In the lineup of database management systems like MS Access, MySQL, and Postgres, Zoho Creator is an eleven-year old product with over 5 million satisfied users. Zoho Creator offers a primary drag-and-drop interface to build the front end of a database, and an in-built programming language called Deluge as a secondary interface to strengthen functionality. A Record ID in Zoho Creator performs the same functions as a primary key in a traditional DBMS. See the presentation to learn more.

1. Secure your database
with Zoho Creator
Record IDs

2. What is Zoho Creator?
- In the lineup of database management systems like
MS Access, MySQL, and Postgres, Zoho Creator is
an eleven-year old product with over 5 million
satisfied users.
- Zoho Creator offers a primary drag-and-drop
interface to build the front end of a database, and
an in-built programming language called Deluge as
a secondary interface to strengthen functionality.

3. Designing a database
- A database is made up of tables that gather
data and push them to a server.
- The first step in structuring such a database is
to define a primary key.

4. Primary keys
- A primary key is a unique numeral that
identifies each piece of data (row) in the
database.
- Defining the primary key helps you build
relationships between the many data tables
within a database.

5. In Zoho Creator...
- The Record ID in Zoho Creator is just as vital as
the primary key in a standard database
management system (DBMS).
- When developing a Zoho Creator app, you can start
building the interface of your tables—forms—right
away.
- Every time an entry is added, Creator generates
and associates a unique numeral for it.
- This is called the Record ID. It becomes the point
of reference for data relationships in Zoho Creator.

6. How is a Record ID different
from a primary key?
- Not exactly. A Record ID in Zoho Creator isn't the
same as a primary key in an SQL database. Or in MS
Access. Or in any other system.
- Your Zoho Creator database performs back-end
operations based on a record's ID. Although a Record
ID behaves similarly to the primary key, it
does much more.
- Example: When you build relationships between two
data tables in a database, you use a foreign key to
look up to the data in both tables. In Zoho Creator,
the Record ID serves as the foreign key as well.

7. The problem with
foreign keys
- A single table carries many foreign keys. Too
many primary keys slow down data
manipulation.
- Also, during manual or bulk uploads, multiple
(user-defined) foreign keys can compromise
data.
- To avoid these problems, users need to
periodically check the database structure,
making alterations as necessary.

8. This is where Zoho Creator's
Record ID becomes relevant.
- Creator uses the Record ID as foreign keys
for each data connection.
- This machine-readable numeral is error-free,
and therefore ensures your database and your
data are authentic.

9. How does Zoho Creator
generate a Record ID?
- Zoho Creator uses a random algorithm to
generate the identification number.
- No two records in Zoho Creator have had the
same ID.
- The ID of each record is hidden by default.
Developers can enable it under the settings
panel of reports (or views). When enabled, the
ID will be displayed on each record.

10. Zoho Creator simplifies data manipulation by
abstracting database maintenance. The auto-generated
ID is one such measure. Our developers and our cloud
do the heavy lifting so that you can create and deploy
solutions quickly.

11. zoho.com/creator
sales@zohocorp.com