Create and edit a Writeback table

The Writeback table editor is where you configure a table you imported from a destination: its source, its column mapping and its dependencies. This page covers the editor itself: how to open it, how its tabs and steps work, and what happens when you leave with unsaved changes.

Open the editor

1. On the Writeback screen, find the table in the tree.
2. Double-click the table to open its editor.
3. To use the keyboard, select the table and press Enter. To use the menu, right-click the table and choose Edit.

The editor also opens from a link to the table, for example from lineage, from a dependency row, or from an ?openTable= link. When it opens that way, its title takes the name of the table once the table loads.

Find your way around

The editor has three tabs: Table, Preview and Settings.

For what the steps do, see Configure a Writeback table for General and Dependencies, and Map columns for Columns.

Work through a new table

For a table that does not have a configuration yet, the steps open in order as you save:

1. Columns opens after you apply General.
2. Dependencies opens after you save Columns.
3. Settings opens after that, and Preview last.

A table that already has a configuration opens with every tab available. A tab that is not open yet is dimmed and ignores clicks.

Use the footer

The footer sits on the Table tab and is hidden on Preview and Settings.

• Previous and Next move between the steps. Previous is disabled on the first step. On the last step, Next reads Finish.
• Apply saves the step. When General or Columns saves, the editor moves you to the next step.
• Revert returns the step to its last saved state. Revert and Apply appear only when the step has changes.
• All footer buttons are disabled while a save is running.
• Finish saves your changes and closes the editor. With nothing to save, it just closes.

The details of saving and reverting, including what counts as a change, are on Save and revert your changes.

Leave with unsaved work

• Press Previous or Next while the step has unsaved changes and the Unsaved Changes dialog opens instead of moving: You have unsaved changes. How would you like to proceed?
• Save & Continue saves the step and takes you to the step you asked for.
• Discard & Continue drops the changes and moves on. It is offered only for a table that already has a configuration, and only when the step you are moving to can be opened.
• Cancel closes the dialog and keeps you where you are.

What the editor keeps

• Refresh in the window header reloads the table from the server and keeps the step you are on. If the step has unsaved changes, a Refresh Popup dialog asks first, because a refresh discards them: You have unsaved changes. Refreshing will discard them and reload this popup from the server. Continue? Choose Refresh to go on, or Cancel to stay and save your changes first.
• Your unsaved edits survive reopening. When the editor loads the table's data again, it puts your unsaved changes back on top of it.
• Open a different table and the editor starts on General again.
• Dependencies, Settings and Preview are read-only: they have no save and no footer.

When a load fails

• If the table's data cannot be loaded, the editor shows Failed to load table data with a Retry button. While it retries, the button reads Retrying….
• If the column mapping cannot be loaded, Columns shows Failed to load column mapping data. with Retry.
• If the preview cannot be loaded, Preview shows Preview Error with Retry.
• More messages and their fixes are on Writeback troubleshooting.

Permissions

See Writeback permissions for the full list.

Questions, answered

Why are Columns, Dependencies and Preview locked?

For a new table, each step opens as the one before it is saved. Apply General first: Columns opens after that, then Dependencies, and then Settings and Preview. A table that already has a configuration opens with every tab available.

What does Finish do?

Finish saves any unsaved changes and closes the editor. When there is nothing to save, it just closes.

What happens if I move on with unsaved changes?

The Unsaved Changes dialog opens before the editor moves. Choose Save & Continue to save the step and go on, Discard & Continue to drop the changes, or Cancel to stay where you are. Discard & Continue appears only for a table that already has a configuration.

Does Refresh lose my unsaved edits?

Yes, if you continue. Refresh reloads the table from the server and the dialog warns that refreshing discards your unsaved changes. The step you are on is kept. To keep the changes, choose Cancel and save the step first.

Why did the editor open on General again?

You opened a different table. While you stay on the same table, the editor keeps the step you are on, and Refresh keeps it too. Opening another table starts again on General.

Why is there no footer on Preview and Settings?

The footer belongs to the Table tab and its buttons save a step. Preview and Settings are read-only, so they have nothing to save.

Can I edit the Dependencies, Sync Log or Preview content?

No. Dependencies, the Sync Log and Preview are read-only. They show the upstream tables, the table's runs and the preview rows.

What should I do when the editor says "Failed to load table data"?

Click Retry. The editor loads the table again. The same pattern covers the column mapping on Columns and the preview (Preview Error). If it keeps failing, see Writeback troubleshooting.

Who can save changes in the editor?

Saving needs Add/Modify WriteBack Objects. Opening the editor and reading its tabs needs View WriteBack Objects. See Writeback permissions.