Originally published at https://docs.nocobase.com/tutorials/v2/02-data-modeling
In the last chapter, we installed NocoBase and got familiar with the interface. Now it's time to build the skeleton of our HelpDesk system — the data model.
This chapter creates two collections — Tickets and Categories — and configures field types (single-line text, dropdown, many-to-one relations). The data model is the foundation: figure out what data you need and how it's related, then building pages and setting permissions becomes straightforward.
2.1 What Are Collections and Fields
If you've used Excel before, this will feel familiar:
Excel Concept
NocoBase Concept
Description
Worksheet
Collection
A container for one type of data
Column header
Field
An attribute describing the data
Each row
Record
One specific piece of data
For example, our "Tickets" collection is like an Excel spreadsheet — each column is a field (Title, Status, Priority...), and each row is one
Discussion
Break the silence
Take the opportunity to kick things off.