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Commit 9f5b85b7 authored by Maz Ameli's avatar Maz Ameli
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Combine metadata guide content into administration-guide/03-metadata-editing.md

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## Next: editing your metadata
Taking just a few minutes to edit and add info to your database’s metadata can greatly enhance your experience with Metabase. Let’s learn [how to edit your metadata](03-data-model.md).
Taking just a few minutes to edit and add info to your database’s metadata can greatly enhance your experience with Metabase. Let’s learn [how to edit your metadata](03-metadata-editing.md).
## Metadata Editing
*Note: For an in-depth description of Metabase's understanding of metadata and how it uses it, check out our [Metadata Guide](metadata-guide.md).*
### What is metadata?
Metadata is data about other data. It's data that tells you about the data found in your database. For example, we could label a field that looks like just a bunch of numbers with the label “latitude,” which now gives that information additional meaning.
### Editing your database’s metadata
First off, make sure you’re in the Admin Panel. Then click on **Metadata** for the top menu.
In the column on the left, you can choose which database you’re viewing, and then select the table whose metadata you want to view and edit.
You can edit metadata for two things: tables and fields.
### Metadata for tables
* You can change the display name of a table by clicking and typing in the field where its name is displayed. This doesn’t change the *actual* name of the table in your database.
* Add descriptions to tables to let people know type of data a table contains and how it can be used. Descriptions are displayed in the data model reference panel in Metabase, which you can view by clicking the book icon in the top right of a new or saved question page.
* Tables can be set to Queryable or Hidden, controlling whether or not they’re accessible within Metabase.
### Metadata for fields
* Just like with tables, you can change the display name of your fields, and add descriptions to them so that other users will know what the field’s data represents. Descriptions are extra helpful when fields have values that are abbreviated or coded in a particular format.
* Metabase automatically attempts to classify your fields and assign them a type. If Metabase misclassified any fields, you can correct that here.
* The **Visibility** setting tells Metabase when and where you want a field to be displayed, or if you want it to be hidden.
* **Type** assigns a field a high-level category, and changes how the field can be used within Metabase. For example, only Metric fields can be added or averaged.
* **Details** let you give fields a more specific type, which enables special functionality. For example, if you set fields to Latitude and Longitude, you’ll be able to visualize the results from that table as a map. This is also where you can set a field to be a primary or foreign key of a table.
---
## Next: managing users
Let’s learn how to add, remove, and edit users in the [managing users section](04-managing-users.md).
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## Metadata Guide
### This guide will teach you:
* What kinds of metadata Metabase stores and uses
* How Metabase analyzes your database
* How to improve the data model by adding your own knowledge to the auto-generated model
### Overview
## Metadata Editing
Metabase allows you to optionally annotate the data in your database or data warehouse. These annotations provide Metabase with an understanding of what the data actually means, and allows it to more intelligently process and display it for you. We currently allow you to annotate tables and columns.
### What is metadata?
Metadata is data about other data. It's information that tells you about the data found in your database. For example, we could label a field that looks like just a bunch of numbers with the label “latitude,” which would give that field additional meaning and context.
All of these settings are editable via the **Metadata** page within the **Admin Panel**.
Metabase allows you to optionally annotate the data in your database, which provides Metabase with an understanding of what the data actually means and allows it to more intelligently process and display it for you.
### Tables
### Editing your database’s metadata
All of these settings are editable via the **Metadata** page within the **Admin Panel**. To get there, click the dropdown in the top right of Metabase that shows your initials, and select **Admin Panel**. Then click on **Metadata** from the top menu.
In the column on the left, you can choose which database to view, and then select the table whose metadata you want to view and edit.
You can edit metadata for two things: tables and fields.
### Metadata for tables
Tables can either be set to **Queryable** or **Hidden**. Queryable tables can be selected from the question builder, and all of the data in the table can be displayed (unless certain fields are excluded — more on that below).
Hidden tables can’t be selected from the query builder, and their data can’t be accessed.
You can also change the name and description of your tables here. Note that the underlying database won’t be affected — this will only change the name of the table while you’re viewing it within Metabase.
You can also change the name and description of your tables here. Note that the underlying database won’t be affected — this will only change the name of the table while you’re viewing it within Metabase. Add descriptions to tables to let people know type of data a table contains and how it can be used. Descriptions are displayed in the data model reference panel in Metabase, which you can view by clicking the book icon in the top right of a new or saved question page.
If you ever want to see the original underlying schema for a given table, just click the **Show original schema** toggle in the top-right of the screen.
If you ever want to see the underlying original schema for a given table, just click the **Show original schema** toggle in the top-right of the screen.
### Fields
### Metadata for fields
A field is a representation of either a column (when using a SQL based database, like PostgreSQL) or a field in a document (when using a document- or JSON-based database like MongoDB).
A field is a representation of either a column (when using a SQL based database, like PostgreSQL) or a field in a document (when using a document- or JSON-based database like MongoDB). Metabase automatically attempts to classify your fields and assign them a type. If Metabase misclassified any fields, you can correct that here.
There are several pieces of metadata you can edit per field: name, description, visibility, type, and details:
......@@ -32,7 +35,7 @@ Clicking on the name of the field allows you to change how the field name is dis
#### Description
This is a human-readable description of what the field is and how it is meant to be used. Any caveats about interpretation can go here as well.
This is a human-readable description of what the field is and how it is meant to be used. Any caveats about interpretation can go here as well. Descriptions are extra helpful when fields have values that are abbreviated or coded in a particular format.
#### Visibility
......@@ -42,7 +45,7 @@ Similarly, if you have sensitive or irrelevant fields, you can set them to **Do
#### Types
A field can get assigned one of four basic types:
**Type** assigns a field a high-level category, and changes how the field can be used within Metabase. For example, only Metric fields can be added or averaged. A field can be assigned one of four basic types:
* Metric — a metric is a number that you expect to plot, sum, take averages of, etc. You could think of it as anything that would end up being plotted on the y-axis of a graph.
* Dimension — This is any field that you expect to use as an x-axis of a graph or as part of a pivot table. Anything that you could group your results by could be called a dimension, such as dates.
......@@ -51,7 +54,9 @@ A field can get assigned one of four basic types:
#### Details
A field’s detailed type is used to determine how to display it as well as providing information to users of the data about the underlying meaning. For example, by marking fields in a table as Latitude and Longitude, you allow the table to be used to create pin and heat maps. Similarly, marking a field as a URL allows users to click on it and go to that URL.
A field’s detailed type is used to determine how to display it, and can also give certain types of fields special functionality. For example, by marking fields in a table as Latitude and Longitude, you allow the table to be used to create pin and heat maps. Similarly, marking a field as a URL allows users to click on it and go to that URL.
This is also where you can set a field to be a **primary key** or **foreign key** of a table.
Common detailed types include:
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This is also where you set mark special fields in a table:
* 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, this is the field whose heading represents what each row in the table *is*. For example, in a Users table, the User column might be the entity name.
* Foreign Key — this is a field in this table that uniquely identifies a *row* in another table. In other words, this is a field that, almost always, points to the primary key of another table. 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.
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* Foreign Key — this is a field in this table that uniquely identifies a *row* in another table. In other words, this is a field that, almost always, points to the primary key of another table. 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.
---
## Next: managing users
Let’s learn how to add, remove, and edit users in the [managing users section](04-managing-users.md).
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