When building forms or managing data in Jodoo, you’ll often come across two important field types: Lookup and Select Data. Understanding how these fields work—and when to use each—can make your data management much easier and more effective. This guide will break down the differences, explain typical use cases, and help you choose the right field for your needs.
What Are "Lookup" and "Select Data" Fields?
Select Data
What it does: Lets you pull in (reference) data from another form or from the same form.The form being referenced is called the data source.
When to use: When you just want to copy information for reference, and there’s no need to keep forms connected.
Lookup
What it does: Creates a real link (relationship) between two forms or records, so changes are reflected in both. The form containing the Lookup field is called the related form, while the other form being linked is called the master table.
When to use: When you need forms or records to stay connected and update each other automatically.
When Should You Use Each Field?
A. Connecting Different Forms
Use Select Data When:
You only need to reference information from another form.
There’s no need for the forms to update each other.
Example:
When creating a purchase order, you can use Select Data to fill in supplier information. This info is just for reference—if you later update the purchase order, it won’t affect the supplier’s data, and new orders won’t show up in the supplier’s record.
Use Lookup When:
You need a real connection between the two forms so that updates or new records are reflected in both.
You want to view all related records easily from either form.
Example:
When you add a new product in the "Product Information" form and link it to a supplier using a Lookup field, the connection is created automatically. After you submit the form, you can go to the "Supplier" form, view the supplier’s details, and see the newly added product listed under their information. This keeps both forms connected and up to date.
B. Working Within the Same Form
Use Select Data When:
You want to reuse information you’ve entered before, but don’t need to keep records linked.
Examples:
A customer places another order for the same product but in a different quantity. You can use Select Data to pull up their previous product details and just change the quantity, saving time on data entry.
Use Lookup When:
You need to organize your data in a hierarchy or tree structure.
You want to ensure every record is properly linked to its parent or category.
Examples:
In contract management, use Lookup to link sub-contracts to their main contract, so you can always see which sub-contracts belong to which main contract.
For multi-level Bills of Materials (BOM), use Lookup to show how materials are related in a tree structure.
Feature Comparison Table
Here’s a quick side-by-side comparison:
Feature | Select Data | Lookup |
Create a real relationship between records | ❌ | ✅ |
Data is submitted to Manage Data along with the form | ✅ | ✅ |
View source data Real-time | ❌ | ✅ |
Field Capacity:
| ❌ | ✅ |
Reference fields of a Subform | ✅（"Select Data" can reference fields in a subform. However, if the "Select Data" field itself is inside a subform, referencing is not supported.） | ✅ |
Aggregate table/cross-app forms | ✅(Aggregate table/cross-app forms can be used as data source for the "Select Data" field. ) | ❌("Lookup" cannot use aggregate or cross-app tables as master forms. ) |
Add new related table data | ✅（you can add records through select data to refereneced forms, except aggregate tables） | ✅ |
Final Thoughts
Using the right field type helps keep your data organized, accurate, and easy to manage.
For simple data reuse, Select Data is fast and straightforward.
For more complex scenarios where relationships matter, Lookup is the way to go.
If you’re still unsure which field to use, consider how closely your records need to be linked and whether you need to see updates across different tables in real time.
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