# Views and forms

> The eight ways a pebble shows its records, and the fields its forms draw from its tables.

Every pebble shows its records through views and takes new ones through forms. Your AI picks the kind for each; you can ask for another.

## Views

### Table

Good for: Rows to read and compare, several values each.

Not for: One number (stat), a current run (streak), or a trend over time (chart).

### List

Good for: Items to scan, each with a few details.

Not for: Values to compare across rows (table).

### Stat

Good for: A few headline numbers, one row.

Not for: Several rows (table or list).

### Chart

Good for: A trend: numbers over a label such as a day.

Not for: Text values (table), or one number (stat).

### Streak

Good for: A current run of days, with the best run.

Not for: Any other count (stat).

### Record

Good for: One row in full, with the rows that link to it and a way to add one.

Not for: Several rows (table, list or board).

### Board

Good for: Rows as cards in lanes, such as deals by stage.

Not for: Rows to compare (table), or no column to group by.

### Calendar

Good for: Rows on the days of a month or week, such as stays by arrival.

Not for: Rows without a date (table), or a timeline of rooms by night.

## Forms

A form adds one row to a table, with a field for each column. Where a table allows it, its records also have Edit and Delete, in the app and in chat; any other change goes through your AI.

![A pebble's form in an AI chat, with fields drawn from its table.](/docs/shots/form.png)

### Field kinds

**text:** Any column no other rule matches, and any field kind this renderer doesn't know.

**long-text:** Notes and other text that runs over several lines.

**number:** Columns with INTEGER, REAL, NUMERIC or DECIMAL types.

**money:** Amounts: a number column whose pebblebase_fields row sets format money or cents.

**duration:** Lengths of time: an integer column of whole seconds whose pebblebase_fields row sets format duration.

**date:** A day: a column with CHECK (x IS date(x)), or a text column whose pebblebase_fields row sets kind date.

**date-time:** A moment: a column with CHECK (x IS datetime(x)), or a text column whose pebblebase_fields row sets kind date-time, stored as UTC.

**yes-no:** A flag: a column with CHECK (x IN (0, 1)).

**choice:** Columns with a CHECK (x IN (...)) list.

**reference:** A column with REFERENCES another table: pick a row by its record label.

## Row and header buttons

A view can put buttons on its rows or by its heading that open a form already filled in, such as **Log call** on a deal.