Views
User Guide — Building and Managing Data Views in OnCoor
| Last updated: August 2026
Contents
- Overview
- Key Concepts
- Finding Your Way Around
- The Views List
- Creating a View — Step by Step
- The Quick Create Shortcut
- Opening and Managing an Existing View
- Understanding Statuses
- Quick Reference
1. Overview
A View is a saved, reusable way of looking at your data. Instead of pulling together the same combination of columns and records by hand every time you need them, you define it once as a View, and OnCoor keeps it available as a ready-made data object you (and the rest of the platform) can use again and again.
You describe what the View should show using a query — a set of instructions that says which data to read and how to present it. OnCoor then checks that query, lets you preview the result, and — once you're happy — creates the View in your database so it behaves like any other data object.
Views are useful whenever you want a tailored slice of data that doesn't exist as a single object yet: a joined-together lookup list, a filtered subset, a renamed or reshaped set of columns, or a combination of several sources presented as one. Because a View is created inside your own data platform, it stays live — when the underlying data changes, the View reflects it.
What you can do here
- Create a View by writing a query, with OnCoor guiding you from draft to deployment.
- Check your query is correct before anything is created, with clear error messages if something needs fixing.
- Preview the actual data — real columns and sample rows — before you commit.
- Onboard the View for wider use so it can take part in cataloguing and automation.
- Deploy the View into your database, and keep a full history of every deployment.
- Manage every View from one list — search, filter, review, edit, and remove.
WHERE TO FIND IT — Views live under Management → Views in the main menu, alongside Reusable Function and Reference Config.
If your OnCoor uses a card-based home — such as the Conversion / Migration view, the dashboard of cards with clickable pills inside them — you navigate a little differently there. Rather than the classic All Menus tree, open the Navigation drawer on the left, or the waffle menu (the grid icon) on the right of the top bar, and go to Management → Views.
2. Key Concepts
A few terms come up throughout this guide. Understanding them makes everything else straightforward.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| View | A saved, reusable data object built from a query. Think of it as a named, always-up-to-date result you can reuse anywhere. |
| Domain Layer | The area of your data platform the View belongs to and reads from. You choose this first — it tells OnCoor where the View lives and which data it can see. |
| Query (SQL Body) | The instructions that define what the View shows. This is the heart of the View — it says which data to read and how to shape it. |
| Valid | Whether OnCoor has checked your query and confirmed it works. A View must be Valid before it can be previewed or deployed. |
| Conform Data | OnCoor's catalogue of governed data objects. Onboarding a View to Conform Data lets it be used by other parts of the platform, including automation. |
| Deploy | The final step that actually creates (or updates) the View in your database, making it live and usable. |
The golden rule: a View moves through the stages in order — define → check → preview → onboard → deploy. Each stage unlocks the next, so you always know what to do next.
3. Finding Your Way Around
Go to Management → Views. This opens the Views list, which shows every View that has been created, along with its current status.
On the left of the module is a navigation rail that follows you as you work. It has a few groups:
- Browse — the list of all Views.
- Create — start a new View, or continue editing one.
- Flow states — appears only while you're working on a particular View. It shows you exactly where that View is in its journey (validated? previewed? deployed?), so you can jump straight to the next step.
- Manage — opens the read-only detail of the View you're currently looking at.
The rail is there to keep you oriented: at a glance you can see which steps a View has already passed and which one comes next.
4. The Views List
The Views list is your home base. Every View you've created appears here as a row.
What each column tells you
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| View Object Name | The name you gave the View. |
| Domain Layer | The area of the platform the View belongs to. |
| Reads From | The data the View draws on. |
| Description | Your short note about what the View is for. |
| Status | Where the View is in its lifecycle (see Understanding Statuses). |
| Valid | Whether the query has passed its check. |
| Updated / Updated By | When the View was last changed, and by whom. |
Finding what you need
- Search — use the search box to find a View by name or description.
- Filter by status — quick filter chips let you narrow the list to All, Not Validated, Open, Valid, or View Created. Use Clear filters to reset.
- Export — download the list as CSV, Excel (.xlsx), or JSON to share or keep a record.
Actions on each row
Each View in the list offers a set of quick actions:
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Validate | Re-checks the View's query. |
| Preview | Opens the View's detail so you can inspect it. |
| Submit to create view | Deploys the View (only available once it's valid). |
| Open Deploy page | Goes to the deployment screen for that View. |
| Delete | Removes the View (you'll be asked to confirm first). |
To start a brand-new View, use the Add View button.
5. Creating a View — Step by Step
Creating a View is a guided journey. You don't have to finish it all in one sitting — a View is saved as a draft, so you can come back and pick up where you left off. The navigation rail always shows you which step is next.
5.1 Start a new View
Click Add View on the Views list. Fill in the details:
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Domain Layer | The area of the platform the View belongs to. Choose this first — it determines where the View lives and what data it can read. |
| View Name | A clear name for the View. This is how it will appear in lists and how other parts of the platform refer to it. |
| Description | (Optional) A short note explaining what the View is for. |
| Source | The source the View reads from. Chosen from the sources available in the Domain Layer you picked. |
| Object | The data object the View is assigned to, chosen from the objects of the selected Source. This is what lets the View be onboarded and used in automation later. |
Only the Domain Layer and View Name are strictly required to save a draft. You can add the query and the rest afterwards.
TIP — Pick the Domain Layer, Source, and Object thoughtfully. They decide which data your View can reach and how it fits into the wider platform. If you're not sure, check with whoever manages your data platform setup.
5.2 Write the query
In the SQL Body area, write the query that defines your View — the instructions for which data to read and how to present it. This is the part that does the real work: everything the View shows comes from here.
Every time you edit the query, OnCoor marks the View as not yet checked again — so after any change, you'll re-run the check in the next step before moving on. This is deliberate: it guarantees that what gets deployed is always exactly what you last confirmed works.
5.3 Validate (check the query)
Click Validate. OnCoor checks your query in two quick passes:
- A fast pre-check for obvious problems — an empty query, a missing instruction to read data, or mismatched brackets.
- A real test run against your data platform, without creating anything, to confirm the query genuinely works and every name it refers to can be found.
- If everything passes, the View is marked Valid and you can move on.
- If something is wrong, OnCoor shows the exact message from the database, right on screen, so you know what to fix. Correct the query and Validate again.
NOTE — A View can only be previewed or deployed once it is Valid. If you see "SQL needs attention" or a validation error, that's simply OnCoor telling you the query needs another look before you continue.
5.4 Preview & Create
Once the View is valid, open Preview. This shows you what the View will actually produce before anything is created:
- Output Columns — the columns the View will have.
- A sample of the data — a set of real rows so you can sanity-check the result.
- Pre-Deploy Checks — OnCoor's confirmation that the View is ready to be created, flagging anything that needs attention.
Previewing is your chance to confirm the View looks right. If something's off, go back and adjust the query — then re-validate and preview again.
5.5 Create Conform Data
This step onboards the View into OnCoor's governed data catalogue (Conform Data), and links it to the Object you chose earlier. Doing so lets the View be used by the rest of the platform — including automation.
Click Create Conform Data. OnCoor sets up the catalogue entry for you. This step only becomes available once the View is valid and an Object has been selected. If you've already run it, running it again does no harm — OnCoor simply recognises it's already done.
5.6 Deploy
The final step actually creates the View in your database and makes it live. Open the Deploy page, where you'll see:
- Deploy to Database — the action that creates or updates the View.
- Pre-Deploy Checks — a last confirmation that everything is in order.
- Deployment History — a record of every deployment attempt for this View.
Click Deploy to create the View. From this point the View is live: it exists in your database and reflects your data in real time. If a deployment can't complete, OnCoor records the reason in the Deployment History so you can see exactly what happened.
GOOD TO KNOW — Every deployment attempt is logged, whether it succeeds or fails, together with what was run and any error. You always have a full, auditable trail.
6. The Quick Create Shortcut
Sometimes you just need a small lookup View quickly — for example, while you're setting up a pick-list somewhere else in OnCoor. For that, OnCoor offers a Quick Create panel that compresses the whole journey into one place.
The Quick Create panel appears when you're configuring a pick-list (in the Data Update configuration screen) and choose to create a View on the spot. In it you:
- Choose the Domain layer, give the View a name, and write the SQL body (a short description is optional).
- Click Validate — OnCoor saves the draft and runs the same two-stage check as the full editor.
- Once it shows Validated, choose Create & Deploy — OnCoor onboards and deploys the View in one go, so it's immediately ready to use as a pick-list source.
NOTE — Just like the full flow, editing the name, layer, or query resets the check — so re-Validate before deploying. The View name is used as the catalogue name, so it's entered as an uppercase identifier.
Quick Create is simply the full define → check → deploy flow, made compact for when you need a ready-to-use lookup without leaving what you're doing.
7. Opening and Managing an Existing View
Click a View in the list (or use Preview) to open its detail page. This is a read-only summary showing:
- The Domain Layer, Source, Object, and Description.
- The SQL Body (the query that defines it).
- Its Conform Data onboarding status.
- When it was Created and last Updated.
From the detail page you can:
- Edit — reopen the View to change its details or query. Remember that changing the query means you'll need to Validate again before re-deploying.
- Validate — re-run the query check.
- Deployments — review the full deployment history.
Deleting a View
If a View is no longer needed, use Delete (from the list or the detail page). OnCoor asks you to confirm — "Delete this view?" — before removing it.
8. Understanding Statuses
As a View moves through its journey, its Status and Valid indicators tell you where it stands. These are also the quick-filter chips on the Views list.
| Indicator | What it means |
|---|---|
| Not Validated | The query hasn't been checked yet, or was edited since the last check. It can't be previewed or deployed until it's validated. |
| Open | The View is a working draft — editable and ready for you to continue. This is the normal state for a View you're still building or refining. |
| Valid | The query has passed its check. The View is ready to be previewed and deployed. |
| View Created | The View has been successfully deployed — it's live in your database and in use. |
The two ideas work together: Status tells you where the View is in its lifecycle, and Valid tells you whether its query currently passes the check. A View you've just deployed shows as created and valid; a View you've edited since deploying will show as needing another validation before you deploy again.
REMEMBER — Editing the query always resets the View to Not Validated. That's your cue to run Validate once more before previewing or deploying. It's OnCoor's way of making sure what's live is always what you last confirmed.
9. Quick Reference
A fast lookup for the most common actions.
| I want to… | Do this |
|---|---|
| See all my Views | Management → Views |
| Start a new View | Views list → Add View |
| Find a specific View | Use the search box, or a status filter chip |
| Check my query works | Open the View → Validate |
| See the data before creating it | Validate first, then Preview |
| Make the View usable by automation | Create Conform Data (after it's valid) |
| Create the View in the database | Deploy (or Submit to create view from the list) |
| Quickly make a lookup View | Use Quick Create while configuring a pick-list |
| Review past deployments | Open the View → Deployments / Deployment History |
| Change an existing View | Open the View → Edit → re-Validate → re-Deploy |
| Remove a View | Delete → confirm |
| Fix a query error | Read the on-screen message → correct the query → Validate again |
Source: OnCoor Views (View Configurations) product documentation, written for end users. For the latest screens and options, always refer to the in-app interface.