Sub Items Field
Create parent-child relationships by adding a register of "sub item" records within apps.
Jon Darbyshire avatar
Written by Jon Darbyshire
Updated over a week ago

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Overview

The Sub Items field is unique to SmartSuite and is one of those special field types we love for all the right reasons. Before diving in, take a moment to understand the Sub Item field's relationship to other entities in the Structure of SmartSuite.

The Sub Items field adds a layer to SmartSuite's base structure, creating a "parent-child" relationship between the parent Record and the child Sub Items.

Think of the Sub Items field as embedding an app within an app. Each Sub Item field contains multiple fields and looks and feels like a cute little baby record nestled into a bigger momma record.

Structurally, this adds another layer beneath an app that can be visualized as:

Take a practical example of a restaurant using SmartSuite to manage its menu items where the chef wants to capture all the menu details including an ingredient list. In this case, we have an Ingredients Sub Item field within a parent Menu Master app that's part of the Restaurant Management Solution.

Working with Sub Item Fields

Solution Managers have much to consider with the Sub Items field, starting with the fields that can be added to sub records:

πŸ“ NOTE: First Created/Last Updated fields in the Sub Item field are updated not for the whole Record but exclusively for the Sub Item field they are associated with.

Getting Started

New Sub Item fields include a Text (Title), Text Area (Description) and Date (Date) field by default. Solution Managers can click "gear" settings icon in the Sub Items field modal to:

  • Add new fields by clicking the + sign

  • Modify or Delete fields

  • Reorder fields using drag and drop

  • Set a default sort order for the Sub Items grid

  • Remove fields from the Sub Items grid display

πŸ”Ž Check out quick articles on Adding Help Text to fields.

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