Set up database presets

If you regularly use the database activity in courses, you may want to set up presets to save time and reduce duplication of work.

Presets work as templates that are shared across the site, meaning you don’t have to recreate commonly used types of databases. By default there is one preset available Image gallery which is set up with all the necessary fields to allow you to create a database used as an image gallery. You can also import and export presets, making them easy to share with others. 

Creating a preset

You can save a database as a preset by following these steps:

1. Create a database with the desired fields.
2. On the database page, click the Presets tab.
3. In the Save as preset section give the preset a clear and distinct name.
4. Click Continue.

You can also export the database to share it with others if you do not want to make it available across the site. Make sure you keep the export file safe for future use. 

Use a preset

How you use a preset will depend on whether you are importing it or selecting it from available presets on the site.

1. On the database page, click the Presets tab.
2. Depending you how you are accessing the preset either:
   • Import: In the Import section click the Choose file button to browse for your file or drag and drop the file into the upload area. Then click Import. 
   • Select: In the Use a preset section select the preset you wish to use and then click Choose. 
3. Customise the fields and templates as you require. 

If you have already created fields in your database, you need to map them to the new fields in the preset or they will be deleted. For example, if you load the image gallery preset, you can map three fields to the image, title, and caption fields in the preset. Any other fields will be deleted and any data in them will be lost.

Next steps

• Edit a database template
• Add a database entry