The Custom tables module allows you to create your own tables in the system database. You can manage data in custom tables without using Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio or any other database management tool. You will find this useful especially when you need to store a large number of items in a flat data structure. Standard Kentico documents are not as efficient as custom tables for storing items in a flat structure. Refer to the Storing data effectively topic for more information on the advantages of using custom tables over Documents.

 

You can also use custom tables when developing custom modules. Custom tables allow you to store the module data and access it using API.

 

The module comes with four web parts that you can use to display custom table data on a live site. To change the way the data in custom tables is being presented in the web parts, you can use transformations.

 

There is no form web part for acquiring data from live site visitors and storing them into custom tables availabe—custom tables aren't designed for this use. You can use Online forms for acquiring visitor information on the live site.

 

Finally, the module comes with an API, which enables you to handle custom table data in your own code.

 

The Custom tables module interacts with two other Kentico CMS modules. Data stored in the tables can be searched using the Smart search module. You can also create Alternative forms for the tables. These forms can be used instead of the default forms for creating or editing a custom table in the administration interface, as described in Modules -> Alternative forms -> Automatically used alternative forms.

 

Topics:

 

•Creating custom tables

•Editing custom tables

•Managing data in custom tables

•Displaying custom table data using web parts

•Transforming custom tables

•Setting permissions

•Custom tables internals and API

oDatabase tables

oAPI classes

▪API examples

▪Managing custom table data