.
For example
- A record for an organisation can have a list of personnel by using a relational list to connect it with a personnel database
- A donation database can use the relational list tool to connect a donee with a causes they have contributed to
- Multiple relational lists can connect organisations with people, and people with training they’ve completed
- An awards entry system can connect entrants with their entries, the entries with categries and with scores provided by judges
- A relational list can be used to grant administration access to a record to multiple users
- In an ecommerce system the relational list can connect
- customers to orders
- orders to products
- products to features
A relational list could be a better alternative to multiple checkboxes or other ways a record can be categorised. For example, in creating a donation database system, you could have multiple number fields or checkboxes for casuses being supported. If you were regularily adding more, soon you’d have a very long form, or you would be losing data by deleting fields. Using a relational list does not encumber the record with multiple fields that will often not be relevant.