While data types indicate to a database how it should interpret the values in a field, **field types** or **semantic types** describe the _meaning_ of a field. For example, a column's data type could be `type/text` but the semantic type may be **Email**. Field types are just one example of metadata—information about data—that [Admins can change](./metadata-editing.md) in Metabase.
While data types indicate to a database how it should interpret the values in a field, __field types__ or __semantic types__ describe the _meaning_ of a field. For example, a column's data type could be ```type/text``` but the semantic type may be __Email__. Field types are just one example of metadata—information about data—that [Admins can change](./metadata-editing.md) in Metabase.
Field types dictate how Metabase displays its data, as well as the column’s special functionality, if any. By marking columns in a table as __Latitude__ and __Longitude__, Metabase can use the columns to create pin and heat maps. Similarly, designating a column as a __URL__ allows users to click on the link to visit that URL.
Field types dictate how Metabase displays its data, as well as the column’s special functionality, if any. By marking columns in a table as **Latitude** and **Longitude**, Metabase can use the columns to create pin and heat maps. Similarly, designating a column as a **URL** allows users to click on the link to visit that URL.
## List of Metabase Field Types
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@@ -18,13 +17,11 @@ Metabase recognizes the following field types:
### Overall Row
-**Entity Key**. The field in this table that uniquely identifies each row. Could be a product ID, serial number, etc.
-**Entity Name**. Different from the entity key, the entity name represents what each row in the table *is*. For example, in a Users table, the User column might be the entity name.
-**Entity Name**. Different from the entity key, the entity name represents what each row in the table _is_. For example, in a Users table, the User column might be the entity name.
-**Foreign Key**. The column in this table that (usually) refers to the primary key of another table in order to connect data from different tables that are related. For example, in a Products table, you might have a Customer ID field that points to a Customers table, where Customer ID is the primary key.
### Common
Common task
-**Category**
-**Comment**
-**Description**
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While data types themselves can't be edited in Metabase, admins can manually [cast data types](./metadata-editing.md#casting-to-a-specific-data-type) to be read differently, like interpreting a numerical data type as a date format.
## Further Reading
-[Exploring data with Metabase's data browser](https://www.metabase.com/learn/getting-started/data-browser.html).
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ Metabase stores connection information for the various databases you add in the
## Creating an encryption key
1. Generate a secret key that is at least 16 characters (longer is even better!). We recommend using a secure random key generator, such as `openssl`.
> Take care not to lose this key because you can't decrypt connection details without it. If you lose (or change) the key, you'll have to reset all of the connection details that have been encrypted with it in the Admin Panel.
2. Set your secret key as the environment variable `MB_ENCRYPTION_SECRET_KEY`.
> You cannot decrypt connection details without this key. If you lose (or change) the key, you'll have to reset all of the connection details that have been encrypted with that key in the Admin Panel.
2. Set your secret key as the environment variable `MB_ENCRYPTION_SECRET_KEY`. On paid plans, you can set also set this using the [config file](../configuring-metabase/config-file.md).
### Example commands for creating and adding a key
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Once you set the `MB_ENCRYPTION_SECRET_KEY` value, Metabase will securely encrypt and store the connection details for each new database that you add.
**Note**
Once you set the `MB_ENCRYPTION_SECRET_KEY` value, Metabase will automatically encrypt and store the connection details for each new database that you add. To encrypt existing connections, see the next section.
> Some versions of Linux interpret single-quotes (`'`) and double-quotes (`"`) differently for environment variable values. If you upgrade to a newer version of Linux, and the key originally used single-quotes, you might need to wrap the key in double-quotes, so that the single-quotes are interpreted literally. For example, `MB_ENCRYPTION_SECRET_KEY='IYq...sM='` would become `MB_ENCRYPTION_SECRET_KEY="'IYq...sM='"`
