2502 Exporting Data
Exporting Data from Tadabase
Introduction to Data Exporting
Exporting data is just as important as importing. Whether you need to create reports, share data with external systems, perform analysis in Excel, or create backups, efficient exporting capabilities are essential for any application.
Tadabase provides flexible export options that allow you to extract exactly the data you need in the format you need it. You can export manually, create reusable templates, or automate exports to run on a schedule.
When to Use Exports
Data exports are perfect for:
- Reporting - Creating reports for management or clients
- Analysis - Analyzing data in Excel, Google Sheets, or BI tools
- Backups - Creating data backups outside Tadabase
- Integration - Sending data to other systems
- Auditing - Extracting audit trails for compliance
- Data Migration - Moving to another platform
- Sharing - Providing data to partners or vendors
Export Formats
Tadabase supports multiple export formats, each suited for different purposes.
CSV (Comma-Separated Values)
The most universal export format:
- Universal Compatibility - Opens in any spreadsheet or database application
- Small File Size - Efficient for large datasets
- Easy to Process - Perfect for automated systems
- Best For - Data analysis, imports to other systems, backups
- Limitation - No formatting, basic text only
Excel (.xlsx)
Microsoft Excel format with enhanced capabilities:
- Native Excel Format - Opens directly in Excel with full functionality
- Preserves Formatting - Some basic formatting retained
- Multiple Sheets - Can contain multiple tables (with templates)
- Best For - Reports for business users, presentations
- Limitation - Larger file size, requires Excel or compatible software
Portable Document Format for sharing and printing:
- Professional Format - Perfect for formal reports
- Non-Editable - Recipients can't modify data
- Consistent Display - Looks the same on all devices
- Best For - Client reports, invoices, certificates
- Limitation - Not suitable for data analysis, can't re-import
JSON
JavaScript Object Notation for API integrations:
- Structured Data - Maintains data relationships and structure
- API Standard - Used by most modern APIs
- Machine Readable - Perfect for automated processing
- Best For - API integrations, developer tools, backups with relationships
- Limitation - Not human-friendly, requires technical knowledge
Accessing Export Functions
Tadabase provides multiple ways to export data.
Method 1: Builder Export
Export directly from the data table in Builder:
- Navigate to Builder > Data Tables
- Select your table
- Click Export button (top right)
- Choose format and options
- Download file
Method 2: Page Component Export
Allow users to export from a table component on a page:
- Add table component to page
- Enable "Export" option in component settings
- Users see export button above table
- Exports visible records (respects filters)
Method 3: Scheduled Export
Automate exports to run on a schedule:
- Create scheduled task
- Add "Export Records" action
- Configure export settings
- Set schedule (daily, weekly, etc.)
- Export delivered via email or stored
Method 4: API Export
Export via REST API for integrations:
- Use GET endpoint to retrieve records
- Returns data in JSON format
- Can filter, sort, paginate
- Perfect for system integrations
Basic Export Process
Let's walk through a standard export from Builder.
Step 1: Select Records
Determine which records to export:
- All Records - Export entire table
- Filtered Records - Apply filters first, then export
- Selected Records - Check specific records to export (if available)
Step 2: Choose Format
Select export format:
- CSV for data analysis or imports
- Excel for business reports
- PDF for presentations
- JSON for technical integrations
Step 3: Select Fields
Choose which fields to include:
- All Fields - Include every field in the table
- Custom Selection - Pick specific fields
- Field Order - Arrange columns as needed
Step 4: Configure Options
Set export options:
- Include Headers - First row contains field names (recommended)
- Date Format - Choose date format for export
- Connection Fields - How to display connected records
- File Name - Name for downloaded file
Step 5: Export
Generate and download:
- Click Export button
- Tadabase processes the export
- File downloads automatically
- Open or save as needed
Field Selection & Formatting
Understanding how different field types export helps you prepare better data.
Text Fields
Exported as plain text:
- Appears exactly as stored
- Long text preserves line breaks in Excel/CSV
- Special characters may need escaping in CSV
Number Fields
Exported as numeric values:
- No currency symbols or formatting in CSV
- Decimal precision maintained
- Can be used in calculations immediately
Date & Time Fields
Exported in selected format:
- CSV: Usually YYYY-MM-DD format
- Excel: Date type that Excel recognizes
- Timezone considered if set
Connection Fields
Several options for displaying connected records:
- Display Value - Shows the connected record's display field
- Record ID - Shows the internal record ID
- Multiple Values - Separated by semicolons for multi-connections
Example: If an order connects to a customer:
- Display Value: "John Smith"
- Record ID: "12345"
Checkbox Fields
Exported as text:
- Checked: "Yes" or "1" or "True"
- Unchecked: "No" or "0" or "False"
- Format depends on export settings
File Fields
Exported as URL:
- Provides link to file
- Can download files separately
- Multiple files separated by semicolons
User Fields
User information exported as:
- User name or email (configurable)
- Created By / Modified By fields show user who performed action
Export Templates
Export templates save time on recurring exports and ensure consistency.
What Are Export Templates?
An export template saves your export configuration including:
- Selected fields and field order
- Export format (CSV, Excel, etc.)
- Formatting options
- Connection field display settings
- File naming conventions
Creating an Export Template
To create a template:
- Configure Export - Set up export exactly as you want it
- Save as Template - Click "Save as Template" option
- Name Template - Give it a descriptive name
- Save - Template is available for future use
Using an Export Template
To use a saved template:
- Click Export button
- Select template from dropdown
- All settings applied automatically
- Click Export to generate file
Template Use Cases
Create templates for:
- Monthly Reports - "Monthly Sales Report" with specific fields and format
- Client Exports - "Client Data Export" with only client-appropriate fields
- Backup Exports - "Full Backup" with all fields in JSON format
- Integration Feeds - "ERP Export" formatted for external system
- Audit Reports - "Compliance Audit" with audit trail fields
Template Best Practices
- Name templates clearly indicating purpose and format
- Document what each template is for
- Review and update templates if table structure changes
- Create templates for any export you'll repeat
- Test templates after creating to verify output
Filtered Exports
Exporting subsets of data based on specific criteria is essential for targeted reports.
Applying Filters Before Export
Common Filter Scenarios
Export Active Customers Only
- Filter: Status = "Active"
- Use Case: Marketing campaign list
Export Orders from Last Month
- Filter: Order Date is between first and last day of last month
- Use Case: Monthly sales report
Export High-Value Transactions
- Filter: Amount > $10,000
- Use Case: Management review
Export Records Created This Week
- Filter: Created Date is this week
- Use Case: New customer welcome process
Combining Multiple Filters
Create complex filter logic:
- Active customers in California
- Orders over $1,000 placed last quarter
- Products low in stock AND marked as featured
Saving Filter Presets
Save commonly used filter combinations:
- Create filter conditions
- Save as preset
- Quickly apply same filters later
- Use with export templates for complete automation
Scheduled Exports
Automate regular exports with scheduled tasks.
Why Schedule Exports?
Scheduled exports are perfect for:
- Daily sales reports emailed to management
- Weekly inventory updates sent to suppliers
- Monthly customer lists for marketing
- Nightly backups of critical data
- Regular feeds to external systems
Creating a Scheduled Export
Set up scheduled export:
- Create Scheduled Task - Builder > Scheduled Tasks > Add New
- Set Schedule - Choose frequency (daily, weekly, monthly)
- Add Export Action - Add "Export Records" action
- Configure Export - Select table, fields, format
- Set Delivery Method - Email or save to storage
- Activate Task - Turn on the scheduled task
Export Action Configuration
When configuring export action:
- Table - Which table to export
- Fields - Which fields to include
- Format - CSV, Excel, JSON
- Filters - Optional filters to apply
- Template - Use saved export template (recommended)
Delivery Options
Send exported data:
Email Delivery
Attach export to email:
- Specify recipient email addresses
- Add subject line and body text
- Export attached as file
- Perfect for reports to stakeholders
File Storage
Save to file storage:
- Store in Tadabase's file storage
- Access via file manager
- Good for backups and archives
Webhook Delivery
Send to external system:
- POST export to webhook URL
- Integrate with external systems
- Trigger processing in other applications
Scheduled Export Examples
Example 1: Daily Sales Report
- Schedule: Every day at 8:00 AM
- Table: Orders
- Filter: Created Date = Yesterday
- Format: Excel
- Delivery: Email to sales@company.com
Example 2: Weekly Inventory Export
- Schedule: Every Monday at 9:00 AM
- Table: Products
- Fields: SKU, Name, Stock Level, Reorder Point
- Format: CSV
- Delivery: Email to supplier@example.com
Example 3: Monthly Backup
- Schedule: First day of month at 2:00 AM
- Table: All tables (separate tasks per table)
- Fields: All fields
- Format: JSON
- Delivery: Save to file storage
Advanced Export Techniques
Take your exports to the next level.
Multi-Table Exports
Option 1: Denormalized Export
Export from child table including parent data:
- Export Orders table
- Include Customer connection fields
- Each order row shows customer details
- Results in flat file with duplicated customer info
- Easy to analyze in Excel
Option 2: Separate Exports
Export each table separately:
- Export Customers table
- Export Orders table (with customer IDs)
- Maintain relational structure
- Better for importing to another database
Option 3: Excel Multi-Sheet
Create Excel file with multiple sheets:
- Use scheduled task or custom solution
- Sheet 1: Customers
- Sheet 2: Orders
- Sheet 3: Products
- Perfect for comprehensive reports
Calculated Field Exports
Export calculated values:
- Formula fields export their calculated result
- Rollup fields export aggregated values
- Displayed values, not formulas
- Useful for ready-to-use reports
Custom Formatting in Excel
When exporting to Excel:
- Use export templates to control some formatting
- Apply additional formatting in Excel after export
- Create Excel template with formulas that reference imported data
- Use Power Query to automate import and formatting
Large Exports
Handling exports with thousands of records:
Best Practices for Large Exports:
- Use CSV format (smaller, faster)
- Export during off-peak hours
- Consider breaking into multiple exports by date range
- Use API for very large datasets (paginated)
- Monitor export progress
Practical Limits:
- CSV: Can handle 100,000+ records
- Excel: Limit of 1,048,576 rows (Excel limitation)
- PDF: Not recommended for large datasets
- JSON: Can handle large exports but file size grows quickly
Incremental Exports
Export only new or changed records since last export:
- Add "Last Exported" date field
- Filter: Modified Date > Last Exported Date
- Export filtered records
- Update "Last Exported" field via batch update
- More efficient than full exports
Exporting from Page Components
Allow users to export data from application pages.
Enabling Export on Table Components
To add export functionality to a table component:
- Edit page with table component
- Open component settings
- Find "Export" option
- Enable export
- Choose available formats
- Save component
User Export Experience
Users see:
- Export button above table
- Click to export visible records
- Respects any filters they've applied
- Exports only records they have permission to view
- Downloads immediately to their device
Security Considerations
When enabling user exports:
- Permission-Based - Users can only export what they can view
- Field Visibility - Control which fields appear in component
- Row-Level Security - Connection field filters apply
- Audit Trail - Log who exports what data
Custom Export Buttons
Create custom export buttons with action links:
- Add button to page
- Configure action link
- Add "Export Records" action
- Set export parameters
- Control exactly what gets exported
API Exports
Use the REST API for programmatic exports.
When to Use API Exports
API exports are best for:
- System-to-system integrations
- Real-time data synchronization
- Custom export tools
- Very large datasets (using pagination)
- Dynamic query requirements
Basic API Export
GET records via API:
GET https://api.tadabase.io/api/v1/data-tables/{tableId}/records
Headers:
X-Tadabase-App-id: {appId}
X-Tadabase-App-Key: {appKey}
X-Tadabase-App-Secret: {appSecret}Filtering via API
Apply filters to API requests:
GET https://api.tadabase.io/api/v1/data-tables/{tableId}/records
?filters[items][0][field_id]=field_123
&filters[items][0][operator]=is
&filters[items][0][val]=ActivePagination
For large datasets:
- API returns max 100 records per request
- Use limit and page parameters
- Iterate through pages to get all records
- More efficient than single large export
Best Practices
Follow these for successful exports.
Choosing the Right Format
- CSV: Data analysis, imports, backups, automation
- Excel: Business reports, presentations, formatted data
- PDF: Client-facing reports, official documents
- JSON: API integrations, developer tools, structured backups
Naming Export Files
Use descriptive, consistent naming:
- Include date: "customers_2024-03-15.csv"
- Include filter criteria: "active_customers_2024-03-15.csv"
- Use underscores, not spaces
- Be consistent across all exports
Documenting Exports
Maintain documentation:
- Purpose of each export
- Fields included and why
- Frequency and schedule
- Recipients or consumers
- Any special formatting or requirements
Testing Exports
Before relying on exports:
- Test with sample data first
- Verify all fields export correctly
- Check date and number formatting
- Confirm connection fields display properly
- Test with edge cases (empty values, special characters)
Security Best Practices
Protect exported data:
- Don't export sensitive data unnecessarily
- Encrypt files containing sensitive information
- Use secure delivery methods (encrypted email)
- Delete export files after use
- Audit who exports what data
Troubleshooting
Solutions to common export issues.
Issue: Export File is Empty
No records in exported file.
Solution: Check filters—you may have filtered out all records. Clear filters and try again.
Issue: Dates Wrong in Excel
Dates display incorrectly when opening in Excel.
Solution: Excel may interpret dates based on regional settings. Use explicit date format in export template or reformat in Excel.
Issue: Connection Fields Show IDs
Connection fields export as numbers instead of names.
Solution: In export settings, choose "Display Value" instead of "Record ID" for connection fields.
Issue: Scheduled Export Not Sending
Automated export isn't being delivered.
Solution: Check scheduled task is active. Verify email addresses are correct. Check task execution log for errors.
Issue: Export Takes Too Long
Large export times out or is very slow.
Solution: Reduce number of records with filters. Use CSV instead of Excel. Break into multiple smaller exports. Schedule during off-peak hours.
Practical Exercise
Practice creating various exports.
Exercise: Create Multi-Format Export System
Scenario: Create a comprehensive export system for a customer database.
Step 1: Prepare Data
Ensure you have a Customers table with at least 20 sample records including various statuses and dates.
Step 2: Create Export Templates
Create three templates:
- Full Backup - All fields, CSV format
- Active Customers Report - Selected fields, Excel format, Status = Active filter
- Marketing List - Email, Name fields only, CSV format
Step 3: Manual Export
- Export using each template
- Open files to verify correct data
- Check formatting and field order
Step 4: Scheduled Export
- Create scheduled task
- Set to run daily at 8 AM
- Export active customers
- Email to yourself
- Test by manually running task
Step 5: Page Export
- Create a page with customers table component
- Enable export on component
- Test export from page
- Apply filters and export again to verify filtered export
Next Steps
You now understand exporting data from Tadabase in multiple formats, creating export templates, scheduling automated exports, and enabling user exports. You can efficiently extract data for reporting, analysis, and integration.
In the next article, you'll learn batch operations—performing bulk creates, updates, and deletes on thousands of records simultaneously.
Next: Continue to Batch Operations to learn bulk data manipulation techniques.
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