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Viewing Your Table Schema

Once you have created a Table in Decode, you can easily view its defined structure, known as the schema. Understanding the schema is helpful for several reasons:

  • Verification: Confirming the columns you expect (Identifier, Detail, Attribute, and Metric columns) are set up correctly.
  • Upload Preparation: Knowing the exact column names and structure helps ensure your spreadsheets align with the table's expectations before uploading.
  • Troubleshooting: If uploads fail or data looks incorrect, reviewing the schema can help identify potential mismatches.
  • Collaboration: Sharing the schema with team members ensures everyone understands how the data is organized.

How to View the Schema​

  1. Navigate to the Data Page.
  2. Find the Table you want to inspect in the list of available tables on the left sidebar.
  3. Click on the "Schema" button below the table name.
  4. A dialog or panel will open, displaying the schema details.

Understanding the Schema View​

The schema view provides a clear breakdown of your table's structure:

Table Schema
Table Schema View
  • Table Type: Shows whether this is a Time Series or Records table.
  • Time Period (Time Series only): For Time Series tables, shows the configured period type (Daily, Monthly, Quarterly, or Yearly).
  • Identifier: The single unique key column for the table is explicitly shown, along with its data type.
  • Attribute Columns: Lists all defined attribute columns (tags) associated with this table, including their names and descriptions (if provided).
  • Detail Columns: Displays all detail columns, showing their names, data types, and descriptions.
  • Metric Columns (Time Series tables only): If you configured a Time Series table with metric columns, this section shows the template structure for your periodic data.
    • It will visualize the nesting (if any), displaying group names and individual value names.
    • For each metric value, it also shows the defined Type (Number, Text, etc.) and Update Behavior (Overwrite, Add, Subtract).
    • An example period column header is shown based on the table's configured time period (e.g., "Jan 24" for monthly, "Q1 24" for quarterly).

This view gives you a complete snapshot of how Decode expects data to be structured for this specific table, both for unchanging details and for data that evolves over time (for Time Series tables).